The start to 2018 has been very interesting as I travel up and down the coast. My first post was going to be in regards to the issue of transitioning from primary to secondary school, but I've decided to share about the workshops that we ran at a couple of schools in the Bellinger region.
What was the objective?
To introduce students, mainly in Stage 2 (Yrs 3-4), and encourage participation in learning woodwind and brass instruments. For one school, their band program has been on the rise for several years. For another school, it was an opportunity to introduce these instruments to help increase participation in their band program while also complimenting a very strong strings program.
How did the workshops work?
Each workshop would be approximately 30 minutes per classroom. Our first school brought through three classes, and the second school brought through five classes! Class sizes were roughly 20-25 students.
Multiple stations are set up for students to be able to try different instruments, with an instrumental teacher at each one (and any student helpers that were available). One station was specifically for brass instruments (i.e. trumpet, trombone, french horn, euphonium), another for reed instruments (i.e. clarinet, alto saxophone, oboe), and a third for flutes.
A brief explanation is given in regards to techniques used to play these instruments, being similar to other activities or actions the students could readily test after demonstration. After this, students could move around and try the assorted instruments at the different stations. There would be at least four instruments of a kind at a station.
It's important to note that not all of these instruments were attempted by students at these workshops. At the reed station, students only attempted clarinets due to the hassle of the process of setting a student up with a saxophone and also dealing with the size of the student. Similarly, not all brass instruments were attempted but were still displayed or demonstrated by a tutor.
Photos from one of the workshops displayed in the school newsletter
What about sanitisation?
This is always of concern when running these events, especially for reed and brass instruments. For flutes it wasn't of greater concern due to blowing across the surface, as opposed to pressing your lips against the mouthpiece, or putting the instrument in your mouth.
Alcohol wipes were our best friend and incredibly effective. Clarinet mouthpieces are always an interesting case, but wiping down the top (where the teeth rest), sides, and even the reed ensured no spreading of any sickness. The only other precaution was to make sure the alcohol wipe dried on the surface before the next student attempted the instrument. I remember when disinfectant mixtures were used in high school and a funny aftertaste would be left on the mouthpiece.
After a session, instruments would be cleaned out. They would get a good amount of moisture, but nothing a pull-through cloth couldn't handle. You could never be too careful having a second cloth on hand.
What were the reactions?
For me, this is probably the best part of the whole experience from a teaching perspective. The curiosity starts to set in for the students during the introductions. The early attempts at instruments create interesting responses. Frustration at not blowing at the correct angle for flutes, trepidation as clarinet mouthpieces go into mouths similar to one wishing to play the recorder (i.e. a very tiny amount), and the discovery of what the lips have to do to get a sound out of a trumpet or trombone.
Some students immediately got a sound out of the top sections, and some struggled but were given instruction as to what they needed to do. Students usually needed to roll the flute head-joint to the correct angle, or simply put a lot more mouthpiece in while pushing the air firmer and faster. Even though I didn't see the brass as much as the other instruments, I assume air pressure and buzz would have been a feature of correction.
Brass and reeds were the noisiest, probably most notable when students were trying to get an open tone out of the clarinet as opposed to just "squeaking" through the instrument. A few of the classroom teachers had the equivalent reaction below...
A lot of satisfied reactions to getting the correct type of sound out of instruments left students keen to jump from one instrument to the next. Some students enjoyed particular instruments and struck up conversation with tutors or fellow peers that shared a similar interest.
When I ran a demonstration similar to this as part of a prac class in 2006, I remember student stating they enjoyed the experience because "they actually did something by being involved". This reaction still rang true for every workshop.
The experience didn't stop there as everyone reassembled, and demonstrations were given by students who were in at least their second year of learning an instrument. Flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, and trombone demonstrations were given across both schools.
Why didn't the tutors demonstrate?
All of the students experienced the first step of creating sound, but it's great to make the link to the next step of what happens when you can start to change the sound and create tunes. While we might be able to immediately dazzle with a flurry of notes, I feel it's even better when a fellow student can demonstrate and relate closer to the students to make the next possible step more achievable.
What happens now?
Students listed their names in regards to interest and also took home notes. For the first school we worked with, we had a small amount of students register before the next week. We're currently waiting to see the response from the second school, but early signs of increased interest are very positive.
The tolerance levels need to be there, especially if you're working with wind instruments. It could be the shared frustration of getting a sound out of the flute, settling the volume levels of brass, or even trying to get someone playing the clarinet to settle into the lower range instead of "squawking".
The whole process of setting up and then running the workshops is an exhausting process, but well worth the effort. After the second school completed their five workshops, I then had to take their school band in the afternoon, another student for private tuition, then assistance with the region's youth orchestra. By the time it came to the youth orchestra, my concentration was fatigued as simple mistakes were made every now and then (not to mention my misplaced "ligature", or shoelace as other musicians commonly know I use).
My first introduction to learning an instrument was to go along to a workshop and attempting to get a sound, or control the sound, from the instrument. Not to have it played for me by someone else at a much higher level, but to get stuck into it immediately and experience an early foundation towards success. Hopefully a similar profound effect can be left for a lot more students as we continue to provide and share these opportunities for this emerging generation.
