Curated from YAMAHA – by Matt Kerns – STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY OIL PISTON VALVES TO SOLVE STICKY VALVE PROBLEMS. It’s the night of the beginning band concert, and the curtain will go up soon. You’re back stage shepherding all of your students, who are bubbling with nervous excitement, to their chairs. Then, from the rear of the…
MORECurated from YAMAHA – by Austin Snowden – THERE ARE LOTS OF SIMILARITIES, BUT THEY ARE FAR FROM THE SAME. Early versions of the saxophone first appeared in 1840, followed by a number of variations. However, it wasn’t until the 1930s that the world saw what is now considered the modern saxophone. Advances in digital technology have allowed Yamaha to…
MORECurated from KHS Academic Alliance – by Peter Boonshaft – Many years ago, the legendary W. Francis McBeth wrote an article entitled, “It’s A Hard Life” that sticks (pun intended, as you’ll see!) with me every time I rehearse an ensemble. The essence of this article was his opinion that all too often percussionists are told by their conductors to…
MOREThe Bandmaster’s Podcast, Episode 37: Bill Jastrow, Retired, Indian Prairie School District 204, IL. Bill Jastrow discusses comprehensive musicianship, organizing a school district’s music program, and the caring and “feeding” of the young percussionist. FULL BIO Spanning 41 years, William Jastrow’s teaching experience ranges from a community high school with an enrollment of 450 students, to Neuqua Valley H.S. with an…
MORECurated from YAMAHA – by Jayme K. Hayes – ACCEPTING FAILURE IS CRUCIAL TO HELPING STUDENTS BECOME LIFELONG LEARNERS WHO ARE SELF-MOTIVATED TO SUCCEED. We all fear the horrible F word — failure. Who wants to fail at something? How often do people purposefully put effort into failing? It is something we avoid at all costs, are ashamed of, or…
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