Specialized Skills and Knowledge Flashcards
Describe cost-effective ways of publicizing music programs and events.
Social media publicizing, smaller paper publications (flyers), use parent committee to help publicize, can eliminate program notes but having an announcer speak between pieces
Compare and contrast appropriate etiquette for three different types of performance venues.
Classical: Don’t talk, applaud at end of work.
Jazz: Can clap or show approval at any point, especially for improvised section or solo.
Rock: Can clap or show approval at any time, can talk throughout concert.
Same for all: Arrive early, be aware of photography/recording regulations, control your children.
Explain the teaching goal of using intonation spot checks of different sections during a rehearsal.
Isolating the instrumental/vocal groups for intonation spot checks teaches students to listen to themselves and neighbors.
Opportunities to practice appropriate pitch adjustments (slides, mouthpieces, tuning pegs, vocal mechanisms, etc.).
Learn to produce a consistent pitch with breath or open strings.
Describe vocal techniques to achieve vowel uniformity within a chorus.
Mouth open tall instead of wide, jaw dropped to open oral cavity for open and resonant vowels. Open throat, lifted soft palate for more relaxed and smoother sound. Direct sound forward in head for vibrance.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages for conductors to individually tune each student’s instrument.
Advantages: Save time and confusion for students, teach them how to tune.
Disadvantages: Lost rehearsal time/inefficient use of time, need to teach them how to tune themselves so they can become independent musicians.
Explain the physiology and musical goal of lifting the palate in vocal technique.
Soft palate (velum) is soft tissue at top of mouth cavity that rises and lowers as mouth swallows and phonation occurs. Responsible for closing off the nasal cavity while mouth swallows so that oral contents enter esophagus. Open throat with raised velum (soft palate) and lowered larynx provides more relaxed and free sound while easing register transitions and maintaining the health of the vocal mechanisms. More space within oral cavity = more resonant, warm tone without restrictions. Also relaxes surrounding vocal muscles, resulting in easier register transitions and therefore a consistently smooth tone.
Describe the various tuning strategies in an instrumental rehearsal.
Could have director tune individuals/individual instruments before rehearsal or quickly at the beginning. More proficient ensembles could tune from principal oboe or principal clarinet (or tuba). Could also have each section tune as a group at beginning of rehearsal so they can match pitch and timbre. Could tune based on tuning machine that plays a pure tone concert pitch where the musicians must listen carefully to adjust their instruments to the proper pitch.
Describe the steps involved in preparing program notes for a performance setting.
Extensive and thorough research on the musical work as well as its historical context and contextual background. Consult a variety of sources for most accurate info, perhaps starting with New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, then using composer biographies, orchestral music resources, CD liner notes, primary notes on the score, and other published collections of program notes. Also check text and translations for most accurate rendering. After research, write program notes, including historical, biographical, and contextual info as well as info about the work itself.
Discuss proper brass embouchure for good tone quality.
Consistent breath support through deep inhalations, controlled exhalations, and relaxed body. Proper embouchure is key for tone quality, intonation, endurance, range, and articulation. Lips are source of sound wave’s motion and energy: mouth cavity should be wide and open while lips touch as if saying “M.” When player buzzes, lips should stay relaxed while corners of lips should stay firm, not too tight or too loose. Keep chin even and pointed. General guideline: Keep mouthpiece equally held between the two lips.
Describe techniques to improve poor singing posture.
Posture imperative for resonant sounds and body health. Weight of body evenly distributed on feet, spine erect, shoulders back, skull balanced on A/O joint - neutral position so unrestricted airflow and no unnecessary fatigue. When sitting, feet flat on floor, spine erect and aligned with neck, shoulders, head, and ears. Body should be balanced and relaxed.
Describe the theory behind tuning an ensemble upwards from the bass.
Theory: With precise tuning, other instruments can more easily hear their tuning pitches because of the overtones and harmonics from the bass sounds, and can more easily place their pitches within the context of a chord structure, as bass becomes foundational pitch of the ensemble.
Describe the role of the music educator in teaching concert etiquette.
Concert etiquette as both performer and audience member. Proper sitting/standing posture, appropriate eye contact, entrance etiquette, bowing after performance. Peer performance, polite listening manners, withholding clapping between movements, applause after performance. Can also address parents during P/T conferences or before a concert to remind proper concert etiquette.
Describe the role of the section leader in the rehearsal procedures.
Should be thoroughly prepared with his/her own musical part; be ready to give advice in terms of style, articulation, phrasing, bowing, fingering, and other musical details; be proficient at keeping accurate tuning and should help ensure proper intonation of entire section; responsible for interpreting any interpretive directives like dynamics, phrasing, articulation, and character.
Describe the essential elements to include in program notes.
Helpful guide for the audience: key elements to understanding the work (contextual background, historical context, first performance, scoring, musical style, possible details to listen for). Avoid personal anecdotes, footnotes, irrelevant facts and details, musical examples or excerpts, exclusively technical terminology, or effusive emotional descriptions. Should be insightful and engaging, thoroughly researched, geared toward level of audience understanding (young or expert). If possible, include unique and engaging facts such as the initial reception through a first review or the dedication of the work.
Describe the role of the breathing warm-up, and give examples of breathing warm-ups.
Physical and mental. Engage core for supported singing and help warm vocal folds for singing. Physically prepare lungs and vocal mechanisms, mentally center singer to be mindful of breath. Ex. 1: Take a deep breath over as many counts as possible, hold breath, let air out on “s” sound over as many counts as possible. Ex. 2: Have singers exhale on a pulse with an open mouth “ha.”
