The Nottelmann Blog
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The Nottelmann Blog

Don't see what you're looking for?  TELL US WHAT IT IS!  You found The Nottelmann Blog, exclusively for music educators!  Our blog library now stands at 375 postings! Since you're ALWAYS LEARNING, we're ALWAYS ADDING MORE! NOTE: our posts do not necessarily appear in chronological order, as some are ordered according to the season.

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TITLE: CELEBRATE FAILURE: TEACH THROUGH MUSIC

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: March 16, 2023

Curated 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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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Watch: Welcome to Band

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: March 15, 2023

A Short Band Recruitment Video – Curated from Yamaha

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TITLE: TWO-HUNDRED MILLISECONDS!

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: March 15, 2023

Curated from “The Boonshaft Blog” – by Peter Boonshaft – In my previous blog, I mentioned how our intense concentration, or worrying about a problem, in rehearsals often causes us to forget about using what can be our most powerful means of communicating, our face. One need only watch the famed video of the legendary Leonard Bernstein conducting Haydn’s Symphony…

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TITLE: ADVICE FOR FIRST-YEAR MUSIC EDUCATORS – from 122 Yamaha Staff

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: March 7, 2023

Curated from YAMAHA – by YAMAHA Staff – “40 UNDER 40” EDUCATORS OFFER USEFUL TIPS TO NEW MUSIC TEACHERS TO HELP THEM THROUGH THEIR STRESSFUL FIRST YEAR. Starting your career as a music educator is an exciting time! Who better to offer some words of wisdom than the Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educators for 2023? Below are 122 tips…

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TITLE: BASIE, BEBOP, BALLADS & BLUES – Selecting Literature for the Middle School and High School Jazz Ensemble

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: February 17, 2023

Mike Parkinson is a Nottelmann Music Jazz Clinician, KHS America Education Artist, and XO Professional Brass Artist – For the school band director, an annual challenge and opportunity is selecting worthy jazz ensemble literature for students to perform.  As an educator I have gained from the recommendations of others, the research I completed, and most importantly from listening to great bands in…

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TITLE: Preparation for Adjudication: A Checklist for Success

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: February 5, 2023

Curated from In Tune Magazine – by Lori Schwartz Reichl – “The best preparation for good work tomorrow, is to do good work today.” ~ Elbert Hubbard The months of February through May can be the most stressful for music educators and specifically for those who lead ensembles. Ensembles are preparing to be assessed at the county, state, and regional…

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TITLE: Our Featured Twin Webinars – Preparing for Large Ensemble – Prepare for Your Best Season Yet!

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: February 4, 2023

IT’S WORTH IT! Take the time now to prepare for festival – view these two FANTASTIC NPD WEBINARS! Webinar #1 – National clinician Dr. Nola Jones discussed everything regarding preparing your students for adjudication – tips, philosophy, and a deep dive into the adjudication sheets. Watch this PREVIEW VIDEO- Webinar #2 – How to TraIn Your Students in SIGHT-READING –…

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TITLE: Preparing The Music Department Budget; Being Creative

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: February 3, 2023

Presented by Joe Pappas, Nottelmann Music Clinician –  One of the most difficult aspects of being a music director at any level is anticipating the needs, growth and budget of the school music program.  Many times we are faced with needs that exceed the annual budget and are forced to find other means to support our programs.  By using the…

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TITLE: Canva video tools: a quick-start guide for teachers

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: February 3, 2023

Curated from Midnight Music – by Katherine Miller – There are always tremendous posts at Katie Wardrobe’s Midnight Music.  Here’s one from one of her subscribers on how to take this wonderful tool for creating images and videos and use it for the classroom. This is a guest post by one of our teacher-authors, Katherine Miller. Canva isn’t just for…

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TITLE: The Answers You’ve Been Looking For – by Peter Boonshaft

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: February 1, 2023

Curated from KHS Academic Alliance – By Peter Boonshaft- I’m sure we have all wondered what our students see when they are watching us. Certainly, our viewing video recordings of our rehearsals can help provide insights into what they see, but I would like to suggest an additional step that will help us actually see what they see, as well…

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TITLE: Top 10 Things All Young Percussionists Should Know

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: February 1, 2023

Curated from YAMAHA – by Dave Gerhart – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU PLAY IN AN ENSEMBLE THE FIRST TIME. Young percussion students who are studying with a private instructor usually study solo on marimba, snare drum, drum set or timpani. Ensemble playing techniques are usually something that are acquired later in high school – and unfortunately, the…

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TITLE: The Entrepreneurial Mindset for Musicians: Personal and Professional Development

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: December 7, 2022

By Nottelmann Music and Clinician and Professional XO Brass Artist Mike Parkinson – As someone who was drawn to pursue a career in music while in high school and managed to have a long and successful career, I know firsthand the challenges facing individuals today who are seriously considering music for their vocation.  Many students are not aware of the…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Audition Advice

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: December 1, 2022

Curated from YAMAHA – by Dave Gerhart – HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO PASS YOUR NEXT AUDITION. Musicians are always auditioning. Here are a dozen tips that will improve your chances of being successful at your next audition …plus a few bonus ones if you happen to be a percussionist. GENERAL ADVICE 1. Play through your entire repertoire…

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TITLE: Your Budget’s Not Enough? Here’s a 3-Step Plan to Grant Writing

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: November 11, 2022

Curated from YAMAHA – by Patricia Toben – APPLYING FOR GRANTS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL MUSIC EDUCATORS SHOULD DO. BUT HOW DO YOU GET STARTED? TRY THESE TACTICS THAT WORKED FOR AN IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICT. “Music for all, and all for music” is a goal that all music educators strive for, but unfortunately, access to music in schools isn’t a guarantee. Zip…

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TITLE: Delayed Gratification: When Students Get Tired, Teach Them to Rest, Not Quit

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: November 9, 2022

Curated from YAMAHA – by Jarrett Lipman – Sometimes students don’t like band. Sometimes parents don’t like band. And, as odd as it can seem, I know there are times when I struggle to find joy in the day-to-day business of being a band director. As educators, we go through many highs and lows, and it can feel very lonely…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: MBA Podium Masters – Produced for MBA by Nottelmann Music

SOURCE: Ray Benton

FORMAT:

DATE: November 6, 2022

Ann Goodwin Clark, Co-Historian for Missouri Bandmasters, had the vision to record interviews with Missouri master teachers in music education.  Ann reached out to me and asked for my assistance in producing and posting these timeless videos.  Below is the current library, with more additions planned for the future.  I believe EVERY music educator will benefit from the wisdom brought…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: 5 by 5 – NPD Jazz Webinar Series on the Rhythm Section

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: October 31, 2022

A warehouse of tips for you and your students. 5 top musicians present tips on 5 rhythm section instruments.  Check out the previews, view the full webinars below. PIANO GUITAR DRUMS BASS LATIN PERCUSSION VIEW THE FULL WEBINARS FOR FREE

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TITLE: Studio Recording 101 For the Musician – Concepts To Help Ensure Your Musical Success

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: July 19, 2022

Reprinted by permission from Mike Parkinson, KHS America Education Artist, XO Professional Brass Artist, and Nottelmann Music Clinician Countless musicians have dreams of making an outstanding professional recording or becoming studio musicians.  Unfortunately many musicians, including me, have often gone into the recording studio with a lack of knowledge, experience or understanding of how to prepare or deal with the…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Top 10 Qualities of an Effective Band or Orchestra Conductor

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: November 2, 2021

Curated from SBO Magazine – by Harvey Rachlin –  We all have had teachers we remember because they had an impact on us in some wonderful way in school. Perhaps it was a music teacher or conductor who nourished our love of music and was partly responsible for our pursuing a career in music. What teacher today (or at any time)…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Twin Posts – EDITOR’S CHOICE – Top Ten Concert Band Pieces You May Have Missed

SOURCE: Ray Benton

FORMAT:

DATE: October 6, 2021

Looking for quality Grade 2 or Grade 3 concert band pieces? Don’t overlook these “Top 10” quality pieces selected by Ray Benton, our Technology and Media Specialist, with 32 years of teaching experience.  We’ve combined these two posts into one.  All of the entrees feature demonstration recordings. . .

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TITLE: Tips for a Successful Marching Band – with Yamaha Master Educator Barry Houser

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: June 6, 2021

  Time to “pick the brain” of Yamaha Master Educator and Director of the Marching Illini Barry Houser originally presented to the Carthage Missouri Band Staff. This free, view anytime webinar is on: Drum Majors Student Leaders Student Motivation and Attitude Show Music Selection Show Drill Design Teaching Drill Going Digital Online Tools Tips and Tricks Optional one-hour PD credit…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Nottelmann Professional Development Webinars

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: May 3, 2021

Your ONE-TIME registration takes less than a minute.  Already registered?  Access all of our webinars now. CLICK TO REVIEW THIS VIDEO PREVIEW Welcome music educators!  In keeping Nottelmann Music’s 65-year-plus tradition of supporting music educators, we offer these pages to support your everyday teaching.  Nottelmann Professional Development is here to instruct and provide you with OPTIONAL professional development credit, absolutely free…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Copyright for Virtual Concerts: What You Can and Cannot Do

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: December 16, 2020

Curated from J.W. Pepper’s CuedIn – by Andrea Pelloquin –  Planning an online concert?  What about copyright, permissions?  This article and video sets the issue straight. J.W. Pepper hosted a webinar on October 1st with Katie Baron, attorney and partner at Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP and Shari Molstad, Permissions Manager at Hal Leonard LLC. We have summarized the content of…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: The Benefits of Sight-Reading: The What, Why, and How

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: December 10, 2020

Curated from the Smartmusic Music Educator Blog – What is Sight-Reading? Being able to look at a brand new piece of music and play it at sight is a pretty amazing skill to have. Just think—what we’re trained as musicians to do is to simultaneously scan and identify various symbols and visual cues, register and process each one (both individually…

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TITLE: “Developing Musicians or Directing the Band?” 6 Survival Tactics for the Middle School Band Director 

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: November 24, 2020

Curated from Bandworld – by Benjamin Davis – “Traps” in the Daily Life of a Middle School Band Director You may be familiar with the adage, “He couldn’t see the forest for the trees.” If we were to reverse the wording of that expression, we have an accurate description of what happens to many middle school band directors. Middle school…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Clarinet Tone Production

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: November 16, 2020

Curated from Band Directors Talk Shop –  Advice about clarinet embouchure in the clarinet pedagogy literature is fairly consistent no matter where one looks. Keep the chin flat and pointed, corners of the mouth to the center, touch the reed with the tip of the tongue, angle of the instrument between 30 and 45 degrees.  If everyone does this, why…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Expanding the Flute’s Dynamic Range

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: October 1, 2020

Curated from Band Directors Talk Shop – by Erin Kendall Murphy –  Does your flute section play at a mezzo forte dynamic most of the time? Are you constantly asking them to play out more or play much less for balance in your ensemble? Are your flutists only able to play loud in the high register and soft in the low register?…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Six Important Parent Tips for the Young Musician – by Ray Benton

SOURCE: Ray Benton

FORMAT:

DATE: December 16, 2019

“Going beyond simply footing the bill can make the difference between the student just getting by and being amazing.” So your child is playing a musical instrument.  You’ve invested hard-earned dollars into the project, so is your job over? As a band director with over 32 years of experience, I can say many of our parents first believed that, once…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: 5 Useful Apps To Help You Practice and Transcribe Music

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: December 28, 2022

This podcast is curated from Midnight Music – by Katie Wardrobe In this episode, Katie is sharing some of the most helpful apps you can use as a musician. She’ll discuss apps that help you practice music or transcribe music and hopes you find them helpful!     GO TO ORIGINAL POST

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TITLE: Top Ten 2022 Posts at The Nottelmann Blog

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: December 2, 2022

With so many quality and diverse posts to choose from at the Nottelmann Blog, here are our picks based on viewer popularity.  We highly recommend that you view and share each one. #1 – Editor’s Choice – 10 Concert Band Pieces You May Have Missed – Grade 2/Easy – By Ray Benton, Technology and Media Specialist, Nottelmann Music Co.  Ray,…

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TITLE: Why Buy a Step-Up Flute? With KHS Clinician Deanna Little

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: December 1, 2022

Watch our exclusive video below for the answers to these question: Why step-up flutes? Who are step-up instruments for? What are the benefits of a step-up flute? Why are Azumi or Altus flutes are a good choice? Why should you buy your step-up flute from a local dealer? For more information, call 314-631-1486.

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TITLE: Balance – #203, Boonshaft Blog

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: November 16, 2022

Curated from KHS America’s Boonshaft Blog – by Peter Boonshaft In my previous blog, I wrote about my concern that when ensemble students are told to correct their blend, they almost always just get softer so as to guard against the possibility that it is their sound that is causing the problem. Instead of first checking to make certain the…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Bucket Drumming: An Inexpensive, Durable and Portable Option

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: November 9, 2022

Curated from Yamaha – by Tyler Swick – ENLIVEN YOUR ELEMENTARY MUSIC CLASSROOM WITH CHEAP AND MOBILE BUCKET DRUMS — YOUR STUDENTS WILL HAVE FUN AND LEARN ABOUT PERCUSSION, MARCHING AND MORE! Bucket drumming is a popular trend among busking musicians performing for tips on crowded streets. In my hometown of Las Vegas, bucket drumming can be heard every few…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Two Great Jazz Educators – Two Great Jazz Education Webinars!

SOURCE: Nottelmann Music

FORMAT:

DATE: October 28, 2022

Band directors – time to focus on your jazz program?  Whether your ensemble meets every day or once a week, whether it’s established or a new program, you’ll find valuable tips and advice here. Click the preview video above to learn more about two GREAT NPD Webinars in Jazz Education with two GREAT Jazz Educators: Mike Parkinson on Beyond the Blues…

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Nottelmann Music Blog

TITLE: Embouchure Formation Strategies for Classical and Jazz Saxophonists

SOURCE: Curated

FORMAT:

DATE: September 27, 2022

Curated from Bandworld – By Dr. Tracy Heavner –  Introduction Forming a correct embouchure is one of the most important aspects of playing the saxophone. Without a correct embouchure, a saxophonist’s tone, intonation, response, musical expressiveness and performance enjoyment will be severely hindered. In addition, it is extremely important to establish a correct embouchure in the very beginning stages of development…

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