Copyright by Carol M. Hayward 2004
ABSTRACT
The issue of literature selection for performing ensembles is of critical
importance for band directors in the schools with many authorities agreeing that the
repertoire chosen for study is the curriculum for these classes. Preservice
professionals and less experienced directors of wind bands may lack skills for
determining the quality of materials chosen for study, as well as knowledge of
standard literature for these ensembles.
For this study, a survey group of collegiate directors of bands was selected on
the basis of their expertise in wind literature. Most other studies on repertoire for
wind bands have employed random selection methods to choose survey respondents.
These selected participants were asked to respond to a survey concerning standard literature for band and the criteria for identifying quality in band literature. They
were also asked to nominate high school band directors whose opinions they respect
on the topic of repertoire selection. These recommended directors were asked to
complete a similar survey. The survey respondents included 83 directors from both
the collegiate and high school levels who teach in all six regions of the College Band
Directors National Association. The respondents exhibited a wealth of experience in
the field with most indicating that they had twelve or more years of teaching
experience.
ii The ultimate goal of the project was to construct a syllabus for a course in wind literature that would include the results of this research. The course builds upon the concerns expressed and recommendations derived from the review of literature, as well as the recommendations of the survey respondents. The survey identified 24 grade III-VI works from the standard literature of the wind band that through study
and analysis would provide insight for determining criteria of quality in wind literature. In addition, a list of criteria for determining quality in music was
substantiated for use as a catalyst for discussion in the class and to serve as a basis for
students to develop their own criteria for determining quality in music, especially the
quality of less familiar works that have not yet entered the body of standard literature.
iii
Dedicated to my mother who told me I could do anything I wanted to do
iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank my mentors and friends, Russel Mikkelson and Richard
Blatti, for demonstrating their faith in me in many ways. This part of my journey would never have begun without the support and encouragement that they offered, and the opportunities they provided. Their friendship and devotion have been indispensable and are greatly appreciated.
I also thank Hilary Apfelstadt and Timothy Gerber for serving on my committee and providing encouragement, advice, and “moral support” along the way.
I am grateful to my new colleagues at Bowling Green State University, especially Bruce Moss, who constantly reminded me that I really could finish my degree while working in a new full-time position, and our graduate assistants Ryan
Nowlin and Jason Sivill, whose assistance throughout the year made it possible for me to complete my degree work and meet my professional obligations.
Most importantly, I wish to thank my remarkable family— my husband Bill, who provided great video and so much more; my children, Mindy and Scott, who never failed to remind me that they were proud of me; and my parents who have demonstrated their support by attending nearly every concert with which I have been involved since I was ten years old! Without all of their love and constant encouragement, the completion of this endeavor would have been impossible.
v
VITA
1971...... Bachelor of Music in Education, Capital University
1971-1974 ...... Music Teacher, Springfield Local Schools, Summit County, Ohio
1974-1978 ....Director of Choral Music, Central-Hower High School, Akron, Ohio
1978-1982 ...... Music Teacher, Miami Trace Local Schools, Fayette County, Ohio
1982-1985 ...... Director of Music, Madison Plains High School, London, Ohio
1985-1989 ...... Director of Bands, Teays Valley High School, Ashville, Ohio
1989-2001 ...... Director of Bands, Westland High School, Galloway, Ohio
1994...... Master of Arts in Music Education, The Ohio State University
2001-2003 ...... Doctoral Conducting Associate, The Ohio State University
2003-present...... Instructor, Bowling Green State University
FIELDS OF STUDY
Major Field: Music
Studies in Conducting: Professors Russel Mikkelson, Richard Blatti, Hilary Apfelstadt, Marshall Haddock
Studies in Horn: Professor Charles Waddell
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Abstract...... ii Dedication...... iv Acknowledgments...... v Vita...... vi
Chapters: 1. Introduction...... 1 Statement of the Problem...... 3 Need for the Study ...... 4 Purpose of the Study ...... 6 Scope and Limitations...... 6 Definitions...... 7
2. Review of Literature ...... 10 The Importance of Quality Repertoire—Literature as Curriculum ...... 10 The Difficulty of Selecting Quality Music for Wind Band ...... 15 Defining “Quality” in Music...... 27 Additional Related Studies...... 40 The Importance of Studying Wind Band Literature as Professional Preparation of the Preservice Professional...... 48 Summary...... 51
3. Methodology...... 53 The Survey Population...... 54 The Survey Instrument...... 54
4. Findings and Interpretations ...... 57 Section I: General Information ...... 58 Section II: Criteria for Determining “Quality” of Literature...... 62 Section III: Core Repertoire, Grades III, IV, V, and VI ...... 67
vii
5. Summaries, Conclusions, and Recommendations ...... 72 Summary...... 72 Methodology...... 74 Findings and Conclusions...... 76 Recommendations for Further Research...... 77 Development of a Course of Study...... 82 Syllabus for a Course in Repertoire for Wind Band...... 83
Bibliography ...... 90
Appendices A. Letters to Selected Collegiate Directors of Bands and Nominated High School Directors of Bands ...... 97 B. Letter to Survey Participants...... 100 C. Survey of Collegiate Directors...... 102 D. Survey of High School Directors...... 109 E. Summaries of Survey Results ...... 116 F. Additional Repertoire Recommended by Survey Respondents...... 128 G. Participating Directors ...... 131 H. Permission to Cite and Include Howard Study Research ...... 135 I. Research Compliancy Documents ...... 138
viii CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important tasks for the school band director is the selecting
of appropriate literature for the performing ensemble. Most conductors agree that it is
also one of the most difficult tasks, and that the choosing of quality music must be a high
priority. Author and conductor, Joseph Labuta writes, “The band director’s choice of
music is critical. It is far from redundant to say that the director must put music into the
band program—quality literature, plus knowledge of its structure and style.”1 Butler R.
Eitel, retired Director of Bands at the University of Montana, calls the search for quality literature at all levels “the only quest in town, a matter of integrity that we cannot dodge
. . .This is the band director’s challenge.”2
The concern that band directors in the schools may not be promoting “good”
music is not a new one. In 1991, Harry Begian, retired Director of Bands at the
University of Illinois, expressed his concern that “the school band movement is in a
general decline. School bands that study and perform music of limited substance
cannot do anything good for young musicians and may eventually turn students away
1 Joseph A. Labuta, Teaching Musicianship in the High School Band (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: Meredith Music Publications, 1972, 1997), 6.
2 Butler R. Eitel quoted in J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 38.
1 from band.”3 While there are many examples of fine high school bands performing
quality literature, there are also many other programs in which the repertoire choices of
the directors are questionable, especially among inexperienced teachers.
Many authorities agree that finding and selecting quality literature may be a
difficult task for the experienced director as well as for the novice conductor. Carl A.
Bly, Director of Bands at Lake Braddock High School, Burke, Virginia, states, “It simply
takes a lot of time and persistence to find good literature. Among all the pieces available
every year, there are two or three that are worth it.” 4
Possibly, becoming more familiar with the standard literature for wind band and
being able to define its positive attributes may be a useful skill for directors of
performing ensembles in determining the merit of unfamiliar repertoire. The literature
chosen for preparation in the ensemble provides the teaching materials used by the
instructor to teach musical concepts as well as musical skills.
H. Robert Reynolds, Director of Bands (retired) at the University of Michigan has
expressed the opinion that: “Perhaps the most important task to face all conductors is the
choice of the most appropriate literature. This becomes a never ending quest and is
made even more difficult in the public schools due to the exorbitant time demands of a great variety of responsibilities. The selection of quality music is further complicated
3 Harry Begian, “Standards of Excellence for Band Repertoire,” The Instrumentalist 45, no. 6 (January, 1991): 10.
4 Carl A. Bly quoted in J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 90.
2 by the deluge of superficial publications which constantly emerge each year to attract our attention.”5
Quality music for the wind band is available at all levels if one is willing go to the
effort to find it. Composer Elliott Del Borgo believes, “The serious and committed
conductor will take the time to make an informed judgment as to the musical value of the
works he has selected for performance. Excellent educational pieces for young musicians
lay the ground work for fine performances of master works later on.”6 It is the band
director’s responsibility to his students, himself, and to music education, as well as to the future of wind bands to learn to recognize quality literature and use it. In the words of
composer Timothy Mahr, “We’re not orchestras. We’re not choirs. We are the band.
Our repertoire and programming are unique, and our heritage is our own.”7
Statement of the Problem
The debate regarding what constitutes good music for the wind band rages on
everywhere from informal discussions among conductors and educators to clinics,
conferences, and publications of such well-respected professional organizations as the
College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) and the World Association of
Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE). The Journal of the World Association of
5 H. Robert Reynolds, foreward, in Thomas L Dvorak, Best Music for Young Band (New York: ManhattanBeach Music, 1986), 6.
6 Elliot A. Del Borgo, “Selecting Quality Literature for Bands and Orchestras,” The Instrumentalist (Nov. 1988): 26.
7 Timothy Mahr quoted in Mark Camphouse,ed., Composers on Composing for Band (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002), 288.
3 Symphonic Bands and Ensembles devoted two complete editions over two consecutive years (2000 and 2001) to what it called the “Quest for Good Music.”
The context for the problem to be investigated in this study is this: determining music of quality may be difficult for the seasoned professional—for the inexperienced director it is even more daunting. Many instrumental music majors graduate without comprehensive knowledge of standard literature and without having developed criteria for selecting music of value for an ensemble. The questions to be answered, then, are:
1. What are some important currently prevailing criteria that can be used in
selecting quality music for an ensemble?
2. What are some of the pieces from the standard wind band literature with
which instrumental music majors should become acquainted before leaving
college?
Need for the study
The need for the study is exhibited in two areas:
1. the need for music education students who intend to become band directors to
become acquainted with the standard literature for the wind band; and
2. the need for experiences that will assist music pre-professionals to develop
skills in the evaluation of literature for their future ensembles.
In many of our college music programs, the outstanding players who are members of the top band in their schools rarely play music suitable for their future high school and middle school bands to play. Many are not afforded the opportunity to play standard literature except at the grade V and VI level. Hopefully, their cumulative musical
4 experiences will help them learn to be discriminating at all literature levels, but many will not have actually played standard literature at the grade III and IV level, let alone grade I and II. From among the survey respondents for this document who are collegiate directors, a significant number indicated that they only occasionally devote time to pieces within the grasp of high school bands, and from the high school director respondents who were questioned about their collegiate experience, the results were similar.
The need to help young teachers develop criteria for determining quality in literature is imperative because “quality” is such a difficult thing to define. It is evident that “to be in favor of ‘good’ music is about as startling and controversial as being in favor of safe driving and the prevention of forest fires,”8 but the problem lies in determining what “quality” music is, especially from among all the new literature published annually for school bands.
Only three of the 31 collegiate directors surveyed took a course in wind literature during their undergraduate training, and among the high school directors, only 50 percent of the 36 respondents had such a course. Only 23 percent of the collegiate director respondents indicated that they felt “well prepared” to evaluate literature when they began their first teaching position, while only 17 percent of the high school directors felt
“well-prepared” to select quality repertoire when they were novice teachers.
8 H.F.Abeles, C.R Hoffer, and R.H. Klotman, Foundations of Music Education, 2d ed. (New York: Schirmer Books, 1984, 1994), 66.
5 Purpose of the study
The final objective of this study will be to design an undergraduate/graduate
course in wind band literature that will acquaint current and future band directors with a repertoire of standard literature for the wind band and will assist them in developing
criteria for selecting music of quality for their ensembles. The opinions of selected collegiate and high school band directors have been solicited and will be utilized to help determine the content of the course of study.
Scope and Limitations
This document will primarily focus on the issues of familiarization with standard wind band literature and determining elements of quality in works which may be
too new to be considered “standard literature.” Other issues of music selection, such as
programming (which could be an entire study in itself), selecting music to fit the
technical and musical levels of an ensemble, designing curricular rotations using literature, or selection of music for particular functions, are beyond the scope of this project.
Since this document seeks to present current information and thought on the issues of repertoire selection and evaluating literature for wind band, most sources consulted for this project were not more than 20 years old. However, in the review of literature, several authorities cited did refer to important earlier sources. The most
obvious exceptions in the bibliography to this limitation are Frederick Fennell’s important book, Time and the Winds, which was published in 1954, and Joseph Labuta’s
6 Teaching Musicianship in the High School Band, originally published in 1972 and re-
released in 1995.
This document will not address issues of “grading” literature. The survey used
for this project included a graded list of suggestions of standard repertoire to be used in
the study. This list was constructed by comparing several different listings of
recommended band music and selecting the pieces that appeared most frequently. A few
of the survey respondents questioned the grade levels to which some of the pieces were
assigned. The researcher shares some of these concerns, and they will be addressed in
the section entitled, “Suggestions for Further Research.”
This study will not attempt to address “taste” when it concerns what one likes or
dislikes. That issue is subject to more variables than can be addressed here. Frank
Battisti, legendary conductor of bands at the New England Conservatory, does refer to
“the development of music appreciation and value” as “taste” that develops with
knowledge over time.9 This interpretation of “taste” is one that is affected by education
and therefore has bearing on this study.
Definitions
1. Course in wind literature—A course designed to meet the needs of the preservice
professional in instrumental music education in becoming acquainted with standard
literature for the wind band and to aid the student in developing skills for selecting
appropriate music of quality for study in middle and secondary school bands.
9 Frank L Battisti, “A Taste for Quality,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 54-55.
7 2. Standard literature—Repertoire which has gained common usage and has stood the test of time, because of its quality, frequency of performance, and general acceptance by conductors and performers in wind bands.
3. Preservice professional—A student in a music education curriculum preparing to teach in the public schools.
4. Secondary schools—for the purpose of this document, refers to middle schools, junior high schools, and/or high schools.
5. National Band Association grading scale—wind band music is often categorized by its level of technical difficulty with few other musical considerations being addressed. A grading scale for wind literature is defined by the National Band Association, and the list of pieces selected for evaluation in this study have been assigned to these categories.
Since these categories are subjective in nature, disagreements are sometimes noted in the assigning of grade levels.
Grade 2—technically playable by advanced grad school and “typical” good junior high school bands.
Grade 3—technically playable by the “typical” good high school band.
Grade 4—technically playable by an advanced high school band, readily playable by college bands (wind ensembles).
Grade 5—technically playable by experienced college bands with full instrumentation (and the finest high school bands).
Grade 6—technically difficult (in some or all parts) for the finest college and professional bands.10
The National Band Association list does not include grade I selections, so the definition for grade I was taken from the book Best Music for Young Band, by Thomas L. Dvorak.
10 National Band Association Selective Music List for Bands. Richard E. Strange, editor, (National Band Association, Nashville, Tennessee: 1990), III.
8 “Grade I—Suitable for first year elementary school bands, and beginning middle school
or junior high school bands. Not useful for high school bands.”11
6. CBDNA—College Band Directors National Association: Membership in CBDNA is
open to a variety of individuals involved with bands and areas relating to the band field.
“The members of CBDNA are devoted to the study, teaching, and performance of music,
with a particular focus on music created for the numerous kinds of wind bands found
throughout today's musical landscape. Consequently, CBDNA is an organization committed to serving as a hub connecting its members and other individuals to an array
of profession-specific ideas and information through a cohesive set of access points.”12
7. WASBE—World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles:
“WASBE is a non-profit international association open to all individuals, institutions and industries interested in symphonic wind bands and wind ensembles as serious and distinctive mediums of musical expression and cultural heritage. WASBE has a membership of over 1000 individuals and organizations in more than 50 countries from throughout the world.”13
11 Thomas L. Dvorak. Best Music for Young Band (New York: Manhattan Beach Music, 1986), 10.
12 Gary W. Hill, President, CBDNA Website, www.cbdna.org, accessed April 12, 2004.
13 WASBE Website, www.wasbe.org, accessed April 12, 2004. 9 CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter will present important views expressed in the literature that impact beliefs about quality repertoire and its place in the curriculum. In this portion of the document, the views of composers, conductors, and teachers on the topic of quality repertoire will be considered. It will be organized in five sections: 1) The Importance of
Quality Repertoire—Literature as Curriculum; 2) The Difficulty of Selecting Quality
Music for Wind Band; 3) Defining “Quality” in Music and Criteria Development; 4)
Additional Related Studies; and 5) The Importance of Studying Wind Band Literature as
Preparation of the Preservice Professional.
The Importance of Quality Repertoire—Literature as Curriculum
Virtually all music educators agree that the repertoire chosen for study must be of high quality. Even though music is often selected to meet the needs of a particular ensemble, a particular program, or a particular event or function, the quality of the literature chosen should be a primary consideration. In 1957, celebrated band conductor
Mark Hindsley stated, “There is so much good music that bands may play that there is
10 little reason to play any that is not good.”14 This statement is especially thought- provoking since it was made before the influx of all the great band music that has been composed since that time. Composer W. Francis McBeth writes: “. . . the winds have attracted so many composers with high artistic merit. It is the literature that determines
the status of all musical medium, and good literature is being added rapidly to the band
repertoire. When I started there were just a handful of serious concert composers, and
now there are hundreds.”15 (emphasis added).
Many authorities agree that the study of quality literature is the most significant
means by which students experience the real essence of music. Thomas Dvorak, Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and noted authority on repertoire for wind band states, “Only by playing the best music will students gain a knowledge of, feeling for, and appreciation of what is meaningful and what is valuable in music.” 16
Since performing ensembles have no “textbook,” as such, some authorities have
gone so far as to say that the repertoire selected is the curriculum for the performing
ensemble. A curriculum for performing ensembles should have a plan and direction, and
the focus of it must be quality literature. H. Robert Reynolds, Director of Bands
Emeritus of the University of Michigan, states:
As music educators, our primary purpose is to help individual students receive a music education through experiences and information. In order to achieve this lofty goal, we must strive to select the finest repertoire, for only through immersion in music of lasting quality can we engage in aesthetic experiences of breadth and depth. While it may be an
14 Mark Hindsley quoted in Harry Begian, “Standards of Excellence for Band Repertoire,” The Instrumentalist 45, no. 6 (January, 1991): 10.
15 W. Francis McBeth quoted in Mark Camphouse, ed., Composers on Composing for Band, (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002), 289.
16 Thomas L Dvorak, Robert Grechesky, and Gary M. Ciepluch, Best Music for High School Band (New York: Manhattan Beach Music, 1993), 10.
11 overstatement to say that repertoire is the curriculum, we can all agree that a well-planned repertoire creates the framework for an excellent music curriculum that fosters the musical growth of our students.”17
Selecting music that helps the band sound good and that the students will “like” are valid
concerns, but they cannot be the primary focus of the music selection process.
Discovering “good music” to use to teach students should be one of the chief concerns of
the conscientious band director.
Noted music education philosopher Bennett Reimer states, “The compositions in
the folders make up the contents of the ‘textbook’ the students experience . . . the better the literature, the more profound the experience will be for students, and the longer the impact and effects will last.”18
In order to develop the ability to identify quality in music, students must be given
the opportunity to experience music that contributes to their perception of the
characteristics of good music. Guy W. Forbes, in an article studying the literature
selection customs of high school choral directors writes: “Repertoire is the medium
through which students begin the development of discriminatory skills with regard to the
qualitative elements in music, which in turn leads to greater aesthetic awareness
and sensitivity. Given the influence that repertoire selection has on the curriculum, the
way that music is selected is of critical importance.”19
17 H. Robert Reynolds, “Repertoire is the Curriculum,” Music Educators Journal 87, no. 1 (July 2000): 31.
18 Bennett Reimer quoted in J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 34.
19 Guy W. Forbes, “The Repertoire Selection Practices of High School Choral Directors,” Journal of Research in Music Education 49, no. 2 (Summer 2001): 102.
12
In the current climate in education, the music that is studied, that is to say, the
“curriculum,” becomes even more important. By law, the arts have been identified as a
“core subject.” National goals for education were written into law with the passage of the
Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994. This act named the arts as a core academic subject, along with English, math, history, civics and government, geography, science, and foreign language. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, even with its emphasis on testing in reading, math, and science, still specifies that the phrase “core academic subjects” includes the arts. However, not everyone in the field of education (or in the general public) accepts that designation. This directly affects the choosing and teaching
of fine literature. There are many good reasons to consider the music studied to be the
curriculum. Similarly, there are many good reasons to consider music, including wind
music, to be a valuable part of the overall curriculum, especially if the music represents
the best of what the band repertoire has to offer.
Battisti writes: “In order for music to be considered more than an enjoyable student
activity and merit inclusion in the group of essential or core subjects of a school
curriculum, the music literature selected for study and performance must match or
surpass in quality the literature used in other areas of the school curriculum (which is why English classes study fine poetry and plays instead of junk novels and comic books).
For young people to develop their musical skills as well as an appreciation of the art of music, the content of the subject (music) must be of exceptional quality.”20
20 Frank L. Battisti, The Winds of Change (Galesville, Maryland: Meredith Music Publications, 2002), 235.
13 The choices of music that the ensemble director makes indicate the direction
and priorities of the program, as well as his/her knowledge of the literature. Dr. Hilary
Apfelstadt, professor of choral studies at the Ohio State University, has written:
The selection of repertoire is the single most important task that music educators face before entering the classroom or rehearsal room. Through the repertoire we choose, we not only teach curricular content to our students, but we also convey our philosophy in terms of what we believe students need to learn to achieve musical growth. Lofty goals are not met through second-rate repertoire. Students are not challenged by vapid musical selections, and while the audience may enjoy being entertained on occasion, we know that they and our students deserve more than mere entertainment.21
Furthermore, the type of music that a director selects is a good indication of what
that director believes the purpose of the program to be. Author J. L. Casey makes this important point: “If we believe that the primary purpose of music education is to entertain and present a positive image of the school to the community, then our decision about the literature we place in the path of students will show the degree we have drifted toward that purpose. On the other hand, if the primary purpose of music education is to impart the substance of pieces and to contribute to the development of the individual through music literature, we will look at the choice of literature in another way.”22
In short, it is the repertoire studied which will determine the course of the student’s musical development as a musician. Through the study of quality literature, the
student not only learns musical skills, but also learns and experiences musical concepts.
21 Hilary Apfelstadt, “First Things First, Selecting Repertoire,” Music Educators Journal 87, no. 1 (July 2000): 19.
22 J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 34.
14
The Difficulty of Selecting Quality Music for Wind Band
The discussion of “quality” in music is especially timely in the current
educational climate. This dialogue has become prevalent and widespread among
conductors of wind bands at all levels. Ray Cramer, Director of Bands at Indiana
University emphasizes, “The issue of defining ‘good’ art seems to be an almost
impossible task and is a question that scholars and artists have debated for all of human
existence. However, even with this inherent difficulty, it is an especially vital question for wind band conductors since it is central to how we define ourselves.”23
The concern about the quality of literature being performed by school bands is
pervasive among professionals in the field. “There is so much great music to share with
our students. Why should we settle for less? We need to capitalize on every aspect of
music to bring the ‘whole package’ into our performance experiences, which will
enhance the students involvement and musical fulfillment.”24 Composer Timothy Broege
comments, “It is not uncommon to encounter truly meretricious music on wind band programs. Surely by now there is such a wealth of good to excellent music for winds and percussion that performances of third-rate pieces cannot be justified.”25
23 William Berz, “Evaluating Music in a Multifaceted World,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 31.
24 Ray Cramer, “What Materials are You Going to Use to Teach ‘About Music’ ‘Through Music’ While ‘Performing Music,’” Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. 1, Richard Miles, ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1997), 7.
25 Timothy Broege quoted in Mark Camphouse, ed., Composers on Composing for Band (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002), 68-69.
15
The literature seems to indicate that the reasons for the difficulty of selecting quality music lie in several different areas:
1. the relatively short history of the wind band and its repertoire,
2. the large quantity of inferior music published for the wind band, particularly
school bands,
3. the issue of “art” music versus “educational” music,
4. over-use of popular and entertainment music, and
5. the selection of quality music for the very young band (grades I and II).
These issues are exacerbated by the lack of experience of many young directors
with regards to exposure to great art music. In addition, there is concern that many directors are not as focused on the music being taught as they are on the band activity itself, and all that that may represent. This may be demonstrated by an activity-centered approach and by a lack of focus of some directors on the teaching of music.
Since many view the historical significance of music to be a defining aspect of its quality, some see the relatively short history of the wind band to be a detriment in determining the quality of the repertoire. It is difficult to determine what music will
“stand the test of time” when the medium is still quite young compared to orchestral and choral music. Conductor Milton Allen states that in the wind band field, “Music aestheticians and their critics have yet to define the qualities of ‘good’ music . . . the fact
[is] that unlike orchestra repertoire, wind literature has had a very short life. The genre is only now establishing what it believes to be a core repertoire of serious music of artistic
16 merit.”26 R. K. Olsen agrees, “Because the contemporary wind ensemble is a comparatively young medium, it does not share the orchestral luxury of an established,
core repertoire to which audiences relate and around which conductors create interesting
and musically sound programs.”27
Many sources expressed the opinion that historical significance is often a measure
of quality—again, music that has “stood the test of time” and has made a contribution to the history of the band medium. Most authorities agree that it will take time to sort out the music of true quality from among the many works being composed for the contemporary wind band. Many composers and conductors believe that the repertoire is
still too new to evaluate. Composer W. Francis McBeth speaks to this issue when he
says, “. . . the repertoire has not solidified yet. We are still in our paper plate period—
using a piece once and throwing it away—but that will change. History will change it
and history will determine our repertoire.”28
Composer Brian Balmages suggests that historical significance and longevity are
qualities that define greatness in music. He states, “Great musical works will stand the
test of time. They have so much to offer that musicians come back to perform and
conduct them again and again because there is always something new to discover about
26 Milton Allen, “Determining Wind Band Music of Serious Artistic Merit: A Re-evaluation, Expansion and Update-An Annotated Bibliography” (Unpublished paper. The Ohio State University, 2003): 5.
27 R.K. Olson, “A Core Repertoire for Wind Ensemble,” Journal of Band Research 18, no. 1 (1982): 11.
28 W. Francis McBeth, “The Band: Artistic Viability Through Literature,” The Instrumentalist 43, no.6 (1989): 92.
17 the piece. Conductors and players learn more about themselves with every
performance.”29
Many band directors are quick to cast the blame for the use of poor quality music on the publishers, but Begian remarks, “The most common excuse for the poor quality of music played in school bands is that it is what publishers market. Those of us who
purchase bad music and foist it on young musicians should take the blame. If music is
not worthwhile, then don’t buy or perform it; instead study good band music.”30
Composer Kimberly Archer says that both directors and publishers are to blame: “One frequent complaint among directors is that educational literature is of poor quality, yet so many of them continue to buy such pieces because they are safe to perform and easy to understand. Some directors honestly may not know that there is plenty of musically interesting literature at all levels of difficulty . . . The bottom line is that publishing is a business; catalogues are often largely determined by supply and demand.”31
Mark Fonder, of Ithaca College, has provided many valuable thoughts on
this issue in an article entitled, “Educational Quality vs. Artistic Quality in Band
Literature: Must it Be Either/Or?” “We can be sure that publishers of band music will
provide us with whatever sells. If we choose music that is trite, poorly arranged, or is
simply entertaining, we encourage publishers to produce more of the same. In doing so
29 Brian Balmages quoted in Deborah Sheldon, “The Difficult Art of Writing Creative Music for Young Bands,” The Instrumentalist (July, 2003): 27.
30 Harry Begian, “Standards of Excellence for Band Repertoire,” The Instrumentalist 45, no. 6 (January, 1991): 11.
31 Kimberly Archer quoted in Patrick K. Carney, “Kimberly Archer Turned Sadness Into a Five-Movement Memorial,” The Instrumentalist 58, no. 7 (February 2004): 20-21.
18 we cheapen the students’ educational experiences that in many schools is already
shortchanged due to biased scheduling and poor budgets. We cannot allow our choice of literature to be either educational or artistic. It must be both.”32
Fonder’s statements introduce another challenge in repertoire selection. Much
controversy revolves around music that has been labeled “educational music.” This has
come to be defined by some as music composed primarily to teach skills, to make a band
“sound good,” without regard to artistic qualities. Some criticize this music as being
formulaic, lacking in originality. Technical concerns and the group’s playing ability, the
skills that can be taught with a piece, are valid considerations, but repertoire selection
must go further. Artistic and aesthetic considerations deserve a high priority.
This is a viewpoint proposed by William Berz, Director of Bands at Rutgers:
“Educational benefit might seem obvious to all teachers. . . choosing music that helps to
advance students’ skills alone is not the ultimate goal. We need to find music of artistic
quality that accommodates these other kinds of goals. Technical development is not
enough. We must not lose sight that we are musicians—people in the arts—in addition to
being teachers. We must teach art!”33
To some, the phrase “educational music” immediately connotes something of inferior quality, without artistic value. Composer Mark Camphouse writes, “Music that promotes the “faster, higher, louder” syndrome is, regrettably, alive and well in far too many of our school band rooms. It is growing like a cancer, eating away and destroying
32 Mark Fonder, “Educational Quality vs. Artistic Quality in Band Literature: Must it Be Either/Or?” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 28-29.
33 William Berz, “Choosing Music for the School Band,” Tempo 55, no. 4 (May 2001): 47.
19 important elements of musical sensitivity such as the shaping of phrases, nuance, balance, and style. I am also very concerned with the widespread detrimental effect inferior, formula style, so-called “educational” band music (what an incredible misnomer!) has had on virtually all aspects of a young player’s aesthetic and technical development.”34
Composer Jack Stamp believes that “educational composers,” (he is
not ashamed to use the phrase in reference to himself) should consider the importance of
the music they write and the ensembles for whom they write. The standards for this
music and for these ensembles should be as high as for any other. “Educational
composers and music educators should rededicate themselves not only to their students
but to their involvement in the music-making process. We must realize that the
immortality of music lies in its aesthetic power and its meticulous construction. These are
both elements that we must share with our students.”35 With this philosophy of
composing music for students, one could argue that even Hindemith, Bartok, Orff, and
Kodaly were all, on occasion, “educational composers.”
Composer Timothy Mahr paints a bright picture. He exhorts directors to search
out the quality literature that he believes is readily available: “Educational band
repertoire, while still swamped with works of lesser value, has increasingly improved in
quality and substance as well. Now is such a great time to be involved with the wind
34 Mark Camphouse, ed., Composers on Composing for Band (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002), 127.
35 Jack Stamp, “Composing Music That Educates,” Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. 2, Richard Miles, ed., (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1998), 102.
20
band, due in large part to the exciting new repertoire that is building upon the masterworks of the past.”36
Many critics of modern band music complain that it is unoriginal, that it all
sounds the same. Frederick Fennell has said, “Sometimes when I listen to new band music, I wonder why everyone keeps trying to rewrite Barb’ra Allen?”37 Battisti
concurs: “I share the concern about the repertoire issue . . . As I listen to the new
published music performed by bands at festivals and conferences each year, I am struck
by the sameness of it. Many of the new pieces sound like clones of the previous year’s
most popular and best selling selections.”38
Some concern also centers around the over-use of popular music and music that
sounds like popular music—music of instant gratification. McBeth writes, “It is important to show young players that concert music can be more exciting than pop by our choice of it.”39 Berz states: “It is vital that the differences between high and low art be
recognized. The issue of artistic evaluation (high quality versus poor quality; art versus
entertainment) is routinely confused in our arena. Entertainment should not be degraded,
nor should we devalue functional appropriateness. By the same token however,
conductors must not transport music intended for entertainment to the artistic realm.
36 Timothy Mahr quoted in Mark Camphouse, ed., Composers on Composing for Band, (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002), 262.
37 Frederick Fennell, in conversation at Bowling Green State University, Jan. 24, 2004.
38 Frank L. Battisti, The Winds of Change (Galesville, Maryland: Meredith Music Publications, 2002), 228.
39 W. Francis McBeth, “The Band: Artistic Viability Through Literature,” The Instrumentalist 43, no. 6 (1989): 13
21 Also, one must not elevate art music of suspicious quality above its station. Band
conductors commonly and unfortunately make both of these errors.”40
Pulitzer Prize winning composer Charles Wuorinen agrees: “There is a vast
quantity of use-music continually churned out whose presence or absence on the scene
means little. So I mean to say that we do not need more Potter-book-style compositions,
for there will always be plenty of those. We do not need to be entertained in the wind
medium; we need substance, elevated discourse, craft, subtlety. Let us have adventuring into rarer realms, where dense, complex, and profound musical thoughts may be expressed.”41
Choosing quality literature for the very young band (grades I and II) can be
especially difficult. Composers who write music for young bands have strong opinions
on this subject. Composer Alfred Reed comments on this problem: “Picking music is
not easy at that level (grade one or two) and it is the most difficult thing of all tasks. No
matter what we say, that’s the way it is. Now how many grade one or grade two pieces
does the average director find that he can put his hand on his heart, look himself in the
eye in the mirror, and say, ‘My kids must play this piece’?”42
Timothy Broege composes frequently for young bands and has strong opinions
about some of the characteristics of good music for beginning bands: “I don’t like pieces
40 William Berz, “Evaluating Music in a Multifaceted World,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 39.
41 Charles Wuorinem, “An Elevated Wind Music,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 18.
42 Alfred Reed quoted in J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed., (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 36.
22
that appear to be surrendering to the limitations of the Grade I or Grade II rather than
working comfortably with the limitations. I would rather hear music played with some expressive power, some gusto, some enthusiasm, and even if I have to put up with some
faulty intonation, or less than perfect tone production, at the beginning level, I want to
hear some of the spirit of the kids come through. So pieces that allow that, pieces that
encourage some real committed playing from these beginning level players, that’s a
wonderful thing.”43 In the words of W. Francis McBeth, “Young players don’t need
simple music; they need more complicated music that entails simple mechanics.”44
Other challenges arise for young conductors simply because of their lack of musical experience in general. The ability to recognize “quality” seems to improve with experience.45 In a study of middle level band music and its selection by conductors,
which will be summarized later in this document, music educator Ron Howard notes that
“the survey results suggest that the ability to determine quality repertoire . . . might be a
characteristic of director experience,”46 and he recommends “that research be conducted
43 Timothy Broege quoted in Ryan Nowlin, “A Composition for Middle School Band Based Upon Renowned Composers’ Perspective of Writing for Beginning and Middle Level Students,” (Masters Thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2004), 45.
44 W. Francis McBeth, “Perceiving Music: Personal Evaluation of Quality in Music,” The Instrumentalist 45, no. 5 (Dec. 1990): 43.
45 Guy W. Forbes, “The Repertoire Selection Practices of High School Choral Directors,” Journal of Research in Music Education 49, no. 2 (Summer 2001): 102.
46 Ronald L. Howard, "Repertoire Selection Practices and the Development of a Core Repertoire for the Middle School Concert Band" (Ph.D. diss., University of Florida, 2001), 101.
23
with regard to how less experienced directors evaluate and assess quality in all music, particularly band music.”47
After increasing the awareness of pre-service professionals of the need to study
good literature and helping them to develop a set of personal criteria, further experience
and education will help them to refine their choices. Battisti relates a story that
emphasized the importance of literature choice to him when he was a young band
director: “After the first concert, I thought the band had done a wonderful job. Warren
Benson, one of my college teachers, was complimentary about the performance, but
asked me why I played that ‘funny music.’ I had worked hard to produce a fantastic
performance, and then someone questioned the quality of the music. When I look at that
program now, I think it is funny, too. Benson’s question didn’t make me feel particularly
good, but it made me think about my criteria and gave me an awareness of the lack of
good quality literature for high school bands.”48
As young conductors, our criteria for selecting music may revolve around aspects
other than the quality of the music. From his experience as a young director, Cramer
recounts the following:
As I recall my early years of teaching, perhaps the most difficult decisions I faced were those requiring my choice of literature for rehearsals and performances by my bands at the junior and senior high school levels. Mostly, I relied on experienced directors or my college band director for suggestions. At the time, it seemed to me the most important questions about making those choices involved the following: 1. Will the students “like” the music? 2. Are my players “competent enough” to perform the music?
47 Ibid., 105.
48 Frank L. Battisti quoted in Tom Everett, “Obsessed With Excellence: An Interview with Frank Battisti,” The Instrumentalist (Dec. 1990): 14.
24 3. Do we have enough “rehearsal time” to learn the music? 4. Will the parents and school personnel “enjoy” the music? While the questions were, and continue to be, important in our decision process, I know they only cover a small part of this complex problem of choosing quality literature. Selecting quality music must be our top priority in our responsibility as teachers and conductors.49
Frank Byrne, general manager of the Kansas City Symphony and former member of the United States Marine Band, expresses the opinion that “. . . education . . . is, I believe, not a degree program but that broad spectrum of experience in which an individual is exposed to all forms of great art and therefore, develops a frame of reference in which to make critical evaluations.”50
Battisti expresses a similar view: “Repertoire is so very important. However, it is difficult for conductors to make the right choices if they have not had contact with the world’s great music. Knowing every Mahler Symphony will not give you the name of a great junior high festival entry, so at first it may seem practical to select pieces from a list of recommended junior high music; but we are talking about developing musical values, and the way to do that is through knowledge of the best our art has to offer.”51
If conductors study and listen to masterworks and have enriching musical experiences that “nourish their musical souls,” this knowledge and experience can be applied to music of lesser technical difficulty as well as more difficult music. It is impossible to evaluate music unless one has been exposed to great music. Berz reiterates: “We need to rely on our training as professional musicians to help us make
49 Ray Cramer, “What Materials are You Going to Use to Teach ‘About Music’ ‘Through Music’ While ‘Performing Music,’” Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. 1, Richard Miles, ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1997), 7.
50 Frank Byrne, “The Unanswered Question,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 8.
51 Frank L. Battisti quoted in John E. Williamson, Rehearsing the Band (Cloudcroft, New Mexico: Neidig Services, 1998), 6-7.
25 informed judgments about the music that we choose to perform with our student
ensembles. Although we might disagree on specifics, we would all recognize certain
works as masterpieces. We need to look for qualities found in these major works that are
also seen in less technically advanced literature. We must not divorce solid musical
judgments from the process of choosing literature for our school ensembles.”52
There may be reason to be concerned that some educators are not making music
and, more to the point the selection of good music, the central focus of the curriculum.
Richard Floyd worries that:
. . . we place more emphasis on bands and band programs than we do on music and music education. This is especially true at the high school level. From time to time I visit some of the ‘band bulletin boards’ that are on the internet. The talk is about competition, discipline, logistics, fund raising, spring trips, and other peripheral concerns. Somehow I feel that, if we could put a greater emphasis simply on being the best musician we can be, let the music be the focal point to all that we do, many of the other issues would take care of themselves53 (emphasis added).
Anyone who has taught in the public schools knows how difficult it is to keep
“peripheral concerns” from becoming the focus of a program. Focusing on good quality
music can help to rearrange priorities and reestablish validity. In a 1994 speech to the
American Bandmasters Association, Bobby Adams, Director of Bands at Stetson
University, stated: “The leadership in our profession must redefine the mission of music
education and preach that mission to the band directors first. The biggest problems in
music education have been caused by the music teachers themselves. Those problems
have to do with too much ‘activity’ and not enough emphasis on the study of serious literature. As we all know, the strength of any academic discipline is in its subject
52 William Berz, “Choosing Music for the School Band,” Tempo 55, no. 4 (May 2001): 47.
53 Richard Floyd quoted in J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d. ed., (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 278.
26 matter. Obviously, our subject matter is the literature we teach and perform. The quality of our literature must be equal to, if not better than, the subject matter of math, science and the language arts.”54
Defining “Quality” in Music and Criteria Development
It is easy to establish that choosing quality music is important. Determining musical quality is more difficult. It is no surprise that band directors have difficulty defining “quality” when “theorists, musicologists, and aestheticians have difficulty in developing a consensus on a set of criteria for the evaluation of musical quality.
Sometimes specific technical features have been identified but have either been too specific or too general to be useful.”55
Composers have very definite ideas about the traits they believe demonstrate quality in music. German composer Rolf Rudin believes that determining quality in music is even more difficult today than at earlier times in history:
In former times, the question of what is good music seems to have been easier to answer. Time and time again theoretical books have been written which “explained” the process and the conditions of composition. It is even more important to realize that there was one common style, one system that composers, musicians, and listeners moved within— if any separation could be made at all. This is no longer true for our time! For the first time in the history of music anything becomes possible—“anything goes.” It is this concept that makes our subject so difficult to discuss. As an introduction, let me provide a thesis that might be provoking to some of you. I claim that in order to recognize quality in music, musical knowledge and education is necessary. A wide knowledge, listening experiences, and vocal or instrumental practice are pre-conditions
54 Bobby Adams quoted in Frank L Battisti, The Winds of Change (Galesville, Maryland: Meredith Music Publications, 2002), 227.
55 H.F. Abeles, C.R. Hoffer, and R.H. Klotman, Foundations of Music Education, 2d ed. (New York: Schirmer Books, 1984, 1994), 66.
27
for this. In my opinion, we show musical knowledge when we are able to understand distinctive features concerning how the notes are composed in the literal sense of the word, concerning form and structure that is to say the elements of craftsmanship. This is connected with the ability to discern stylistic deviations from the norms of an epoch. Musicianship needs musical imagination that again can only be developed through experience.56
Deborah Sheldon interviewed several composers who have written music for
band. Several of them described attributes that they believe “good” music, especially
band music should possess. Mark Camphouse states that “A good band piece should
include transitions, interesting scoring, and intriguing textures. If a piece is
programmatic, the subject should be dealt with in a tasteful manner.”57 Frank Ticheli
remarks that “composers often search for a deliberate balance between order and
freedom; unity and abundance; predictability and surprise. No magic formula can show
the way to balance these elements, but that is a good thing. Sometimes composers spend
too much time trying to solve the mysteries of music because this is what makes the art
so exciting.”58
In the same article, the composers were asked what makes music “great.”
Ticheli’s response: “When composers consciously pursue greatness, their pieces often
wind up being merely pretentious. On the other hand, every composer wants to write
56Rolf Rudin, translated by Eduard Oertle, “A Quest for Good Music: Combining Personal Taste with Aesthetic Criteria,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 62.
57 Deborah Sheldon, “The Difficult Art of Writing Creative Music for Young Bands,” The Instrumentalist (July, 2003): 26.
58 Ibid., 25-26.
28
something worth listening to. The greatest works say something profound in plain and universal ways.”59
Julie Giroux describes qualities with which many who strive to select good music could agree. “Great music grabs my emotions and doesn’t let go even after it ends. If I feel it tugging at my soul afterwards, if only for a few minute, then it is a great piece of music.”60 Robert Sheldon verbalizes the same point in a different way. Great music “has magic. The fact that a piece has certain musical elements does not make it great. There is no formula to this and a piece is incomplete without the magic, which is not quantifiable.”61
For a masters thesis at Bowling Green State University, Ryan Nowlin interviewed several well-known composers of music for young band and asked them,
“How do you define quality for beginning and middle level band? Some of their answers reveal qualities that directors might look for in finding quality music for their ensembles.
Pierre LaPlante says simply, “Listen to enough music and have enough musicality and intuition to realize what seems to make sense and what works. . . then you have to rely on your own musical judgment as to what’s good and what’s not good.”62 This view
59 Ibid., 27.
60 Ibid., 27.
61 Ibid., 27.
62 Pierre La Plante quoted in Ryan Nowlin, “A Composition for Middle School Band Based Upon Renowned Composers’ Perspective of Writing for Beginning and Middle Level Students” (Masters Thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2004), 42-43.
29
refers to the notion that one’s ability to judge quality has a great deal to do with one’s previous musical experience and knowledge, what may be called informed intuition.
Anne McGinty seems to concur with Julie Giroux in that emotion is a valuable attribute of quality. “There has to be some humor . . . there has to be some gut level emotion or there has to be something ethereal . . . or there has to be drama. All the emotions have to be engaged because the kids are making the music.”63
Timothy Broege defines quality for young band:
. . . the same way I define quality anywhere in music, or indeed anywhere in the arts. I like to hear a sound even at the beginning levels. There it can be truly remarkable to hear something fresh, some unusual resources of the beginners. I grant you, it’s going to be rare. So you’re setting way too high a standard if you are thinking that every piece on a beginning band concert is going to be fresh. You’re looking for an original voice, you’re looking for craft, you’re looking for a composer or arranger that really knows her stuff, and you’re looking for integrity in the structures. You’re looking for integrity in the form of the work, that it’s justifiable. It’s not just a succession of clichés. It’s not a stringing together of effects like movie-music. You’re looking for something that has a purpose, so you can say “why did the music do what it did.” At its best, music goes beyond something you can put into words.64
Composer Elliot Del Borgo suggests that solid craftsmanship will usually be apparent whether a work is to your taste or not. He lists the balance of elements of composition, contrast (dynamics, rhythmic material, tempo, instrumentation, mode and key), and musical interest (fresh ideas, harmonic material, dramatic shape, coherent ideas, natural transitions) as important considerations in the determination of quality.65
63 Anne McGinty quoted in Ryan Nowlin, “A Composition for Middle School Band Based Upon Renowned Composers’ Perspective of Writing for Beginning and Middle Level Students” (Masters Thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2004), 43.
64 Timothy Broege quoted in Ryan Nowlin, “A Composition for Middle School Band Based Upon Renowned Composers’ Perspective of Writing for Beginning and Middle Level Students” (Masters Thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2004), 40-41.
65 Elliot A. Del Borgo, “Selecting Quality Literature for Bands and Orchestras,” The Instrumentalist (Nov. 1988): 24, 26.
30
W. Francis McBeth advises that “your personal evaluation of quality in music must go beyond mechanics. It must be rooted in your ability to sense direction and originality, framed in expert craft. No one element can stand alone.” McBeth goes on to state that there are two constants in all great music, direction and originality.66
Alfred Reed is another composer who has very definite ideas about what
constitutes quality and regarding the characteristics he looks for in a piece of music.
“First of all, far and away, and above and beyond anything else, I look for striking,
attention grabbing patterns of rhythm and melody. These are the two single most
important factors. . . Next on the list would be a “recognizable” structure, a form . . . to
me, rhythm and melody carry the message, and structure and form give them a
recognizable shape.”67
Composer Jack Stamp has strong views about composition that uses the examples of the great literature of the past.
Notice that when we think of the great masters’ music, those elements that come to mind are not technical aspects of performance. Therefore, technique, range, and instrumentation should not impede the creation of meaningful educational literature. It seems as if these limitations have stripped much music of the basic elements of composition. None of these basic elements has technical demands, yet all can be found in the music of the great masters . . . it is also the educational music composer’s responsibility to write works that model the great compositions for our medium. The music need not be a clone or watered-down version of a famous piece, but it should possess the qualities in its craft and use of techniques that are characteristic of all great music, including those works of the twentieth century68 (emphasis added).
66 W. Francis McBeth, “Perceiving Music: Personal Evaluation of Quality in Music,” The Instrumentalist 45, no.5, (Dec. 1990): 43.
67 Alfred Reed quoted in J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 90.
68 Jack Stamp, “ Composing Music That Educates,” Richard Miles, ed., Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. 2 (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1998), 94-95.
31
As could be predicted, many respected conductors of wind bands have strong
opinions on this subject. James Croft looks first for uniqueness. “I look for variety, a
harmonic language that maintains interest, instrumentation, and, more than anything else,
the avoidance of clichés . . . I look for scoring practices. How are voices being used? . . .
I think, so often with wind music, we have too much tutti playing. I also look at
melodic character and for melodies that are not predictable. Not only melodies, but
harmonies and rhythms that are not predictable. So, avoiding the predictable is another
key.”69
David Whitwell is another conductor who believes that emotional content is
important in determining the quality of a piece of music. This is evident in an article he
wrote for the WASBE journal which was part of that publication’s theme, “The Quest for
Good Music.” In that article, he states: “What music is, and has been since the most remote time, is a special language for the purpose of communicating feeling . . . Because this is the sole purpose of art music, this is, for me, the only important criterion for identifying “good” music—does this music speak to me in this special language of
feeling? If it does, I will also be able to fill the performers, and eventually the audience,
with the spirit of these feelings.”70
William Berz addresses the issue of substance in music—qualities in music that are lasting:
69 James Croft quoted in J.L. Casey, Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993), 94.
70 David Whitwell, “The Quest for Good Music,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 64.
32 All of these observations then imply that high art must possess qualities that are beyond surface examination. Instant accessibility—an attribute so desired in contemporary society— is not the norm. There must be potential for continued insight as the work is further examined. Often the work may pose questions, not provide answers. Art has substance, entertainment does not possess qualities that are lasting.71 . . . the musical value of wind band literature must be determined in the same manner as is orchestral, choral, and chamber music—musics of the concert hall. To be deemed truly significant, the work must compare favorably with the other masterworks, using relevant critical standards. It must possess balanced qualities of unity, intensity, and complexity. The music must be enduring, not fleeting, seeking to enrich the human condition.72
The need for guidance for band directors in developing some criteria for determining quality in music for their bands is apparent. Establishing some basic criteria for inexperienced conductors to use when selecting music would seem to be called for, but is it possible to do so? Howard expresses this concern in his 2001 study:
“Throughout the literature, frequent references are made to the impact of quality of repertoire selected. The concept of quality has always been, and likely always will be, a highly subjective phenomenon, yet it is a topic about which many leaders in the music
education professions have written extensively. If the authorities implore teachers to
study and perform only works of quality, some definitive methodology of determining quality needs to be devised. On the other hand, given the subjective nature of the aspect
of quality, this might well be an impossibility.73
Is it possible to help inexperienced directors to develop a set of criteria for
selecting quality music? The answer to that question for the conscientious conductor
may lie in examining the research in this area and considering the criteria of others who
71 William Berz, “Evaluating Music in a Multifaceted World,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 32.
72 Ibid., 40.
73 Ronald L. Howard, "Repertoire Selection Practices and the Development of a Core Repertoire for the Middle School Concert Band" (Ph.D. diss., University of Florida, 2001), 48.
33 are more experienced. This type of assessment may be useful in developing and influencing personal values.
A study entitled, An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind-Band According to
Specific Criteria of Serious Artistic Merit: A Replication and Update was a DMA document written in 1993 by Jay Gilbert at Northwestern University. In it, Gilbert replicated a groundbreaking 1978 dissertation of Acton Eric Ostling, Jr., which was concerned with the identification of compositions from a selected list of wind music that could be considered of high quality according to specific criteria of serious artistic merit.
The purpose of both studies was ultimately a compilation of a list of compositions which were considered to “have serious artistic merit,” i.e. to be “good music,” according to the criteria set up in the studies. The evaluators were selected through a nomination process in which 354 college band directors were invited to participate. The twenty evaluators ultimately identified as most able to assign valid ratings of artistic merit represented many of the most respected college wind conductors active at the time. Over 1200 compositions from a variety of sources, including the 314 works identified in the original
Ostling study, were chosen for evaluation.
Gilbert states:
Wind-band literature is so diverse in style, genre, instrumentation and quality that an evaluation of this kind can serve a number of purposes. The compilation of a list of basic repertoire can enable wind-band conductors to select works of recognized quality for their ensembles to perform, excellent pieces that are diverse in style and aesthetic substance. This compendium may also serve the wind conductor who is looking for a substantial work for a particular instrumentation. Conductors using this study may heighten their awareness of other quality wind compositions by composers who are recognized for a single work. Further, with this list, young conductors can benefit from the expertise of conductors with many years of experience, taking from them collectively a list of meritorious works to study—works that
34 clarify, broaden, and refine one’s thinking, feeling, and judgment about value and greatness in music. Experiences with these quality works may well make later experiences with new or unfamiliar works more meaningful and productive.74
The procedures included the development of criteria for judging serious artistic merit, establishing a process for developing a comprehensive list of compositions to be considered by the evaluators, developing a rating scale for evaluating each work, creating a procedure for selecting evaluators, and determining methods for analyzing the results.
The resultant list is very intriguing, but for the purpose of the present study, the criteria themselves are more valuable. Could a basic guide that attempts to answer the question “what is good music?” be compiled that could help directors, especially those with less experience, determine quality literature for their ensembles?
In the original study, Ostling reviewed the writings of notable music critics and aesthetic philosophers such as Edward Hanslick, Alfred Einstein, Virgil Thomson, Paul
Hindemith, Ernst Toch, Leonard Bernstein, Joyce Mitchell, Norman Dello Joio, Roger
Sessions, Carlton Russell, Stephen Coburn Pepper, Leonard B. Meyer, and Bennett
Reimer. From the ideas in these writings, Ostling developed ten criteria for determining a composition’s “serious artistic merit.”
The ten criteria address issues of craftsmanship, sensitivity, and originality in the treatment of materials of music in a specific composition. Abbreviated here, they are:
1. the composition has form—proper balance between repetition and contrast;
2. the composition reflects shape and design—conscious choice and judicious
arrangement on the part of the composer;
74 Jay Warren Gilbert, “An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band According to Specific Criteria of Serious Artistic Merit: A Replication and Update” (DMA diss., Northwestern University, 1993), 3. 35 3. the composition reflects craftsmanship in orchestration;
4. the composition is sufficiently unpredictable to preclude an immediate grasp
of its musical meaning;
5. the compositional development is not completely direct and obvious;
6. the composition is consistent in quality throughout;
7. the composition is consistent in its style;
8. the composition reflects ingenuity in its development—within stylistic
context;
9. the composition is genuine in idiom—is not pretentious;
10. the validity of the composition transcends factors of historical importance or
pedagogical usefulness.75
Other writers, musicologists, and educators have developed similar lists. Even
Reimer lists four criteria for determining quality in works of art: craftsmanship,
sensitivity, imagination, and authenticity.76 Apfelstadt ascribes to the definition of quality attributed to Charles Leonhard and Robert House:
. . . Select music of good quality. While this might seem to be subjective, it can be applied objectively if one accepts Charles Leonhard and Robert House’s definition of high-quality or “good” music as that which possesses craftsmanship and expressivity. Well-written music finds the balance of tension and release, structural symmetry and asymmetry, and anticipation and surprise that makes listening and performing it a worthwhile experience. Expressivity means that the music expresses in its form and content something of depth, something that draws human beings to its artistic qualities.77
75 Jay Warren Gilbert, “An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band According to Specific Criteria of Serious Artistic Merit: A Replication and Update” (DMA diss., Northwestern University, 1993).
76 Bennett Reimer, A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision, 3d ed. (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003), 135-137.
77 Hilary Apfelstadt, “First Things First, Selecting Repertoire,” Music Educators Journal 87, no. 1 (July 2000): 19.
36
Battisti lists “the elements of melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, and form” as essential considerations in making qualitative value judgments of the literature that directors choose to teach and perform.78 These are the five basic elements of music that are taught in most middle school general music classes. These elements can provide the beginnings for a discussion of quality in music for students at any level.
Cramer writes, “just for a moment we should consider the age-old question,
‘What comprises music of artistic merit?’ One must conclude the music must characterize itself by having special effectiveness or is set apart by qualitative depth and must stand on its own.” He then lists seven criteria, asking, “Does the music have:
1. a well-conceived formal structure?
2. creative melodies and counterlines?
3. harmonic imagination?
4. rhythmic vitality?
5. contrast in all musical elements?
6. scoring which represents the full potential for beautiful tone and
timbre?
7. an emotional impact?79
78 Frank L. Battisti, “Growing Excellence in Band Literature,” The Instrumentalist 49, no. 7 (1995): 17.
79 Ray Cramer, “What Materials are You Going to Use to Teach ‘About Music’ ‘Through Music’ While ‘Performing Music,’” Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol.1, Richard Miles, ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1997), 8.
37 Several other authorities contribute their “lists” which can be used by conductors to develop their own standards. In the Best Music for High School Band and the Best Music for Young Band books, Thomas Dvorak uses the following criteria for selecting pieces to be included in the books:
1. Compositions must exhibit a high degree of compositional craft.
2. Compositions must contain important musical constructs necessary for
the development of musicianship.
3. Compositions must exhibit an orchestration that, within the restrictions
associated with a particular grade level, encourages musical
independence both of individuals and sections.80
In Teaching Musicianship in the High school Band, Joseph A. Labuta proposes the following list for evaluating band music:
1. complexity and challenge—musical challenge is as important
as technical challenge.
2. lasting interest and value—“Good music wears well”—deserves to
be repeated.
3. technical achievement—well put together, exhibits knowledge,
skill, and craftsmanship.
4. originality—“not obvious, clichéd, or trite.”
5. expressiveness81
80 Thomas L. Dvorak, Best Music for Young Band (New York: Manhattan Beach Music, 1986), 7.
81 Joseph A. Labuta, Teaching Musicianship in the High School Band (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: Meredith Music Publications, 1972, 1997), 181-182.
38 Conductor/composer Jack Stamp also proposes a list of characteristics that he looks for in music of “quality.” He states that there are qualities that are common to
all great music, and they include:
1. a variety of key centers
2. use of non-diatonic melodies
3. use of non-triadic harmony
4. accompaniment not restricted to ostinato
5. texture (transparent and full)
6. contrasts and unpredictability
7. counterpoint
8. transitions
9. rhythmic variety including hemiola and meter changes82
The similarities in these lists are important to note. Even though quality is difficult to define, some characteristics surface frequently. Criteria of quality often
mentioned in the literature by teachers, conductors, and composers, are color effects, good soli writing, independent playing, unusual textures, good instrumentation/ orchestration/ scoring, challenges to breath control and phrasing skills, appealing and
interesting melodies that stand up to repeated hearings. Other attributes often mentioned
are interesting and/or energetic rhythmic figures and concepts, interesting structure,
moments of tension and release, colorful harmonies. The general comment that the music
is “well-crafted” appears frequently in writings about quality in music.
82 Jack Stamp, “ Composing Music That Educates,” Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. 2, Richard Miles, ed. (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1998), 95. 39
Additional Related Studies
In addition to the Gilbert study, several other related studies have been consulted
in the preparation of this project.
A Core Repertoire of Concert Music for High School Band: A Descriptive Study By David Alan Gaines
This 1996 study sought to answer the questions, “Do high school band directors
agree on a core repertoire for high school band?” And if so, “What compositions
constitute this core repertoire?” The research of this paper is related to the question of
whether or not a core repertoire exists for the high school band. The intent was to
determine if high school band directors agreed on a repertoire that should be used for
performance in the high school band medium and whether published repertoire lists
reflected the apparent thinking among high school band directors.”83
Gaines surveyed high school band directors whose names were randomly selected from the roles of the MENC membership (Music Educators National Conference). The
survey contained a list of repertoire which was devised from various state music lists and
other existing published lists that are intended for school use. The directors were asked
whether they believed the pieces listed should be considered part of a “core repertoire”
for high school band.
83 David Gaines, "A Core Repertoire of Concert Music for High School Band: A Descriptive Study" (Doctor of Ed. degree in Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996), 100.
40
The Gaines study did indicate that there was some agreement among the high
school band directors surveyed as to a core repertoire. Gaines identified 106 pieces as
core repertoire by comparing the frequencies of their appearances on state music lists and
surveying the opinions of randomly selected high school directors. The lists created for
the Gaines study were some of several consulted to compile the list of selections included
in the surveys for this study.
Gaines makes an interesting comment in his “Implications for Further Research.”
He states, “. . . this study was descriptive of the state of high school band repertoire at the
current time [1996]. It does not trace any trends nor does it attempt to qualify the
repertoire as ‘good’ or ‘aesthetic.’ If any of these things have occurred it is only
incidental to the primary focus of the study.”84 Gaines defines “core repertoire” as “the
repertoire that high school band directors found consensus on as a basis of the high
school band’s repertoire”85 (emphasis added). Even if “quality” was not specified as a
reason for choosing a piece for a “core repertoire” designation, it would seem that
directors would consider this criteria in selecting music that forms a “basis of the high
school band’s repertoire.” The resultant list from the Gaines study would therefore give some indication as to what music directors believed to have quality.
Gaines’ recommendations have implications for the current study: “Another study that should be done is whether band directors are leaving colleges and universities with an understanding of this core repertoire for high school bands. If the training ground
84 Ibid., 110.
85 Ibid., 9.
41 for high school band directors is the college and university level, then curricula at those institutions should take seriously the responsibility for exposing and training future music educators in the compositions that are core to the high school band as well as the band profession as a whole.”86
Repertoire Selection Practices and the Development of a Core Repertoire for the Middle School Concert Band By Ronald L. Howard
In the introduction of this study, Howard states “Even at this rudimentary stage of development [middle school concert band], there is a definite need for concert literature of substance and quality.”87 He describes the purpose of his study as investigating and portraying “the repertoire selection practices of middle school concert band directors and to develop a core repertoire for the middle school concert band.”88
The Howard study surveyed selected middle school band directors on their opinions as to which literature should be considered “core repertoire” for the middle school concert band. Howard defined core repertoire as “an established, criteria-based collection or listing of music suitable for study and performance by the middle school concert band. This repertoire is considered to be the ‘backbone’ of the literature
86 Ibid., 111.
87 Ronald L. Howard, "Repertoire Selection Practices and the Development of a Core Repertoire for the Middle School Concert Band" (Ph.D. diss., University of Florida, 2001), 1.
88 Ibid., x.
42 available for the middle school concert band. It represents the very finest quality
literature for the medium.”89
The criteria used for the selection of the participants included length of teaching experience at the middle school level (at least ten years), a record of participation in adjudicated events, appearances at state, regional, and national music conferences, and specialized knowledge in the field as demonstrated by presentations at clinics and workshops. These experts were then surveyed regarding their knowledge of particular pieces and were asked to recommend pieces that could be considered “core repertoire” for the middle school concert band. Some of the core repertoire for Grades I and II selected by the respondents in the Howard study have been used as the basis for the
Grade I and II sections of the course design for the current study.
Howard’s study strongly indicates that “attention to quality, technical skills, ability level, and other instrumental music performance skills is necessary in order to make appropriate repertoire choices.”90 Howard makes three recommendations that are pertinent to the purposes and goals of this study:
1. It is recommended that undergraduate and graduate music education courses devote more time to the appreciation and understanding of music for the young band. All known sources of repertoire should be made available to beginning band directors.
2. It is recommended that the issue of quality in music be more thoroughly explored in undergraduate music education courses. Instruction should be given on how to determine quality in music, possibly including score study and listening to recordings. It might even be advantageous to compare and contrast high quality works with those of markedly lesser quality.
89 Ibid., 9.
90 Ibid., 103.
43
3. Because music education students do not generally know the location, grade level, or uniqueness of their first teaching assignment, they should be encouraged to compile a personal reference listing of high-quality band literature, especially including music for the young band.91
The University Band: Its Repertoire and the Prospective Music Educator By Donald Leslie Peterson
In 1986, Donald Peterson designed a study that proposed to:
1. compare the opinions of college band directors and high school band directors concerning the repertoire needs of college band students preparing to teach high school band.
2. identify a select core of band repertoire or types of repertoire which the prospective band director should experience during his/her college training.
3. identify possible measures that can be taken to insure that these opportunities are provided.92
The Peterson study surveyed selected collegiate and high school directors to obtain information about the directors’ undergraduate band experiences, as they related to the study of literature. The surveys also included a repertoire list which was designed to solicit opinions about a “core repertoire.” Peterson defined core repertoire as “a small number of works (15-20) that are viewed as necessary repertoire for the education of the prospective band director.”93
Peterson’s study focused on the effectiveness of the performance ensemble experience in the training of prospective music educators in the area of literature. In this
91 Ibid., 104.
92 Donald Peterson, "The University Band: Its Repertoire and the Prospective Music Educator" (DMA Arizona State, 1986), 5.
93 Ibid., 5.
44 study, most of the high school directors surveyed “felt that an effort had been made to
expose them to the ‘classics.’ However, they indicated that they had received little exposure to literature which was suitable for high school use while in their college bands.”94 This outcome seems to indicate that the addition of a class in band literature
might be useful to complement the music studied in the performance ensemble.
An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band, Grades III and IV, According to Specific Criteria of Artistic Merit By Raymond Thomas
This study sought to do for grade III and IV band compositions what Gilbert had
done for more advanced literature. The participants in the survey portion of the study
were selected through recommendations of the state chairs of the National Band
Association and included both high school and collegiate directors of bands. The criteria
used for this study were a modification of those devised for the Gilbert study.
1. The composition has form—not ‘a form’ but form—and reflects appropriate use of repetition and contrast in terms of the expressive design of the piece.
2. The composition reflects shape and design, and creates the impression of conscious and judicious arrangement on the part of the composer.
3. The composition reflects craftsmanship in orchestration, demonstrating interesting and appropriate scoring.
4. The composition is sufficiently unpredictable to preclude an immediate grasp of its musical meaning.
5. The composition is consistent in its quality throughout its length and in its various sections.
6. The composition reflects ingenuity in its development, given the stylistic context in which it exists.
94 Ibid., 149. 45
7. The composition is genuine in idiom, and is not pretentious.
8. The composition reflects a musical validity which transcends factors of historical importance, or factors of pedagogical usefulness.
9. The technical demands required by the player fall within the described guidelines of a graded III or IV work.
10. The educational benefits are significant enough for further consideration.95
In his recommendation for further research, Thomas emphasizes the importance of replicating a study such as this on a recurring basis since new music for wind band is being published with frequency. “With such a high volume of compositions, a study such as this becomes dated rather quickly. Periodic updating would be appropriate to include new works as well as to identify possible master works in the current lists which are not yet widely known.”96
As in the case of the Gilbert study, the usefulness of Thomas’ research for the current study lies in the list of criteria developed for the survey, as well as the list of works identified.
The Quality of Repertoire Chosen by High School Wind Band Conductors and the Resources and Criteria Used to Choose This Literature By Craig Young
The purpose of this 1998 study was to determine the literature being performed by bands in some of the large high schools in the United States, to evaluate the quality of
95 Raymond Thomas, “An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band, Grade III and IV, According to Specific Criteria of Artistic Merit” (Ph.D. diss., University of Minnesota, 1998), 6.
96 Ibid., 122.
46 that literature, to look at the ways the directors chose the literature, and to determine the
correlations between the methods used to select literature and the quality of the literature chosen.
A list of repertoire for a survey was compiled through a very thorough process
(which the researcher named the “Repertoire Evaluation Inventory”97 or REI) that
involved comparing the lists from the Gilbert and Ostling studies, the Gaines study, and other studies by Ralph Negro and David Woike, as well as lists developed by educators.
These included the Best Music for Band books, and the lists of individuals such as H.
Robert Reynolds and Frank Battisti. The population sample selected to be surveyed
“consisted of 150 high school band conductors in at least their sixth year of teaching at their current high school of 1000 students or more.”98
The Young study compared lists of repertoire actually being performed with the
list of music that his criteria and experts had determined to be quality literature. The
results seemed to indicate that even though directors claimed to value certain elements
of quality literature, the repertoire they performed often did not fit the criteria. The
Young study provides direct implications of the need for the current study.
According to the findings of this study, which included the finding that quality literature is not being used to a high degree in many high school band rooms, too many students who participate in band programs across the United States do not have a sufficient understanding of, or the ability to identify, quality music...... some guidance as to what is considered as quality music is essential.. In higher education, this guidance includes theoretical and historical training, overall development of musicianship, information concerning repertoire, and experiences with quality music, and is undoubtedly one of the more important functions of music education and the education of future music teachers. However, it seems that too many of our high school band conductors are not
97 Craig Young, “The Quality of Repertoire Chosen by High School Wind Band Conductors and the Resources and Criteria Used to Choose This Literature” (Ph.D. diss., The Ohio State University, 1998), 47.
98 Ibid., 35.
47 developing the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values necessary to make quality decisions about literature during their professional teacher education. This includes the dissemination of such information as the repertoire considered to be of value in the wind band genre and the resources and criteria used in the locating of quality literature.99
The Importance of Studying Wind Band Literature as Professional Preparation of the Preservice Professional
The opportunity to study literature needs to be available to the preservice professional who intends to become a band director. Battisti states:
The selection of music is one of the most important duties of the band director. During past decades, numerous guides and recommended music lists for bands at various levels of ability, as well as criteria for the selection of good quality literature have been formulated and advanced by individuals, band associations, national and state music education associations, journals and periodicals. Despite the proliferation of these aids, there is ample evidence to suggest that much of the repertoire being studied and performed in school bands is of questionable musical value. Why do so many band directors select inferior quality repertoire to use with their students? Is it due to a lack of available quality literature, a mediocre level of personal musical values (taste) or a combination of both?100
There is some agreement in the literature that the answer to this problem lies in better preparation of the preservice professional for selecting music of quality for ensembles to play and study, and that music education students who are preparing to become band directors should be given opportunities to study standard literature and should receive training in the development of skills for choosing quality repertoire.
Educator Deborah Sheldon has written, “If analytical skills are developed during the
undergraduate years, new teachers will make better choices in curricular materials,
thereby enhancing the musical experience of their instrumental music students.”101
99 Ibid., 113-114.
100 Frank L. Battisti, The Winds of Change (Galesville, Maryland: Meredith Music Publications, 2002), 239.
101 Deborah Sheldon, “Selecting Music for Beginning and Developing Bands,” Journal of Music Teacher Education 6, no. 1 (Fall 1996): 14. 48 The need to include repertoire study in the music education curriculum is
beginning to be recognized. According to music educators Joe W. Grant and Daniel L.
Kohut, “It has become clear that the preparation of future performance teachers will need
to be carefully reconsidered and that college curricula will have to become much more
comprehensive. To prepare future teachers to work in the schools of the next century,
their music studies must be greatly expanded to include knowledge of the repertoire . .
.102
It has been seen that some ability to evaluate literature is a result of the students’
cumulative musical experiences, therefore it is important that these experiences are of a
nature that will support the development of high standards for repertoire selection.
Battisti writes: “College music education departments need to involve students in
experiences that will develop high musical values/taste needed in the selection of music of high artistic quality and pedagogical usefulness. Assisting young people in the development of appreciation of quality music/art demands outstanding music educators/conductors with excellent musical knowledges, skills, values, and teaching ability.”103
Teacher training is currently undergoing reevaluation in many universities, and
several authorities are recommending that literature study be included. Music Education
professor at Case Western Reserve University, William I. Bauer writes, “Teacher training
102 Joe W. Grant and Daniel L Kohut. “Performance Teachers for the Future,” Music Educators Journal 79, no 2 (Oct. 1992): 36+50.
103 Frank L. Battisti, The Winds of Change (Galesville, Maryland: Meredith Music Publications, 2002), 282.
49 also needs to devote adequate time to developing students’ knowledge of curriculum,
literature, and the selection of literature based on curricular objectives.”104
The role of teacher training may be important in developing evaluative skills that
will help them to avoid bias in their selection of music. R. Fiese writes in the Journal of
Band Research, “It is not necessarily a “bad” thing that disagreements regarding relative musical quality exist among band directors. It is perhaps more important to understand
the biases from which these disagreements stem. This is particularly true with respect to
teacher training. It is important that students are provided with the skills and experiences
necessary for them to avoid making qualitative decisions about music through ignorance,
prejudice, or caprice.”105
The role of music education professors can be just as important as that of college
band directors in developing the skills of future music educators in selecting quality
music. It is especially important that methods class instructors, in addition to band
directors, support this view since college bands do not routinely play music that is
suitable for high school and middle school bands to perform. Sheldon stresses this
position:
Professors can instruct pre-service music teachers to perform an objective assessment of the musical quality of a band work through measure-by measure scrutiny to identify special compositional elements. Students should be given a model for phrasal and formal analysis so musical structure can be derived from the score. Musical structure should be detected through the study of harmonic organization, rhythms and melodic configurations, keys and modulations, dynamics, articulations, and transitions. Practical musical issues, such as a composition’s function, scoring, instrumentation, duration, and formal structure, need to be examined systematically. A work’s expressive components, such as sequence, dissonance,
104 William I. Bauer, “The Selection of Concert Band Music by High School Band Directors,” Update 15, no. 1 (1996): 9.
105 R. Fiese, “An Examination of Public Secondary School Band Directors’ Qualitative Judgments,” Journal of Band Research, 28 no. 2 (1993): 33.
50 embellishments, tempo change, dynamic stress, and timbrel combinations, need to be analyzed. These elements should be represented to the preservice teachers as tangible, measurable elements that can be considered when determining the music’s quality.106
An introduction to good standard literature and laying the groundwork
for evaluating quality in music literature will allow the future conductor of wind bands to
continue to develop these skills as he becomes more experienced. Erik Janners writes,
“Literature study is an ongoing process. Each year several new works are written for the
concert band and wind ensemble, and a large number of previously new works become
old works. When we study those works that stand the test of time and are still popular
today, we learn about the development of the repertoire and what causes a great band
work to have lasting appeal. It is this continuing study of concert band literature that
helps us improve programming selections and general musical knowledge.”107
Broege remarks, “There is good and bad music composed in all styles and genres.
I fervently hope that a new generation of wind band conductors will be willing to become
part of the contemporary music world, seeking out the most rewarding new music to
complement the best of what has gone before.”108
Summary
There is an abundance of research that emphasizes the importance of selecting
quality literature for use as the “textbook,” i.e., the curriculum of the band as a
performing ensemble. The quality of music selected for study in school bands is as
important as the selection of quality literature to be studied in an English class.
106 Deborah Sheldon, “Selecting Music for Beginning and Developing Bands,” Journal of Music Teacher Education 6, no. 1 (Fall 1996): 13-14.
107 Erik Janners, “Reference Books on Band Music,” The Instrumentalist 58, no. 5 (December 2003): 56.
108 Timothy Broege quoted in Mark Camphouse, ed., Composers on Composing for Band, (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002), 69. 51 The literature demonstrates that selecting quality music for band is difficult for several reasons, including the relatively short history of the wind band and the undefined role of its standard repertoire, the large quantity of music being published for school bands which must somehow be evaluated, and the lack of criteria among some directors for determining quality in music. Some excellent studies have attempted to establish criteria for the determining of quality in band literature, and a comparison of these studies is useful for those conscientious professionals who are endeavoring to develop their own personal criteria.
Many authorities agree that music education preservice professionals should have opportunities and experiences that are designed to introduce them to standard literature and to assist them in developing their own criteria for selecting quality music for study and performance by the bands that they will eventually conduct. The collegiate wind band, while serving as the best means for developing musicianship in future band directors and for introducing them to literature of advanced difficulty levels, may not be the most complete method for thorough exposure to repertoire of all difficulty levels.
Therefore, additional opportunities may be useful to the preservice professional.
This study is unique in that it seeks to provide these additional opportunities through the development of a band literature/repertoire course. The course builds upon the recommendations and concerns from the review of literature cited in this chapter, as well as the recommendations of a select group of survey respondents. The fact that the survey group was selected on the basis of their expertise in wind literature, rather than randomly as in other studies of this topic, contributes to the validity of the opinions used for the course content.
52 CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The ultimate goal of the present investigation is to develop a course in wind band
literature that could be taken by preservice professionals in music education and/or
graduate students who are seeking to improve their skills in the evaluation of repertoire as
well as to learn more standard literature. To give the course validity, it was determined
that selected collegiate and high school band directors from across the United States
would be surveyed to assist in determining content of the course.
The researcher, in consultation with her advisor, Dr. Russel Mikkelson, who is a
recognized expert in the field of wind literature, compiled a list of names of collegiate
directors who would be asked to participate in the study. The roster of the College Band
Directors National Association was perused to allow the selection process to include directors from various parts of the nation. The collegiate directors selected were then invited to participate in the project, and part of that participation would include their recommending high school band directors from their region of CBDNA whom they believed to be experts in the field of wind band literature for high school band. It was concluded that confidentiality was neither desirable nor requisite for participation in the study, due to the fact that the participants were selected on the basis of their expertise and
53 the opportunity to quote the respondents in the supporting literature would lend validity
to the study and the resultant course.
The Survey Population
It was determined that the survey respondents would be an exclusive group,
selected for their recognized knowledge of wind literature. Seventy collegiate directors
representing all six regions of CBDNA were invited to participate in the study. Forty-
seven of these directors elected to participate by nominating high school directors to be
surveyed, and 31 completed surveys themselves, for a participation rate of 67 percent. A
total of 94 high school band directors (two nominated by each of the collegiate directors) were invited to participate. Six of the high school directors nominated were named by
more than one collegiate director, indicating widespread respect for their expertise.
Eighty-one accepted the invitation and were sent surveys. Thirty-six high school directors returned completed surveys for a response rate of almost 45 percent. The high school directors who responded represented schools located in all six regions of CBDNA.
A complete list of the survey respondents is included in Appendix G.
The Survey Instrument
The survey instruments (see Appendices C and D) were similar for both populations. Only a few questions were slightly modified to fit the groups being surveyed. The survey was organized in three sections and was designed to solicit information in three areas. The first section asked for general information in order to get an overview of the background, training, and experiences of the survey respondents that might influence their views expressed in the following sections. It included information
54 about the length of time taught and at what levels, the size of the undergraduate institution attended, the quality of the band experience at the undergraduate level, the influence of the respondent’s college band director on literature selection, whether or not the respondent had a course in wind band literature, and how “well-prepared” the respondents felt to choose quality literature when they first entered the teaching/band conducting field. Some of the questions in this section were modified from questions appearing in the Peterson Study (1986) and the Howard Study (2001).
The second section of the questionnaire requested that the respondent express opinions about certain criteria that could be used in evaluating quality in literature.
The list of criteria used was devised by modifying criteria appearing in the Gilbert Study
(1993) and in the article by Ray Cramer, “What Materials are You Going to Use to Teach
‘About Music’ ‘Through Music’ while ‘Performing Music?’’’ which appears in the book
Teaching Music through Performance in Band, edited by Richard Miles. The respondents were also asked to list other criteria that they believed to be important which might have been omitted from the list.
The third section of the questionnaire consisted of a graded list of standard literature including pieces suggested to be grades III, IV, V, and VI by their appearance in several books, studies, and lists. The list was compiled and the music was organized in grade levels by consulting the books Rehearsing the Band, by John Williamson; Best
Music for High School Band, by Thomas Dvorak; and Teaching Music Through
Performance in Band, edited by Richard Miles. The National Band Association music list was also consulted, as was the Gaines study. Space was made available to the
55 respondents to add any pieces that might have been omitted that they believed should be included on the lists. Within each grade level, the survey respondents were asked to select only five pieces that they believed would provide a good “starting point” for acquainting students with standard repertoire in a class in wind literature. Many of the respondents mentioned the difficulty of this task due to the high quality of the music on the provided list.
Since anonymity was neither desired nor necessary for the study, the initial contacts, the replies, and the distribution and return of the surveys were all accomplished through the use of e-mail. The college directors were sent a letter asking them to participate and to nominate high school directors. Those who responded positively were then sent surveys as e-mail attachments. Two high school directors nominated by each of the collegiate directors were contacted by e-mail and invited to participate. Those who responded positively were sent surveys by e-mail attachments.
56 CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS
The primary purpose of the survey instrument was to ask university and high
school directors in the wind band field for their opinions regarding repertoire study and
evaluation. Since there is much more standard literature available for study than can
possibly be included in a one semester class, the assistance of authorities was desired to
aid in determining which literature should be studied in the class. In addition, the
respondents were asked to give their views on the evaluation of quality in literature.
Some of the respondents included comments with their surveys that gave further
evidence of the need for the study. Edward J. Huttlin, Director of Bands at Fargo South
High School in Fargo, North Dakota comments, “I do think that students are very poorly
prepared in terms of knowledge of band literature when they graduate from college. I
have had approximately 35 student teachers in the last 20 years and very few had any real
knowledge of pieces that work well for high school bands. They all play wonderful
literature with their college bands, however, few can name a single grade three piece that
would work well for a typical junior high or high school band.”
Many of the respondents also provided interesting opinions concerning
programming. Although outside the scope of this project, this is an area that could be addressed in a class of this type and deserves further research and discussion.
57 Section I: General Information
Most of collegiate and high school directors surveyed exhibit a high degree of
experience. From among the collegiate directors, almost 80 percent have taught at the
college level for over 10 years, and 20 percent have from four to nine years of
experience. Only one has three years experience or less. In addition, 30 percent of these
directors also have 10-12 years experience teaching in the public schools, and another 50
percent have taught from 4-9 years at the secondary level. Only two of the collegiate
directors surveyed had no public school teaching experience. From among the high
school directors, 74 percent have over 12 years of teaching experience at the middle or
high school level, and the other 26 percent have taught from 6-12 years. These figures
indicate that the directors surveyed are veteran teachers with a wealth of experience,
which serves to support the opinions that they express later in the surveys.
The respondents were asked to reveal the size of the undergraduate institution that they attended. Of the collegiate directors surveyed, 80 percent attended institutions larger than 15,000 students, and from among the high school directors, 50 percent attended schools of more than 15,000 while another 23 percent had attended schools in the range of 6000-15,000 students. These figures seem to indicate that even though the survey population was geographically diverse, it was not diverse concerning the size of
undergraduate institution attended.
The next five questions on both questionnaires, while slightly different for each
population surveyed, were constructed to help establish the length and quality of the
directors’ experiences in concert bands as undergraduates and to determine the influence
of their college directors on repertoire preferences. As would be expected, an
58 overwhelming majority of the directors had played in concert bands for four years or
more as part of their undergraduate experience. From among the collegiate directors,
only three played less than four years (one of those because he was not a music major as
an undergraduate), and from among the high school directors, only two played for less
than four years.
The collegiate directors rated their college concert band experience as
overwhelmingly positive, with 83 percent rating it as “excellent” or “very good.” Only
10 percent rated it as average, with the remaining seven percent rating that experience as
“fair” or “poor.” From among the high school directors, 77 percent rated their college
concert band experience as “excellent” or “very good,” while 13 percent rated it as
“average.” Only three of the 32 respondents expressed the opinion that their experience had been “fair” or “poor.”
All of the respondents were asked if their own repertoire selection tendencies are similar to that of their college band directors. From among the collegiate group, 13 percent said that their selection tendencies are similar to that of their college band directors to a very large extent, and another 61 percent said that they are somewhat similar. Twenty-six percent said that they are not at all similar. The replies from the high school directors showed some correlation to that of the college directors indicating that 23 percent of them have very similar tendencies to their college directors, while 54 percent are somewhat similar. Twenty-three percent said that their selection practices are not at all similar. The high school directors were also asked if they ever consult with college directors on repertoire selection with 58 percent indicating that they often or
59
very often do and another 20 percent admitting that they occasionally do. Only one director said that he never consults with college directors about repertoire selection.
These results seem to show that the college band experience does have long-
reaching effect on the repertoire selection practices of directors. In addition, high school
directors continue to learn and ask questions from those conducting bands at the
collegiate level, indicating a desire on their part to continue to develop evaluation skills
as well as learn from the expertise of college directors.
Both groups overwhelmingly believe that collegiate directors should discuss the
procedures and/or the criteria employed in music selection with the members of their
ensembles. In retrospect, it appears it would have been useful to ask the collegiate
directors how often they actually do discuss these procedures with their students. If this
does not happen regularly, it provides yet another reason to discuss the issues of
repertoire selection in a class context.
The collegiate directors were asked if they ever devote time to introducing concert
band members to music that is within the technical grasp of high school bands, and the
high school directors were asked that if in their collegiate experience, they were
introduced to music of that level. This, of course, requires the respondent to make a
qualitative judgment as to what is “within the technical grasp of a high school band.”
The question was asked in a general way to determine whether or not the respondents
believed that the technical level of the music performed by college ensembles is so
advanced that these ensembles seldom learn less technical music that would be useful to
music education pre-service professionals in their careers. The replies from both groups
60 were consistent. Only 26 percent of the collegiate directors responded that they
frequently select music performable at the high school level, while 36 percent of the high
school directors indicated having had that experience. Sixty-seven percent of the
collegiate directors said that they only occasionally devote time to music at a level that
high school bands could study, and 64 percent of the high school directors claimed to
have occasionally been introduced to less technical music in their college performance
experience. Only two of the collegiate directors stated that they never devote time to
introducing their ensemble members to music that a high school band could grasp
technically, but the large number of responses in the “occasional” range would seem to
indicate a need for study of less technically challenging music in a venue outside of the
performing ensemble.
Both responding populations were asked whether they personally had had a class
in their undergraduate training which was specifically designed to familiarize prospective
directors with band repertoire. From among the 31 responding collegiate directors, only
three had taken such a course at the undergraduate level. Interestingly, 50 percent of the
high school directors had the opportunity to take such a course. Respondents were not
asked their ages, but comparing their time in teaching with the overall totals (secondary and collegiate) of teaching time of their collegiate colleagues, it would seem that the high school directors are a younger group. Since the high school group is younger and has had more access to this type of class, does this indicate that a need for this type of instruction
is being identified and developed in music education programs? This assumption would seem to be accurate in that the collegiate directors were also asked if the institution where they currently teach has such a course, and 50 percent replied positively to that question.
61 Both groups of experts were asked how adequately prepared to select quality
music they believed themselves to be when they accepted their first teaching position.
When considering that more of the high school directors had experienced a class in band literature than the college directors, it is alarming to note that the responses of the two groups were very similar. Only 23 percent of the collegiate directors professed to feeling
“well prepared,” while only 17 percent of the high school directors gave the same response. Fifty-three percent of the collegiate directors felt “moderately prepared,” while
24 percent felt that they were “not prepared at all.” From among the high school directors, 63 percent felt “moderately prepared,” while 20 percent confessed to feeling
“not prepared at all.” It seems that even though more high school directors had classes in wind literature, they didn’t feel much better qualified to select music of “quality” than their collegiate counterparts had been at the beginning of their careers. Perhaps this emphasizes the need to do more than just study “standard literature,” but to also discuss why it has become standard literature. What can the study of the standard literature for wind band tell the conscientious conductor and teacher about determining quality in other works that have not been assimilated into the body of standard pieces?
Section II: Criteria for Determining “Quality” of Literature
This section of the survey was devised to solicit opinions regarding a list of criteria for determining quality in music. Even though the content of any list will be general in nature and subject to experience and taste, a list of criteria could prove valuable to stimulate discussion and to give conductors a starting point in the
62 determination of quality and value in the music they are considering for study and/or performance with their ensembles.
A basic list of qualitative statements was devised from the Cramer list in the book
Teaching Music Through Performance in Band mentioned earlier in this document and from the list of “criteria of artistic merit,” originally conceived by Acton Ostling and used in the Gilbert Study (1993). This list was submitted to the survey respondents for their consideration. Space was left for adding other criteria that they considered important.
Several of the respondents added programming considerations at this point, which is not surprising, since programming and function play such a large part in the selection process.
Most of the criteria included in this section were based on the five basic elements of music including, melody, harmony, rhythm, form (structure), and timbre/texture.
Others fit into the more aesthetic considerations of style and emotion. The survey participants were asked to respond to the following statements as “very important,”
“moderately important,” or “not important.”
The music:
1. has form—balance between repetition and contrast, shape and design;
2. has melodic and countermelodic interest;
3. demonstrates harmonic imagination;
4. contains rhythmic interest;
5. demonstrates craftsmanship in orchestration and scoring;
6. is sufficiently unpredictable;
63 7. is consistent in style, clear ideas, and quality throughout; not trivial has
ingenuity, originality;
8. elicits an emotional response, has emotional impact;
9. demonstrates style and/or expression.
The fact that none of the collegiate directors marked any of the listed criteria as
“not important” would seem to indicate that there was general agreement among them that this list could provide a good basis for a discussion of quality. The only criterion marked as “not important” by any of the high school directors was number six: “is sufficiently unpredictable.” Six of the high school directors surveyed indicated that unpredictability was not a high priority for them. The collegiate group as well was more ambiguous about this statement than about many of the others with 50 percent rating unpredictability “very important” and the rest considering it “moderately important.”
None, however, indicated that they believed it to be unimportant.
Whereas directors from both groups generally agreed on the value of the listed criteria, there was some disagreement between the two groups as to which criteria were of the highest priority. There were two criteria about which there was significant disagreement. Ninety percent of the collegiate directors rated “ has form” as very important, while only 50 percent of the high school directors believe that to be a very important indicator of quality. This could indicate that form and structure may be seen as a difficult and time-consuming concept to teach young students,
The other area of noteworthy dissimilarity concerned “melodic and
countermelodic interest.” Eighty-four percent of the high school directors rated this
64 quality as “very important” and ranked it second from among the ten criteria listed. The collegiate directors ranked it seventh with 74 percent rating it as “very important.”
Among young students, the issue of melody and countermelody may be more interesting and meaningful concepts to younger students. Even though melody and countermelody relate to form, they may be more specific concepts than form, and therefore easier for young students to understand.
The only criterion that 100 percent of the college directors deemed “very important” was “demonstrates craftsmanship in orchestration and scoring.” Both of the survey groups deemed this criterion as “very important” with the most frequency.
Slightly more than 88 percent of the high school directors called this criterion “very important” with all the others choosing “moderately important” as their response.
The second highest number of “very important” replies among the collegiate directors went to the statement, “demonstrates style and/or expression.” Ninety-four percent of the collegiate directors surveyed rated this as very important with the rest designating it as “moderately important.” The high school directors rated this as their third highest consideration with 81 percent giving it a response of “very important.”
Ninety-three percent of the collegiate directors rated “is consistent in style, clear ideas and quality throughout” as “very important,” while 80 percent of the high school directors indicated that this is a “very important” consideration. Both groups had a similar response to the statement “elicits an emotional response, has emotional impact,” with 77 percent of the collegiate group and 75 percent of the high school group rating it as “very important.” For the collegiate directors, “ingenuity, originality,” garnered a 77 percent ranking of “very important,” but the high school directors only gave this a 63 percent
65 response as “very important.” This would seem to concur with their opinion that
unpredictability was of less importance in determining quality than are some of the other
criteria. The statements “demonstrates harmonic imagination” and “contains rhythmic
interest” ranked seventh and eighth in the opinions of both the population samples.
While this study does not mean to suggest that every piece must meet every
criterion in order to be considered “quality,” these ten criteria would seem to provide a
valid starting point for discussion. While such an exercise may seem somewhat
academic, developing personal criteria could prove useful to the inexperienced
conductor. See appendix E for a listing of these criteria in the order of importance
indicated by the responding groups.
A few directors listed additional considerations that aid them in determining the
quality of a piece. The most common added criteria concerned music that has “stood the
test of time,” music that has historical significance, or music by reputable composers.
Thomas Lee, Director of Bands at UCLA writes, “If [the work was] written by an
acclaimed (internationally), established, and generally respected composer, then it is
worth at least reading.”
Kevin Paustien, Director of Bands at Auburn High School in Auburn, Washington
lists “connection to other literature sources, connection to important human events, and
beauty” as traits of pieces he chooses to study. Robert Ponto, Director of Bands at the
University of Oregon also added “potential connections to other arts or disciplines” as
well as “symbolic, metaphorical significance.”
James Copenhaver, Director of Bands at the University of South Carolina states,
“Music, while beginning and ending in stability, elicits an ongoing sense of motion
66 through aspects of tension and relaxation.” This statement agrees with the belief stated
by W. Francis McBeth that good music has direction.109
Section III: Core Repertoire, Grades III, IV, V, and VI
In the third section of the survey, the respondents were presented with lists of
repertoire to peruse. These lists were compiled primarily from the recommendations made by ten collegiate directors who were interviewed by John Williamson for his book
Rehearsing the Band. In his book, Williamson asked prominent wind band conductors
Frank Battisti, Eugene Corporon, James Croft, Donald R. Hunsberger, Jerry F. Junkin,
Craig Kirchhoff, Allan McMurray, H. Robert Reynolds, James Smith, and John
Whitwell, to “select the 30 ‘best’ works for band—just 10 at each grade level (4-5-6), the basic repertoire that every band conductor simply must learn (and perform if the players
are available) during a serious professional career.”110 Works that were named by at least
six of the 11 contributors were included in the survey. The grade III list was compiled by
consulting the Howard Study (2001) on middle school literature, the books Best Music
for Young Band and Best Music for High School Band, by Thomas Dvorak, and the
National Band Association Selective Music List for Band. Other pieces known to the researcher were also added.
Since the time available in a class setting is limited, the opinions of the survey participants were desired to assist in narrowing this list to a manageable number for study
109 W. Francis McBeth, “Perceiving Music: Personal Evaluation of Quality in Music,” The Instrumentalist 45, no. 5, (Dec. 1990): 43.
110 John E. Williamson, Rehearsing the Band (Cloudcroft, New Mexico: Neidig Services, 1998), 92.
67 in one semester. The selected works were listed by published grade levels to aid in
organizing the selection process. There were some disagreements among the respondents concerning the assigning of particular pieces to each grade level. Since these categories
cannot, by their very nature, be completely objective, this was to be expected. A total of
95 works were selected to appear on the survey list, including 25 on the grade III list, 26
for the grade IV list, 26 for the grade V list, and 18 grade VI pieces. In the initial
compilation of the survey lists, some consideration was given to omitting grade VI pieces
since few high school bands are able to perform literature of that technical difficulty.
However, it was decided that there are pieces in the literature of which all conductors
should be aware, even if they never have the opportunity to conduct them. “Middle
school orchestra directors know the great works for their ensembles, even though they
will never conduct them. Band conductors should be just as aware of the great works of
the band repertoire.”111 Additionally, studying these great pieces would be beneficial to
the serious conductor who seeks to learn to recognize quality in music of all levels.
The respondents were asked to select five pieces from each grade level that they believed would “provide a starting point for study in a class in wind band literature.”
The overall high quality of the works represented on the lists was mentioned by many of the respondents, and many found the task of selecting only five from each level to be difficult. Gary Hill, Director of Bands at Arizona State University notes, “. . . the lists above—particularly grades IV-VI—include some of the wind band’s most important works to date . . . Lincolnshire Posy, Emblems, Variations on a Medieval Tune, Sounds,
Shapes, and Symbols, etc. . . . these works (and others) represent important contributions
111 Russel Mikkelson, in conversation at The Ohio State University, April 19, 2004. 68 to the wind band literature by composers with superb craft and singular voices.” Bruce
Moss, Director of Bands at Bowling Green State University writes, “. . . my real problem
was getting the list down to five . . . in reality, particularly for the higher grades, more
should be included. On another day, I might have listed some entirely different grade
V/VI. They are all good for this kind of class.”
James Arrowood, Director of Bands (retired) at the University of Wisconsin-
Stevens Point, commented in his questionnaire that narrowing the selection was:
“. . . very hard to do, of course, but an important process for each of us. Since all these pieces have artistic merit I found myself concerned with several pragmatic matters—all of which address an undergraduate class of beginning teachers. I strived to contain as much contrast (historical era, etc.) as possible within each grade category, and I tried to not duplicate a composer (sorry, couldn’t help it with Grainger). The grade six stuff was difficult to sort out because most of it is terrific!”
For the purposes of this study, it was determined that pieces selected by 50 percent or more of either group of respondents would be included in the list of “standard
repertoire” in the course of study. A complete listing of the total number of
recommendations made for each piece is included in Appendix E. Appendix F includes a list of additional pieces recommended by the survey respondents.
When examining the works included on the Grade III listing, the selections of each group exhibited much agreement among the top five. Air for Band by Frank
Erickson, Three Ayres from Gloucester by Hugh Stuart, Ye Banks and Braes ‘O Bonnie
Doon by Percy Grainger, Overture for Winds by Charles Carter, and Flourish for Wind
69 Band by Ralph Vaughan Williams were selected by half or more of the respondents from both groups.
In the Grade IV category, Gustav Holst’s First Suite in Eb for Military Band was a unanimous choice by all the directors. In addition, more than 50 percent of both the collegiate directors and the high school directors selected Variations on a Korean Folk
Song by John Barnes Chance, and Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Over half of the collegiate directors selected Pageant by Vincent Persichetti and Scenes from the Louvre by Norman Dello Joio, while over 50 percent of the high school directors also selected Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger and Prelude, Siciliano, and
Rondo by Malcolm Arnold.
The Grade V and VI lists showed less concurrence between the two survey groups. This may or may not have to do with the degree of familiarity with music at this level by the high school director respondents. From the Grade V list, the collegiate directors chose Symphony No. 6 for Band by Vincent Persichetti, Variants on a Medieval
Tune by Norman Dello Joio, and Suite Française by Darius Milhaud with the most frequency. Over half of the high school directors chose Chester by William Schuman,
Armenian Dances, Part I by Alfred Reed, and William Byrd Suite by Gordon Jacob.
Comparing the choices from the Grade VI list between the two groups shows complete agreement on the first three picks, but after that, the choices diverge completely. Not surprisingly, all the respondents unanimously chose Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger. The second highest incidence of selection was Hindemith’s
Symphony in Bb, followed by Music for Prague 1968 by Karel Husa. The collegiate directors fourth and fifth most numerous choices were Sinfonietta by Ingolf Dahl and
70 Hammersmith by Gustav Holst. The high school directors’ next most frequent choices were Festive Overture by Dimitri Shostokovich, arranged by Donald Hunsberger and
Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson, which were not highly selected by the collegiate group. This could possibly be explained by the fact that these two pieces are sometimes played by fine high school bands and might therefore be thought to be important pieces to study in a course for music educators.
71 CHAPTER 5
SUMMARIES, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The purpose of this study was to examine information and solicit expert opinion
on the topics of repertoire study and the evaluation of quality in the literature for wind
band. The ultimate goal of the study was to use this information to validate and corroborate content for the development of an undergraduate/graduate class in literature
for wind band. Two questions were fundamental to this study:
1. What are some important criteria that can be used in selecting quality music
for an ensemble?
2. What are some of the pieces from the standard wind band literature with
which instrumental music majors should become acquainted before leaving
college?
The review of literature revealed that authorities in the field believe
examination of the standard literature is essential for the serious conductor and teacher.
Furthermore, many music education preservice professionals are not familiar with much
standard literature for the wind band. Collegiate performing ensembles often meet the
needs of students in introducing standard literature of the Grade V and VI levels, but less
72 technically demanding works which may be suitable for young bands are not often
performed by the top wind bands in which most music majors participate. Therefore, a
class devoted to the study of standard wind literature at all levels may be useful.
The importance of selecting quality music for study in school ensembles
is confirmed by the opinions of many professionals who believe that the music is itself
the curriculum for performing ensembles in the schools. Therefore, the quality of the
repertoire selected is of the utmost significance. The repertoire is the “textbook” for the
performance classes that are taught.
The review of literature also reveals that the selection of quality music is not only
necessary, but also often difficult. There is a surfeit of new music available each year for
conductors to examine, and not all of it is worthy of study. Therefore, developing
personal criteria for determining quality could be a useful exercise for conductors,
especially for those with less experience.
The literature also suggests that an effective way to meet the needs of
instrumental music majors who intend to become band directors may be through a class
designed to teach standard literature. By studying and evaluating this literature, students
gain the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize similar quality in unfamiliar
repertoire. In the words of Jack Stamp,
Though other media have richer heritage, the wind band far excels in the commissioning of new works and supporting the efforts of current composers. Therefore, the opportunity to examine the history of our ‘instrument’ as well as interact with those individuals creating the musical art of our time is an opportunity that should be a mandate for every college band program. Through the repertoire, we also hope that our music education students will gain the ability to recognize the characteristics of quality literature and, in turn, make informed and musical choices when selecting works for their school ensembles112
112 Jack Stamp quoted in Mark Camphouse, ed., Composers on Composing for Band (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002), 341. 73
Methodology
A select group of seventy collegiate directors who are considered to be authorities in the field of repertoire for wind band were chosen from the roster of the College Band
Directors National Association, representing all six regions of CBDNA. These directors were asked to recommend high school directors from their region whose opinions on repertoire selection they respected. Forty-seven collegiate directors contributed the names of high school directors to participate. Two high school directors from each of the collegiate director’s nominations were contacted and 36 agreed to participate. Both groups were sent similar questionnaires to complete and return (appendices C and D).
All contacts were made by e-mail, and all surveys were returned by e-mail, except five.
These were returned by regular mail. Since the participants were chosen on the basis of their expertise, anonymity was neither necessary nor desired. In the initial contact and again in the survey cover letter, it was requested of the respondents that they allow their names to be used, to give validity and support to the content of the course that would be devised from their responses. The names of the participants are included in Appendix G.
The survey consisted of three sections. The first requested general information from the respondents. Information requested included years of experience, size of college or university attended, collegiate band experience, etc. This information was gathered to support the need for the study and to become more familiar with the backgrounds of the persons whose opinions would form the basis for the course of study.
A complete report of this information is included in Appendix E.
74 The second section asked for their opinions of a list of criteria that could be used
to denote “quality” in music. This list was devised by modifying the criteria established
in the Gilbert study and gleaned additional criteria from those listed by Ray Cramer in the
book Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. The relative importance of each
criterion was determined and compared by tallying the number of respondents who
designated each criterion as “very important.” A ranking of these criteria as ordered by
the respondents is included in Appendix E.
Section III of the survey requested that the respondents peruse a list of standard repertoire at the Grade III, IV, V, and VI levels and select five from each category to
recommend for study in a wind literature class. This list was constructed by consulting the recommendations of renowned band conductors interviewed by John Williamson In
his book, Rehearsing the Band and several other recommended music lists. Works that
were selected by 50 percent or more of the collegiate and/or high school directors
comprise the core repertoire for those categories in the class in wind literature. A
complete tally of the responses in each section is included in Appendix E.
The grade I and II works for the wind literature class course of study were selected from the Howard study “Repertoire Selection Practices and the Development of a Core Repertoire for the Middle School Concert Band” (2001). This very thorough study surveyed middle school band directors about their repertoire selection and made literature recommendations based on the surveys.
75
Findings and Conclusions
In answer to the first question, “What are some important criteria that can be used in selecting quality music for an ensemble?” the survey results conclude that criteria can be developed for the discussion of the determination of quality in music. While it is not expected that every piece of music will exhibit all the characteristics mentioned in this study, a basic list of criteria gives inexperienced teachers a basis for selecting music worthy of the time and effort it takes to prepare and study them.
The second question, “What are some of the pieces from the standard wind band literature with which instrumental music majors should become acquainted before leaving college?” was answered by ranking the frequency of selection of pieces from a list of standard literature, grades III, IV, V, and VI. Works that were selected by 50 percent or more of the collegiate and/or high school directors are included in the course of study. They are:
Grade III: Air for Band by Frank Erickson Three Ayres from Gloucester by Hugh Stuart Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon by Percy Grainger Overture for Wind Band by Charles Carter Flourish for Wind Band by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Grade IV: First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams Pageant by Vincent Persichetti Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo by Malcolm Arnold, arr. by John Paynter
76
Grade V: Symphony No. 6 for Band by Vincent Persichetti Variants on a Medieval Tune by Norman Dello Joio Suite Française by Darius Milhaud Chester by William Schuman Armenian Dances Part I by Alfred Reed William Byrd Suite by Gordon Jacob
Grade VI: Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger Symphony in Bb by Paul Hindemith Music for Prague 1968 by Karel Husa Emblems by Aaron Copland Sinfonietta by Ingolf Dahl Festive Overture by Dimitri Shostokovich, arr. Hunsberger Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson
Selected from the Howard study, the grade I and II works for the course of study are:
Grade I: Anasazi by John Edmondson Amazing Grace arranged by Jack Bullock British Isle Ballads by John Kinyon Chant and Celebration by John O’Reilly and Sandy Feldstein
Grade II: African Festival by Quincy Hilliard, Chuck Elledge, and Bruce Pearson Fanfare, Ode, and Festival by Bog Margolis Kentucky 1800 by Clare Grundman The Tempest by Robert W. Smith
Recommendations for Further Research
Recommendation number 1. Evaluation of wind band music should be ongoing.
The body of literature for this ensemble is continually expanding; therefore determining
music that “stands the test of time” will take just that—time. However, since band
77 conductors are generally receptive to new music composed for the ensemble, new
literature of quality may be assimilated relatively quickly into the standard repertoire. In
1964, Vincent Persichetti said, “Band music is virtually the only kind of music in
America today (outside the pop field) which can be introduced, accepted, put to
immediate use, and become a staple of the literature in a short time.”113 That is exactly
what happened to much of the music he composed for band; these pieces became part of
the standard repertoire relatively quickly. Consequently, it is recommended that the list
of music used in a class of wind literature be updated, as the pieces that are now
considered “new” become standard literature.
Recommendation number 2. A discussion of the issues of programming would be
a natural outgrowth of this study. A list of criteria for selection of music for
programming would and should include many of the same statements as a list of criteria of determining “quality,” but there are other issues to consider as well. These issues
might include determining what constitutes a good program: contrast, variety of styles,
continuity, length of program, rehearsal considerations; as well as the ability level of the
ensemble and selecting music of quality to fit particular programs or events (function).
William Berz writes: “There are many different kinds of bands, each with its own
purposes and goals. It seems that one of the most profound problems in evaluating
literature for bands is a confusion of function. Certainly every type of band should strive
to play good music but what is good music for bands?. . . in many, (if not most) cases,
conductors focus on works as having strength of function; it is a good work for contest; it
113 Vincent Persichetti quoted in Frank L. Battisti, The Winds of Change (Galesville, Maryland: Meredith Music Publications, 2002), 49.
78 is a good processional piece for commencement; it will suit the function. These
judgments must be separated from discussions that center on the assessment of musical depth.”114
Further research into the area of programming to meet educational goals
using quality literature is also needed, including the usefulness of cycling (and recycling)
standard literature (a core repertoire as curriculum), as well as the implications of the
National Standard in Music on music selection. Apfelstadt writes, “Since the
development of the National Standards for Music Education in 1994, music educators
have had a clear-cut set of standards and these standards should be accounted for in the
selection of repertoire.”115
All of these programming concerns, considered with the problem of selecting
quality literature for wind bands, confirms the magnitude and complexity of the task faced by school band directors. Berz reaches the same conclusion: “. . . school bands must study and perform music that is well-suited to pedagogical goals and possess artistic merit. The educational band may create more confusion than any of the other types of groups because it is so difficult to separate educational value from aesthetic worth. How these two variables interact is extremely complex, so that one might argue that the school
114 William Berz, “Evaluating Music in a Multifaceted World,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 37-38.
115 Hilary Apfelstadt, “First Things First, Selecting Repertoire,” Music Educators Journal 87, no. 1 (July 2000): 21.
79 band conductor has the most difficult task of all.”116 It is therefore recommended that the
issues of programming be further explored in future research.
Recommendation number 3. Some survey respondents expressed differing opinions about the grade levels to which pieces were assigned. Useful research could be pursued concerning the practice of assigning music to grade levels based on technical difficulty alone, rather than considering musical and stylistic difficulty when rating pieces. What other factors should be considered in assigning grade levels? What influence does this rather arbitrary assignment of grade level have on the selection of music by teachers? What is the perception of Grades I and II music? If technically simple, but musically sound, is such music avoided by conductors who usually perform grades IV and V music?
Tim Salzman, Director of Bands at the University of Washington, believes that the entire concept of grading literature may be detrimental. In his response to the survey for this study, he writes, “In our field, ‘graded lists’ satisfy a market thirsty for the
‘appropriate grade level’ for their seventh grade band. Composers jump at the chance to write something that satisfies that demand as it fattens their wallets with little thought or
effort. So. . . standards are sacrificed, playing levels slip and the true effort needed, the
‘greatness factor,’ is lost to our culture of instant gratification.” It is therefore
recommended that the issues of “grading” music literature be studied.
Recommendation number 4. Research to attempt to discern why we, as individual
human beings, “like” the music that we do, could prove to be very interesting and useful.
The issue of “taste” in music is one that generates many questions. Frank Byrne writes,
116 William Berz, “Evaluating Music in a Multifaceted World,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 38. 80 “We believe ourselves committed to ‘quality’ whether as listeners, educators, or
conductors. We find this premise comforting. But, in a practical sense, the issue of
‘quality in music’ polarizes people, can promote antagonism, and may even be
considered rude. Pierre Boulez acknowledged this difficulty. ‘[Taste] is never
mentioned because people think of it as a natural, familiar gift whose existence there is
no point in admitting, or as a disgraceful disease to be discussed only in vague terms and behind closed doors.’”117
Personal taste is extremely difficult to quantify and has a direct effect on literature
choice and programming. Timothy Reynish, Director of Bands at the Royal College of
Music in London, states very simply, “Repertoire selection is a matter of taste, and as a
colleague in Germany put it . . . ‘What rings your bell might not ring mine.’”118 Robert
F. Hastings, Director of Bands at Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas, spoke to this
issue in his survey response for this project. He writes, “I tend to teach only music that I
feel strongly about. It is a waste of time to try to prepare a piece that you know is not a
quality composition, or to prepare a piece that you do not feel strongly about.” He goes on to describe an unsatisfactory experience of having prepared a piece that met all his criteria for quality literature, but just “didn’t do anything” for him.
David Whitwell speaks to this very issue as well: “Shortly after being invited to participate in this discussion [the WASBE journal issues concerning ‘The Quest for Good
Music’], I found in my office a pamphlet published some 25 years ago by James Neilson
117 Frank Byrne, “The Unanswered Question,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 7.
118 Timothy Reynish, “WASBE—Who Needs It?” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 101.
81 entitled ‘What is Quality in Music?’ In this pamphlet, the author writes about music the
way we all learned to in school, discussing characteristics of interesting rhythm
interesting melody, interesting harmony, etc., then, at the end, he makes what I regard as
an extraordinary conclusion, “It is entirely possible to admire ‘good’ music without ever liking it.”119 And finally, John Edmondson states, “. . . one person’s junk is another
man’s artifact.”120 It is recommended that a means for determining how humans develop
“taste” be researched and studied.
Development of a Course of Study
The opinions expressed by the survey respondents, as well as the findings from
the review of literature, are the basis for information included in the course of study. The
list of criteria from Section II of the survey is included in the course of study to stimulate
discussion on the topic of “quality” in music for wind band. The grade III, IV, V, and VI
literature that was selected by 50 percent or more of the collegiate and/or high school
directors is included in the course as a basic list of standard literature for the wind band.
The Grade I and II literature for the course was selected from the core repertoire for
middle school band that was developed in the Howard Study.
119 David Whitwell, “The Quest for Good Music,” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 64.
120 John Edmondson quoted in Ryan Nowlin, “A Composition for Middle School Band Based upon Renowned Composers’ Perspective of Writing for Beginning and Middle Level Students” (Masters Thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2004), 46. 82 Syllabus for A Course in Repertoire for Wind Band
Course title: Literature for the Contemporary Wind Band Course: MuEd XXX Credit: 2 or 3 semester hours (2 or 3 class meetings per week) Spring: 2006 Prerequisites: Theory, aural skills, form and analysis, basic/intermediate conducting.
Catalog Statement: This course is designed to meet the needs of the preservice
professional in instrumental music education. Its primary focus is to acquaint the student
with standard literature for the wind band and to aid the student in developing skills for
selecting appropriate music of quality for study in middle and secondary school bands.
Students will study music at varying grades of technical difficulty from the standard
literature and the characteristics of these pieces, which contribute to their high quality.
This will assist the student in recognizing quality in less familiar repertoire.
Introduction: In MuEd XXX, “Literature for the Contemporary Wind Band,” students
will study standard literature from the band repertoire which can be used to build a basic
repertoire to study and conduct with school ensembles. Attention will be paid to quality
literature suitable for study and performance by middle grade and high school bands.
Music from the standard literature that may be too difficult for high school bands will
also be reviewed to provide a broader view of the finest wind band repertoire.
Through the study of this literature, the student will also learn to evaluate less familiar repertoire to determine its relative value and will develop personal criteria for determining the quality of music selected for use in the school ensemble. Each student in the class will be provided opportunities to study several pieces in depth to present to the 83 class and conduct with an ensemble. Students will provide handouts from the pieces they
present, so that the entire class will complete the semester with a notebook containing
information on valuable, quality pieces that can be played by school bands.
Instructors
Office Hours: phone: email address
Music Education Program Learning Outcomes
Musicianship. Examination of standard literature and their interpretations, conducting
the standard literature, application of musical knowledge in the determination of quality
in band literature.
Teaching effectiveness. Application of musical and teaching skills through review and
study of selected pieces from the standard literature and the preparation and implementation of class presentations on those pieces; conducting selected pieces and using effective communication skills (gestural, verbal, etc.); use of supplementary materials (handouts, etc.) to enhance musical learning.
Critical Thinking. The development of personal standards and criteria for determining the quality of music by studying and comparing standard literature which has entered the
basic repertoire for band and has “stood the test of time;” the selection of developmentally appropriate musical materials for secondary ensembles.
84
Attendance Policy
Absence from class may be excused only for emergencies (such as a serious
illness, a death in your immediate family, or a school-sponsored function). Three tardies
will comprise one absence. Unexcused absences will result in the lowering of the overall
grade in the class. Written assignments are due at class-time regardless of absence. You may send them electronically. Late assignments will not be accepted. If you are absent on the day assigned for your class presentation or to conduct your piece, you must have a valid excuse (as listed above) or you will not be permitted to make it up.
Grading
Each student will be assigned a band work from grade levels I and II and another from grades III and IV to study in depth and prepare for class presentation. Two or three students (depending upon the size of the class) will be assigned to each piece and will be assigned different aspects of the presentation. Students may work as a group or separately. Each student will learn a portion of the assigned piece to conduct in a reading session with a student ensemble comprised of members of the class, with the instrumentation supplemented by other players where needed.
In addition, each student will prepare a class presentation on an assigned piece
from either the grade V or VI level. This presentation should include class listening to
portions of the piece from a recording and will not include conducting the piece. Each
student will, therefore, be responsible for presenting a total of three works to the class.
Each presentation should seek to answer the questions “Why has this piece become a part
85 of the standard repertoire?” and “What are the characteristics of this piece which make it
quality literature?”
Each student will provide a handout to the members of the class that will consist
of a study guide, which can then be used for the compilation of a notebook. The study
guide should include specific information about the piece including its history, grade
level and technical considerations, stylistic considerations, length (timing), formal
analysis (including a general harmonic analysis), and information about the composer of
the piece. A listing of recommended recordings of the piece should also be included, as well as suggested listening recommendations of other works by the same composer or from the same style or historical period.
Each presentation will be worth 20% of the final grade for the course. At specified intervals, the class will meet for the purpose of playing the pieces being studied.
These reading sessions will be scheduled on two designated Saturday mornings during the term, and attendance is required.
Late assignments receive no credit.
There will be a midterm exam and a final written exam, each counting 15% of the final grade. These exams will cover material contained in the study guides and will include identification of listening examples.
The final 10% of the grade will be determined from class participation and attendance.
86
Materials
Scores for the music to be studied are housed in the Jerome Library of Bowling
Green State University, second floor. Various recordings of the selected works are also
on reserve for class use.
Selections to be studied will include:
Grade I: Anasazi by John Edmondson Amazing Grace arranged by Jack Bullock British Isle Ballads by John Kinyon Chant and Celebration by John O’Reilly and Sandy Feldstein
Grade II: African Festival by Quincy Hilliard, Chuck Elledge, and Bruce Pearson Fanfare, Ode, and Festival by Bog Margolis Kentucky 1800 by Clare Grundman The Tempest by Robert W. Smith
Grade III: Air for Band by Frank Erickson Three Ayres from Gloucester by Hugh Stuart Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon by Percy Grainger Overture for Wind Band by Charles Carter Flourish for Wind Band by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Grade IV: First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams Pageant by Vincent Persichetti Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo by Malcolm Arnold, arr. by John Paynter
87
Grade V: Symphony No. 6 for Band by Vincent Persichetti Variants on a Medieval Tune by Norman Dello Joio Suite Française by Darius Milhaud Chester by William Schuman Armenian Dances Part I by Alfred Reed William Byrd Suite by Gordon Jacob
Grade VI: Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger Symphony in Bb by Paul Hindemith Music for Prague 1968 by Karel Husa Emblems by Aaron Copland Sinfonietta by Ingolf Dahl Festive Overture by Dimitri Shostokovich, arr. Hunsberger Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson
The following recommended texts are also available in the library:
Dvorak, Thomas L. Best Music for Young Band. New York: Manhattan Beach Music, 1986.
Dvorak, Thomas L., Robert Grechesky, and Gary M. Ciepluch. Best Music for High School Band. New York: Manhattan Beach Music, 1993.
Miles, Richard. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, 1997—2003. Volumes 1-4
Dvorak, Thomas, and Richard Miles, eds. Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2001.
National Band Association Select Music List for Bands
Various other lists will be provided for your handbook.
Basic Calendar for a 15-week course: Week one: discussion of the importance and difficulties of repertoire selection. Assignment of projects: Grade I and II “Pre-test”—What do you look for to determine the quality of a piece of music?” (Collect and save for return at the end of the semester.) Discuss the development of a list of criteria-introduction of list from survey. Listening examples—both “good” and “bad” Discussion of score study—development of study guides.
88
Week two: Class presentations, Grade I literature Make assignments for Grade III and IV literature
Week three: Class presentations, Grade I and II literature
Week four: Class presentations, Grade II literature
Week five: Class presentations, Grade II and III literature Assign Grade IV literature.
Week six: Class presentations, Grade III literature
Week seven: Class presentations, Grade III literature
Saturday reading session/seminar: Student conducting of presented works, grades I, II, and III
Week eight: midterm; begin grade IV Class presentations Assign Grade V and VI literature.
Week nine: Class presentations, Grade IV literature
Week ten: Class presentations, Grade IV literature
Saturday reading session/seminar: Student conducting of presented pieces, grade IV
Week eleven: Class presentations, Grade V literature
Week twelve: Class presentations, Grade V literature
Week thirteen: Class presentations, Grade VI literature
Week fourteen: Class presentation, Grade VI literature
Week fifteen: Discussion of “Criteria for selecting quality literature” “Post-test” on criteria, compare with “pre-test”
Final Written Exam
89 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Battisti, Frank L. “A Taste for Quality.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 54-56.
Battisti, Frank L. The Winds of Change. Galesville, Maryland: Meredith Music Publications, 2002.
Battisti, Frank L. “Fine Music For Wind Ensembles Written During the 1990s.” The Instrumentalist (Feb. 2003): 32-43+77.
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90 Berz, William. “Choosing Music for the School Band.” Tempo 55, no. 4 (May 2001): 46- 47.
Berz, William. “Distinguished Music for the Developing Band: Grade 1.” Tempo 56, no. 1 (Oct. 2001): 20-23.
Berz, William. “Distinguished Music for the Developing Band: Grade 2.” Tempo 56 no. 2, (Jan. 2002): 10-11.
Blomhert, Bastiaan. “ ‘Quality’ in Music: Some Thoughts.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 48-49.
Boonshaft, Peter Loel. Teaching Music With Passion. Galesville, MD.: Meredith Music Publications. 2002.
Brashier, Joe. H. “The Quest for Good Music: Perspective from a University Conductor.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 61-63.
Bryant, Steven. “This Isn’t Band Music.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 8 (2001): 7-13.
Byrne, Frank. “The Unanswered Question.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 7-14.
Camphouse, Mark, ed. Composers on Composing for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2002.
Carney, Patrick K. “Kimberly Archer Turned Sadness Into a Five-Movement Memorial.” The Instrumentalist 58, no. 7 (February 2004): 22-27.
Casey, J.L. Teaching Techniques and Insights for Instrumental Music Educators, 2d ed. Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993.
Cipolla, Frank J. and Donald Hunsberger, editors. The Wind Ensemble and It’s Repertoire: essays on the 40th anniversary of the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press, 1994.
Cochrane, James. “Quality Repertoire for Wind Band.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 24-25.
Colwell, Richard and Carol Richardson, editors. The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning: A Project of the Music Educators National Conference. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
91 Del Borgo, Elliot A. “Selecting Quality Literature for Bands and Orchestras.” The Instrumentalist (Nov. 1988): 22-26.
Dillman, Don A. Mail and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method. New York: Wiley and Sons, 1974.
Dvorak, Thomas L. Best Music for Young Band. New York: Manhattan Beach Music, 1986.
Dvorak, Thomas L., Robert Grechesky, and Gary M. Ciepluch. Best Music for High School Band. New York: Manhattan Beach Music, 1993.
Dvorak, Thomas, and Richard Miles, eds. Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2001.
Elliott, David J. Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
Everett, Tom. “Obsessed With Excellence: An Interview with Frank Battisti.” The Instrumentalist (Dec. 1990): 13-15.
Fiese, R. “An Examination of Public Secondary School Band Directors’ Qualitative Judgments.” Journal of Band Research, 28 no. 2 (1993): 27-36.
Fennell, Frederick. Time and the Winds. Kenosha, Wisconsin: Lablanc Corporation, 1954.
Fonder, Mark. “A Compendium of Wind Band Literature Analyses from Selected Periodicals and University Research.” CBDNA Journal, no. 12 (Spring 1998): 22-38.
Fonder, Mark. “Educational Quality vs. Artistic Quality in Band Literature: Must it Be Either/Or?” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 22-30.
Forbes, Guy W. “The Repertoire Selection Practices of High School Choral Directors.” Journal of Research in Music Education 49, no. 2 (Summer 2001): 102-121.
Gaines, David "A Core Repertoire of Concert Music for High School Band: A Descriptive Study." Doctor of Ed. degree in Teachers College Columbia University, 1996.
Grant, Joe W. and Daniel L Kohut. “Performance Teachers for the Future.” Music Educators Journal 79, no. 2 (Oct. 1992): 35-36, 50, 64.
92 Gilbert, Jay Warren. “An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band According to Specific Criteria of Serious Artistic Merit: A Replication and Update.” DMA Northwestern University, 1993.
Good, M. “A Selected Bibliography of Original Concert Band Music: Part I.” Journal of Band Research 18, no. 2 (1983): 12-35.
Good, M. “A Selected Bibliography of Original Concert Band Music: Part II.” Journal of Band Research 19, no. 1 (1983): 26-51.
Hilliard, P.C. “Choosing Literature for Young Bands.” The Instrumentalist 46, no. 6 (1992): 11-13.
Hoffer, Charles. Introduction to Music Education. Prospect Heights, Ill: Waveland Press, 1993.
Howard, Ronald L. "Repertoire Selection Practices and the Development of a Core Repertoire for the Middle School Concert Band." Ph. D. diss., University of Florida, 2001.
Hughes, Brian. “Survey of Band Repertoire.” The Instrumentalist (Nov. 1990): 61-65.
Janners, Erik. “Reference Books on Band Music.” The Instrumentalist. 58, no.5 (December 2003): 52-56.
King, Ronda Ellen. “The Quality and Technical Difficulty of Repertoire Performed by Non-Auditioned, Small College Bands and the Criteria Considered in the Selection of the Literature.” PhD diss., The Ohio State University, 2001.
Labuta, Joseph A. Teaching Musicianship in the High School Band. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: Meredith Music Publications, 1972, 1997.
Latten, James E. “Chamber Music for Every Instrumentalist.” Music Educators Journal 87, no. 5 (March 2001): 45-53.
Lenzini, Catherine Sell. “Emerging Band Classics.” The Instrumentalist (Nov. 1996): 17-27.
Lyng, Per. “The Quest for Good Music!” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 41-43.
McBeth, W. Francis. “The Band: Artistic Viability Through Literature.” The Instrumentalist 43, no. 6 (1989): 92+.
93 McBeth, W. Francis, “Perceiving Music: Personal Evaluation of Quality in Music.” The Instrumentalist 45, no. 5, (Dec. 1990): 43.
McBeth, W. Francis. “Evolving Band Repertoire.” The Instrumentalist (August, 1995): 24.
Menghini, Charles T. “Music as the Curriculum.” The Instrumentalist (May, 1999): 28- 32.
Miles, Richard. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Vol.1. Chicago: GIA Publications, 1997.
Miles, Richard. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Vol. 2. Chicago: GIA Publications, 1998.
Misenhelter, Dale. “Desperately Seeking Status. Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 44-47.
Nowlin, Ryan. “A Composition for Middle School Band Based Upon Renowned Composers’ Perspective of Writing for Beginning and Middle Level Students.” Masters Thesis. Bowling Green State University. 2004.
Olson, R.K. “A Core Repertoire for Wind Ensemble.” Journal of Band Research 18, no. 1 (1982): 11-35.
O’Reilly, John and Mark Williams. “Standards for Judging Young Band Music.” The Instrumentalist (July, 1998): 12-15.
Parker, Harlan D. “An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Wind Ensemble/Band Repertoire Texts.” Journal of the Conductors’ Guild 13, no. 1 (Winter/Spring 1992): 40- 44.
Persillin, Diane. “The Importance of High-Quality Literature.” Music Educators Journal 87, no. 1 (July 2000): 17-20.
Peterson, Donald. "The University Band: Its Repertoire and the Prospective Music Educator." DMA Arizona State, 1986.
Platt, Russell. “The Quest for Good Music and the Role of the Symphonic Band.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 51-59.
Negro, Ralph A. “Selected Recommended Repertoire Lists for Concert Band: A Content Analysis.” Masters Thesis. Bowling Green State University. 1994.
94 Reel, James. “A Conversation with Eugene Corporan.” Fanfare—The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors 23, no. 5 (May—June 2000): 104-107.
Reimer, Bennett. A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision. Second edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989.
Reimer, Bennett, editor. Performing With Understanding: The Challenge of the National Standards for Music Education. Reston, VA.: MENC—The National Association of Music Education, 2000.
Reynish, Timothy. “A Quest for Good Music: Combining Personal Taste with Aesthetic Criteria.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 60-61.
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Rocco, Roger. “Band Music and the Paper-Plate Mentality: An Interview with W. Francis McBeth.” The Instrumentalist (Dec. 1991): 12-15.
Rudin, Rolf, translated by Eduard Oertle. “A Quest for Good Music: Combining Personal Taste with Aesthetic Criteria.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 62-63.
Sheldon, Deborah. “Selecting Music for Beginning and Developing Bands.” Journal of Music Teacher Education 6, no. 1 (Fall 1996): 6-15.
Sheldon, Deborah. “Preservice and In-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Band Music Content and Quality Using Self-Report and Behavioral Measures.” Journal of Research in Music Education 48, no. 1 (Spring 2000): 10-25.
Sheldon, Deborah. “The Difficult Art of Writing Creative Music for Young Bands.” The Instrumentalist (July, 2003): 25-29.
Strange, Richard E., editor. National Band Association Selective Music List for Bands. National Bands Association. Nashville, Tennessee: 1990.
Thomas, Raymond. “An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band, Grade III and IV, According to Specific Criteria of Artistic Merit.” PhD diss., University of Minnesota, 1998.
95 Thomson, John and Matthew Baumer. “Exploring Vesuvius with Frank Ticheli.” The Instrumentalist 55, no. 11 (June 2001): 22-26.
Walonick, David. S. Survival Statistics. Minneapolis, MN: StatPac, Inc. 1997-2003. accessed online 12/29/03 http://www.statpac.com/surveys/index.htm#TOC
Wilborn, David F. “Band: Spicing Up Band with Contemporary Literature.” Teaching Music 8, no. 5 (April 2001): 36-40.
Whitwell, David. “The Quest for Good Music.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 6 (1999): 64-65.
Williamson, John E. Rehearsing the Band. Cloudcroft, New Mexico: Neidig Services, 1998.
Wuorinem, Charles. “An Elevated Wind Music.” Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 7 (2000): 15-18
Young, Craig. “The Quality of Repertoire Chosen by High School Wind Band Conductors and the Resources and Criteria Used to Choose This Literature.” Ph.D. diss. The Ohio State University, 1998.
Youngblood, J. “Why Critics Disagree.” College Music Symposium: Journal of the College Music Society. 23, no.2: 193-202.
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APPENDIX A
LETTERS TO SELECTED COLLEGIATE DIRECTORS OF BANDS
AND NOMINATED HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTORS OF BANDS
97
98
99
APPENDIX B
LETTER TO SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
100
101
APPENDIX C
SURVEY OF COLLEGIATE DIRECTORS
102 COLLEGE DIRECTOR SURVEY
NAME SCHOOL LOCATION SECTION I—GENERAL INFORMATION: Please underline your response. 1. a. How many years have you conducted a band at the college level? 1-3 yrs. 4-6 yrs. 7-9 yrs. 10-12 yrs. over 12 yrs. b. At the secondary level (middle and/or high school)? 1-3 yrs. 4-6 yrs. 7-9 yrs. 10-12 yrs. over 12 yrs.
2. Underline the size of college/university that you attended for undergraduate study: Less than 2000 2000-6000 6000-15000 Over 15,000
3. Underline the total number of semesters that you participated in a concert band or wind ensemble as an undergraduate: 1-2 (1 yr.) 3-4 (2 yrs.) 5-6 (3 yrs.) 7-8 (4 yrs.) 9+ (5 yrs.+)
4. Overall, how would you describe your college concert band experience? Poor Fair Average Very Good Excellent
5. Are your repertoire selection tendencies similar to those of your college band director? Not at all Somewhat To a Very Large Extent
6. Should college band directors discuss the procedures and/or criteria employed in his/her selection of repertoire with college band members? yes Yes, but only with Music ed. students no
7. In the collegiate concert band that you currently conduct, is any time devoted to introducing members to pieces that are within the technical grasp of a high school band? Yes, frequently Yes, occasionally No, never.
8. Did the college or university that you attended as an undergraduate offer a course that was specifically designed to familiarize prospective directors with band repertoire? Yes No
9. Does the college or university where you currently teach offer such a course? Yes No If so, do you teach it? Yes No
10. How adequately prepared do you feel you were to select quality music when you accepted your first teaching position? Well prepared Moderately prepared Not prepared at all
103
SECTION II: CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING “QUALITY” OF LITERATURE Please indicate attributes which influence your evaluation of music you select for your ensemble. Please underline your response.
The music:
1. has form-balance between repetition and contrast, shape and design. very important moderately important not important
2. has melodic and countermelodic interest. very important moderately important not important
3. demonstrates harmonic imagination. very important moderately important not important
4. contains rhythmic interest. very important moderately important not important
5. demonstrates craftsmanship in orchestration and scoring. very important moderately important not important
6. is sufficiently unpredictable. very important moderately important not important
7. is consistent in style, clear ideas, and quality throughout; not trivial. very important moderately important not important
8. has ingenuity, originality. very important moderately important not important
9. elicits an emotional response, has emotional impact. very important moderately important not important
10. demonstrates style and/or expression. very important moderately important not important
OTHER CRITERIA:
104 SECTION III: CORE REPERTOIRE, GRADES III, 1V, V, AND VI The following compositions appear on many lists as representatives of core literature for wind band. Please select 5 from each grade level that you feel would provide a starting point for study in a class in wind band literature. Please boldface your selections.
COMPOSITION COMPOSER GR ______A Little Night and Day Music Adler III A Tallis Prelude Akey III Yorkshire Ballad Barnes III Ginger Marmalade Benson III Sinfonia VI Broege III Overture for Winds Carter III Nathan Hale Trilogy Curnow III Adagio for Winds DelBorgo III Air for Band Erickson III Fantasy for Band Erickson III Sonatina for Band Erickson III Australian Up-Country Tune Grainger III Ye Banks and Braes ‘O Bonnie Doon Grainger III Irish Rhapsody Grundman III Welsh Rhapsody Grundman III Air de Sarabande G.F. Handel, arr. A. Reed III Court Festival Latham III Festivo Nelhybel III Fantasy for Band Sheldon III Three Ayres from Gloucester Stuart III Cumberland Cross Strommen III The Battle Pavane Susato, arr. Margolis III Flourish for Wind Band Vaughan Williams III Old Scottish Melody Wiley III Variation Overture C. Williams III
105
Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo M. Arnold, arr. Paynter IV Come, Sweet Death Bach, arr. A. Reed IV Fantasia in G Major Bach, arr. Goldman/Leist IV The Soliltary Dancer W. Benson IV A Movement for Rosa Camphouse IV Incantation and Dance Chance IV Elegy Chance IV Variations on a Korean Folk Song Chance IV Variations on a Shaker Melody Copland IV Scenes from the Louvre Dello Joio IV Irish Tune from County Derry Grainger IV Shepherd’s Hey Grainger IV Chorale and Alleluia Hanson IV First Suite in Eb Holst IV Second Suite in F Holst IV Three Chorale Preludes Latham IV Elegy for a Young American LoPresti IV Kaddish McBeth IV Pageant Persichetti IV Psalm for Band Persichetti IV Allerseelen Strauss IV Cajun Folk Songs Ticheli IV Folk Song Suite Vaughan Williams IV Rhosymedre Vaughan Williams IV Sea Songs Vaughan Williams IV Chorale and Shaker Dance Zdechlik IV _
106
Four Scottish Dances M. Arnold, arr. Paynter V Suite of Old American Dances Bennett V The Leaves Are Falling Benson V The Passing Bell Benson V An Outdoor Overture Copland V Variants on a Medieval Tune Dello Joio V Heroes, Lost and Fallen Gillingham V Colonial Song Grainger V Hill Song #2 Grainger V Country Band March Ives, arr. Sinclair V Variations on America Ives, arr.Schuman/Rhoads V William Byrd Suite Jacob _ V Third Suite Jager V Canzona Mennin V Suite Francaise Milhaud V Divertimento for Band Persichetti V Symphony No.6 for Band Persichetti V Russian Christmas Music Reed,A. V Armenian Dances, Part I Reed, A. V La Fiesta Mexicana Reed, H.O. V Chester Schuman V George Washington Bridge Schuman V Blue Shades Ticheli V Sketches on a Tudor Psalm Tull V Toccata Marziale Vaughan Williams V Trauersinfonie Wagner V
107
Sounds, Shapes, and Symbols Bassett VI The Winds of Nagual Colgrass VI Emblems Copland VI El Salon Mexico Copland VI Sinfonietta Dahl VI Lincolnshire Posy Grainger VI Three City Blocks Harbison VI Symphony in Bb Hindemith VI Hammersmith Holst VI Music for Prague 1968 Husa VI Symphony No. 3 Gianinni VI A Child’s Garden of Dreams Maslanka VI Rocky Point Holiday Nelson VI Theme and Variations Schoenberg VI Dionnysiaques Schmitt VI . . . and the mountains rising nowhere Schwanter VI Festive Overture Shostakovich, arr. HunsbergerVI Postcard Ticheli VI Other suggestions: COMPOSITION COMPOSER GR ______
108
APPENDIX D
SURVEY OF HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTORS
109 HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR SURVEY
SECTION I—GENERAL INFORMATION: Please underline your response. Your Name Your School Location (city, state)
1. How many years have you conducted a band at the secondary (middle and/or high school) level? 1-3 yrs. 4-6 yrs. 6-8 yrs. 9-12 yrs. over 12 yrs.
2. What was the size of college/university that you attended for undergraduate study: Less than 2000 2000-6000 6000-15,000 Over 15,000
3. Underline the total number of semesters that you participated in a concert band or wind ensemble as an undergraduate: 1-2 (1 yr.) 3-4 (2 yrs.) 5-6 (3 yrs.) 7-8 (4 yrs.) 9+ (5 yrs.+)
4. Overall, how would you describe your college concert band experience? Poor Fair Average Very Good Excellent
5. Are your repertoire selection tendencies similar to those of your college band director? Not at all Somewhat To a Very Large Extent
6. Should college band directors discuss the procedures and/or criteria employed in his/her selection of repertoire with college band members? Definitely yes Yes, but only with Definitely No Music ed. students
7. During your collegiate concert band experience, were you introduced to pieces that were within the technical grasp of a high school band? Yes, frequently Yes, occasionally No, never
8. How frequently do you consult with college band directors concerning repertoire selection? Never Rarely Occasionally Often Very Often
9. Did your college or university offer an undergraduate course that was specifically designed to familiarize prospective directors with band repertoire and to develop analytical skills for music selection? Yes No
10. How adequately prepared do you feel you were to select quality music when you accepted your first teaching position? Well prepared Moderately prepared Not prepared at all
110 SECTION II: CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING “QUALITY” OF LITERATURE
Please indicate attributes which influence your evaluation of music you select for your ensemble. Please underline your response.
The music:
1. has form-balance between repetition and contrast, shape and design. very important moderately important not important
2. has melodic and countermelodic interest. very important moderately important not important
3. demonstrates harmonic imagination. very important moderately important not important
4. contains rhythmic interest. very important moderately important not important
5. demonstrates craftsmanship in orchestration and scoring. very important moderately important not important
6. is sufficiently unpredictable. very important moderately important not important
7. is consistent in style, clear ideas, and quality throughout; not trivial. very important moderately important not important
8. has ingenuity, originality. very important moderately important not important
9. elicits an emotional response, has emotional impact. very important moderately important not important
10. demonstrates style and/or expression. very important moderately important not important
OTHER CRITERIA:
111
SECTION III: CORE REPERTOIRE, GRADES III, 1V, V, AND VI The following compositions appear on many lists as representatives of core literature for wind band. Please select 5 from each grade level that you feel would provide a starting point for study in a class in wind band literature. Please boldface your selections.
COMPOSITION COMPOSER GR ______A Little Night and Day Music Adler III A Tallis Prelude Akey III Yorkshire Ballad Barnes III Ginger Marmalade Benson III Sinfonia VI Broege III Overture for Winds Carter III Nathan Hale Trilogy Curnow III Adagio for Winds DelBorgo III Air for Band Erickson III Fantasy for Band Erickson III Sonatina for Band Erickson III Australian Up-Country Tune Grainger III Ye Banks and Braes ‘O Bonnie Doon Grainger III Irish Rhapsody Grundman III Welsh Rhapsody Grundman III Air de Sarabande G.F. Handel, arr. A. Reed III Court Festival Latham III Festivo Nelhybel III Fantasy for Band Sheldon III Three Ayres from Gloucester Stuart III Cumberland Cross Strommen III The Battle Pavane Susato, arr. Margolis III Flourish for Wind Band Vaughan Williams III Old Scottish Melody Wiley III Variation Overture C. Williams III 112
Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo M. Arnold, arr. Paynter IV Come, Sweet Death Bach, arr. A. Reed IV Fantasia in G Major Bach, arr. Goldman/Leist IV The Soliltary Dancer W. Benson IV A Movement for Rosa Camphouse IV Incantation and Dance Chance IV Elegy Chance IV Variations on a Korean Folk Song Chance IV Variations on a Shaker Melody Copland IV Scenes from the Louvre Dello Joio IV Irish Tune from County Derry Grainger IV Shepherd’s Hey Grainger IV Chorale and Alleluia Hanson IV First Suite in Eb Holst IV Second Suite in F Holst IV Three Chorale Preludes Latham IV Elegy for a Young American LoPresti IV Kaddish McBeth IV Pageant Persichetti IV Psalm for Band Persichetti IV Allerseelen Strauss IV Cajun Folk Songs Ticheli IV Folk Song Suite Vaughan Williams IV Rhosymedre Vaughan Williams IV Sea Songs Vaughan Williams IV Chorale and Shaker Dance Zdechlik IV _
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Four Scottish Dances M. Arnold, arr. Paynter V Suite of Old American Dances Bennett V The Leaves Are Falling Benson V The Passing Bell Benson V An Outdoor Overture Copland V Variants on a Medieval Tune Dello Joio V Heroes, Lost and Fallen Gillingham V Colonial Song Grainger V Hill Song #2 Grainger V Country Band March Ives, arr. Sinclair V Variations on America Ives, arr.Schuman/Rhoads V William Byrd Suite Jacob _ V Third Suite Jager V Canzona Mennin V Suite Francaise Milhaud V Divertimento for Band Persichetti V Symphony No.6 for Band Persichetti V Russian Christmas Music Reed,A. V Armenian Dances, Part I Reed, A. V La Fiesta Mexicana Reed, H.O. V Chester Schuman V George Washington Bridge Schuman V Blue Shades Ticheli V Sketches on a Tudor Psalm Tull V Toccata Marziale Vaughan Williams V Trauersinfonie Wagner V
114 Sounds, Shapes, and Symbols Bassett VI The Winds of Nagual Colgrass VI Emblems Copland VI El Salon Mexico Copland VI Sinfonietta Dahl VI Lincolnshire Posy Grainger VI Three City Blocks Harbison VI Symphony in Bb Hindemith VI Hammersmith Holst VI Music for Prague 1968 Husa VI Symphony No. 3 Gianinni VI A Child’s Garden of Dreams Maslanka VI Rocky Point Holiday Nelson VI Theme and Variations Schoenberg VI Dionnysiaques Schmitt VI . . . and the mountains rising nowhere Schwanter VI Festive Overture Shostakovich, arr. HunsbergerVI Postcard Ticheli VI Other suggestions: COMPOSITION COMPOSER GR ______115
APPENDIX E
SUMMARIES OF SURVEY RESULTS
116 SECTION I-Results
Collegiate Directors
SECTION I—GENERAL INFORMATION:
1. a. How many years have you conducted a band at the college level? 1-3 yrs, 1. 4-6 yrs., 1 7-9 yrs., 5 10-12 yrs., 4 over 12 yrs., 20 b. At the secondary level (middle and/or high school)? 0 yrs., 2 1-3 yrs., 3 4-6 yrs., 9 7-9 yrs., 6 10-12 yrs., 2 over 12 yrs., 9
2. Underline the size of college/university that you attended for undergraduate study: Less than 2000, 1 2000-6000, 5 6000-15000, 12 Over 15,000, 13
3. Underline the total number of semesters that you participated in a concert band or wind ensemble as an undergraduate: 1-2 (1 yr.), 1 3-4 (2 yrs.), 2 5-6 (3 yrs.), 0 7-8 (4 yrs.), 25 9+ (5 yrs.+), 3
4. Overall, how would you describe your college concert band experience? Poor-1 Fair-1 Average-3 Very Good-8 Excellent-18
5. Are your repertoire selection tendencies similar to those of your college band director? Not at all-8 Somewhat-19 To a Very Large Extent-4
6. Should college band directors discuss the procedures and/or criteria employed in his/her selection of repertoire with college band members? Yes-27 Yes, but only with Music ed. students-3 no-1
7. In the collegiate concert band that you currently conduct, is any time devoted to introducing members to pieces that are within the technical grasp of a high school band? Yes, frequently-8 Yes, occasionally-21 No, never-2
8. Did the college or university that you attended as an undergraduate offer a course that was specifically designed to familiarize prospective directors with band repertoire? Yes-3 No-28
9. Does the college or university where you currently teach offer such a course? Yes-15 No-16 If so, do you teach it? Yes-9 No-6
10. How adequately prepared do you feel you were to select quality music when you accepted your first teaching position? Well prepared-7 Moderately prepared-17 Not prepared at all-7
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High School Directors
SECTION I—GENERAL INFORMATION:
1. How many years have you conducted a band at the secondary (middle and/or high school) level? 1-3 yrs, 0 4-6 yrs., 0 6-8 yrs., 4 9-12 yrs., 5 over 12 yrs., 27
2. What was the size of college/university that you attended for undergraduate study: Less than 2000, 4 2000-6000, 5 6000-15,000, 10 Over 15,000, 17
3. Underline the total number of semesters that you participated in a concert band or wind ensemble as an undergraduate: 1-2 (1 yr.), 1 3-4 (2 yrs.), 1 5-6 (3 yrs.), 3 7-8 (4 yrs.), 23 9+ (5 yrs.+), 8
4. Overall, how would you describe your college concert band experience? Poor-1 Fair-2 Average-5 Very Good-11 Excellent-17
5. Are your repertoire selection tendencies similar to those of your college band director? Not at all-8 Somewhat-20 To a Very Large Extent-8
6. Should college band directors discuss the procedures and/or criteria employed in his/her selection of repertoire with college band members? Definitely yes-30 Yes, but only with Definitely No-0 Music ed. students-6
7. During your collegiate concert band experience, were you introduced to pieces that were within the technical grasp of a high school band? Yes, frequently-13 Yes, occasionally-23 No, never-0
8. How frequently do you consult with college band directors concerning repertoire selection? Never-1 Rarely-7 Occasionally-6 Often-14 Very Often-8
9. Did your college or university offer an undergraduate course that was specifically designed to familiarize prospective directors with band repertoire and to develop analytical skills for music selection? Yes-18 No-18
10. How adequately prepared do you feel you were to select quality music when you accepted your first teaching position? Well prepared-5 Moderately prepared-23 Not prepared at all-8
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SECTION II Summary of Results
SECTION II: CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING “QUALITY” OF LITERATURE Order of importance as indicated by the number of respondents who designated the criterion as “very important.” Collegiate Directors: The music: demonstrates craftsmanship in orchestration and scoring. (100%) demonstrates style and/or expression (94%) is consistent in style, clear ideas, and quality throughout; not trivial. (93%) has form-balance between repetition and contrast, shape and design. (90%) has ingenuity, originality. (77%) elicits an emotional response, has emotional impact. (77%) has melodic and countermelodic interest. (74%) demonstrates harmonic imagination. (74%) contains rhythmic interest. (74%) is sufficiently unpredictable. (50%)
High School Directors: The music: demonstrates craftsmanship in orchestration and scoring. (88%) has melodic and countermelodic interest. (84%) demonstrates style and/or expression. (81%) is consistent in style, clear ideas, and quality throughout; not trivial. (80%) elicits an emotional response, has emotional impact. (75%) demonstrates harmonic imagination. (63%) contains rhythmic interest. (63%) has ingenuity, originality. (63%) has form-balance between repetition and contrast, shape and design. (50%) is sufficiently unpredictable. (34%) 119 Section III Summary of Results
SECTION III: CORE REPERTOIRE, GRADES III, 1V, V, AND VI
Grade III, Collegiate directors’ selections:
COMPOSITION COMPOSER GR votes Air for Band Erickson III 20 Three Ayres from Gloucester Stuart III 18 Ye Banks and Braes ‘O Bonnie Doon Grainger III 17 Overture for Winds Carter III 15 Flourish for Wind Band Vaughan Williams III 15 Yorkshire Ballad Barnes III 8 Sinfonia VI Broege III 8 The Battle Pavane Susato, arr. Margolis III 8 Court Festival Latham III 7 Ginger Marmalade Benson III 6 Australian Up-Country Tune Grainger III 6 Festivo Nelhybel III 6 Variation Overture C. Williams III 6 Irish Rhapsody Grundman III 5 A Little Night and Day Music Adler III 4 Nathan Hale Trilogy Curnow III 3 Welsh Rhapsody Grundman III 2 A Tallis Prelude Akey III 1 Sonatina for Band Erickson III 1 Cumberland Cross Strommen III 1 Adagio for Winds Del Borgo III 0 Fantasy for Band Erickson III 0 Air de Sarabande G.F. Handel, arr. A. Reed III 0 Fantasy for Band Sheldon III 0 Old Scottish Melody Wiley III 0 120
Grade III, High school directors selections:
COMPOSITION COMPOSER GR votes Air for Band Erickson III 20 Ye Banks and Braes ‘O Bonnie Doon Grainger III 19 Three Ayres from Gloucester Stuart III 19 Overture for Winds Carter III 18 Flourish for Wind Band Vaughan Williams III 18 Variation Overture C. Williams III 15 Festivo Nelhybel III 14 Australian Up-Country Tune Grainger III 9 Yorkshire Ballad Barnes III 9 Nathan Hale Trilogy Curnow III 7 Irish Rhapsody Grundman III 6 Court Festival Latham III 6 Ginger Marmalade Benson III 4 Sinfonia VI Broege III 4 Welsh Rhapsody Grundman III 3 The Battle Pavane Susato, arr. Margolis III 3 A Tallis Prelude Akey III 2 A Little Night and Day Music Adler III 1 Adagio for Winds DelBorgo III 1 Fantasy for Band Erickson III 1 Sonatina for Band Erickson III 1 Cumberland Cross Strommen III 1 Air de Sarabande G.F. Handel, arr. A. Reed III 0 Fantasy for Band Sheldon III 0 Old Scottish Melody Wiley III 0
121 Grade IV, Collegiate directors’ selections:
First Suite in Eb Holst IV 31____ Variations on a Korean Folk Song Chance IV 16 Folk Song Suite Vaughan Williams IV 15____ Pageant Persichetti IV 15____ Scenes from the Louvre Dello Joio IV 10 Irish Tune from County Derry Grainger IV 9____ Chorale and Alleluia Hanson IV 9 ____ Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo M. Arnold, arr. Paynter IV 8____ Chorale and Shaker Dance Zdechlik IV 7____ The Soliltary Dancer W. Benson IV 6 Incantation and Dance Chance IV 6 Second Suite in F Holst IV 6____ Cajun Folk Songs Ticheli IV 6 Elegy for a Young American LoPresti IV 4 Psalm for Band Persichetti IV 3 Elegy Chance IV 2 Three Chorale Preludes Latham IV 2 Come, Sweet Death Bach, arr. A. Reed IV 2 Fantasia in G Major Bach, arr. Goldman/Leist IV 2 A Movement for Rosa Camphouse IV 2 Sea Songs Vaughan Williams IV 2 Variations on a Shaker Melody Copland IV 1 Shepherd’s Hey Grainger IV 1__ __ Allerseelen Strauss , arr. A. O. Davis IV 1 Rhosymedre Vaughan Williams IV 1 Kaddish McBeth IV 0____
122 Grade IV-High school directors’ selections:
First Suite in Eb Holst IV 36 Folk Song Suite Vaughan Williams IV 20 Variations on a Korean Folk Song Chance IV 19 Irish Tune from County Derry Grainger IV 18 Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo M. Arnold, arr. Paynter IV 18 Second Suite in F Holst IV 14 Chorale and Shaker Dance Zdechlik IV 12 Incantation and Dance Chance IV 11 Scenes from the Louvre Dello Joio IV 9 Pageant Persichetti IV 8 Cajun Folk Songs Ticheli IV 8 Chorale and Alleluia Hanson IV 6 A Movement for Rosa Camphouse IV 4 Psalm for Band Persichetti IV 4 The Soliltary Dancer W. Benson IV 3 Variations on a Shaker Melody Copland IV 2 Shepherd’s Hey Grainger IV 2 Sea Songs Vaughan Williams IV 2 Elegy Chance IV 1 Come, Sweet Death Bach, arr. A. Reed IV 1 Fantasia in G Major Bach, arr. Goldman/Leist IV 1 Elegy for a Young American LoPresti IV 1 Kaddish McBeth IV 1 Allerseelen Strauss, arr. A. O. Davis IV 1 Rhosymedre Vaughan Williams IV 1 Three Chorale Preludes Latham IV 0
123 Grade V, Collegiate directors selections: Symphony No.6 for Band Persichetti V 16 Variants on a Medieval Tune Dello Joio V 15 Suite Francaise Milhaud V 15 William Byrd Suite Jacob _ V 13 Trauersinfonie Wagner V 12 Chester Schuman V 10 George Washington Bridge Schuman V 9 The Leaves Are Falling Benson V 8 Colonial Song Grainger V 8 Toccata Marziale Vaughan Williams V 7 Divertimento for Band Persichetti V 6 La Fiesta Mexicana Reed, H.O. V 6 Blue Shades Ticheli V 6 Suite of Old American Dances Bennett V 5 Canzona Mennin V 5 Four Scottish Dances M. Arnold, arr. Paynter V 3 Armenian Dances, Part I Reed, A. V 3 Sketches on a Tudor Psalm Tull V 3 An Outdoor Overture Copland V 2 Heroes, Lost and Fallen Gillingham V 2 Country Band March Ives, arr. Sinclair V 2 The Passing Bell Benson V 1 Hill Song #2 Grainger V 1 Variations on America Ives, arr.Schuman/Rhoads V 1 Third Suite Jager V 1 Russian Christmas Music Reed,A. V 1
124 Grade V, High school directors’ selections: Chester Schuman V 19 Armenian Dances, Part I Reed, A. V 18 William Byrd Suite Jacob _ V 18 Suite of Old American Dances Bennett V 14 Four Scottish Dances M. Arnold, arr. Paynter V 11 Variants on a Medieval Tune Dello Joio V 10 Blue Shades Ticheli V 10 La Fiesta Mexicana Reed, H.O. V 10 Divertimento for Band Persichetti V 8 George Washington Bridge Schuman V 8 Toccata Marziale Vaughan Williams V 7 Symphony No.6 for Band Persichetti V 7 Third Suite Jager V 6 Suite Francaise Milhaud V 6 Sketches on a Tudor Psalm Tull V 6 Colonial Song Grainger V 6 Variations on America Ives, arr.Schuman/Rhoads V 5 Canzona Mennin V 5 Trauersinfonie Wagner V 4 An Outdoor Overture Copland V 3 Russian Christmas Music Reed, A. V 3 The Leaves Are Falling Benson V 2 Heroes, Lost and Fallen Gillingham V 1 Hill Song #2 Grainger V 1 Country Band March Ives, arr. Sinclair V 1 The Passing Bell Benson V 0
125 Grade VI, Collegiate directors’ selections: Lincolnshire Posy Grainger VI 31 Symphony in Bb Hindemith VI 29 Music for Prague 1968 Husa VI 23 Emblems Copland VI 16 Sinfonietta Dahl VI 15 Hammersmith Holst VI 11 . . . and the mountains rising nowhere Schwanter VI 10 The Winds of Nagual Colgrass VI 6 Theme and Variations Schoenberg VI 6 Symphony No. 3 Gianinni VI 5 Sounds, Shapes, and Symbols Bassett VI 3 Dionnysiaques Schmitt VI 3 A Child’s Garden of Dreams Maslanka VI 2 El Salon Mexico Copland VI 1 Three City Blocks Harbison VI 1 Rocky Point Holiday Nelson VI 1 Festive Overture Shostakovich, arr. HunsbergerVI 1 Postcard Ticheli VI 1
126 Grade VI, High School directors’ selections:
Lincolnshire Posy Grainger VI 36 Symphony in Bb Hindemith VI 24 Music for Prague 1968 Husa VI 20 Festive Overture Shostakovich, arr. HunsbergerVI 19 Rocky Point Holiday Nelson VI 18 Hammersmith Holst VI 15 . . . and the mountains rising nowhere Schwanter VI 8 El Salon Mexico Copland VI 7 Emblems Copland VI 6 Sinfonietta Dahl VI 6 Theme and Variations Schoenberg VI 6 Symphony No. 3 Gianinni VI 6 Postcard Ticheli VI 5 The Winds of Nagual Colgrass VI 2 A Child’s Garden of Dreams Maslanka VI 2 Dionnysiaques Schmitt VI 2 Sounds, Shapes, and Symbols Bassett VI 0 Three City Blocks Harbison VI 0
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APPENDIX F
ADDITIONAL REPERTOIRE RECOMMENDED BY SURVEY RESPONDENTS
128 Blessed Are They, Johannes Brahms, arr. Buehlman (III)
Symphony No. 1 “In Memoriam Dresden,” Daniel Bukvich (V)
Urban Requiem, Michael Colgrass (VI)
Celebration Overture, Paul Creston (VI)
Niagara Falls, Michael Daugherty (VI)
Do Not Go Gentle Unto That Good Night, Elliott Del Borgo (IV)
Satiric Dances, Norman Dello Joio (IV)
Symphony No. 1 “Lord of the Rings,” Johann de Meij (V)
Crystals, Thomas Duffy (III)
Toccata for Band, Frank Erickson (IV)
Toccata, Frescobaldi (IV)
Symphony for Band, Morton Gould (VI)
J’ai ete au bal, Donald Grantham (VI)
Southern Harmony, Donald Grantham (V)
Little English Suite, Clare Grundman (III)
On A Hymn Song of Philip Bliss, David Holsinger (III)
Liturgical Dances, David Holsinger (V)
Symphony No. 4, Alan Hovhaness (V)
Old Home Days, Charles Ives (IV)
American Overture, William Jenkins (IV)
Circuits, Cindy McTee (V)
Soundings, Cindy McTee (V)
Trittico, Vaclav Nelhybel (V)
129 Passacaglia on BACH, Ron Nelson (VI)
Fiesta del Pacifico, Roger Nixon (V)
Carmina Burana, Carl Orff, arr. Krance (V)
Epincion, John Paulson (V)
Divertimento, Vincent Persichetti (V)
Masquerade, Vincent Persichetti (V)
Festival Prelude, Alfred Reed (IV)
Blue Dawn Into White Heat, Gunther Schuller (V)
Declaration Overture, Claude T. Smith (III)
Emperata Overture, Claude T. Smith (IV)
Incidental Suite, Claude T. Smith (IV)
Two Pieces in Folk Song Style, Hugh Stuart (III)
Pineapple Poll Suite, Arthur Sullivan (V)
Puzta, Jan van der Roost (IV)
Symphony No. 1 “Shaker Life”, Dan Welcher (VI)
Ghost Train, Eric Whitacre (V)
October, Eric Whitacre (IV)
Caccia and Chorale, Clifton Williams (IV)
Dedicatory Overture, Clifton Williams (IV)
Fanfare and Allegro, Clifton Williams (IV)
Symphonic Dance No. 3, Clifton Williams (IV)
Piece of Mind, Dana Wilson (VI)
Night Dances, Bruce Yurko (IV)
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APPENDIX G
PARTICIPATING DIRECTORS
131
PARTICIPATING COLLEGIATE DIRECTORS: James Arrowood, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Terry Austin, Virginia Commonwealth University Suzanne Bannister, Western Washington University Harry Begian, University of Illinois William Berz, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey John Climer, Ohio University James Copenhaver, University of South Carolina Susan Creasap, Morehead State University Dennis Fisher, University of North Texas Mark Fonder, Ithaca College Tom Frashcillo, University of Southern Mississippi Richard Floyd, University of Texas Cheryl Fryer, Cameron University Dennis Glocke, Penn State University Robert Grechesky, Butler University Michael Haithcock, University of Michigan William Hall, Dana University Larry Harper, Carroll College Linda Hartley, University of Dayton Gary Hill, Arizona State University Shelly Jagow, Wright State University Thomas Lee, University of California, Los Angeles John Lynch, University of Kansas James Keene, University of Illinois Richard Mayne, University of Northern Colorado Matthew McInturf, Sam Houston State University Russel Mikkelson, The Ohio State University Brad McDavid, University of Washington Sarah McKoin, University of Missouri, Kansas City
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Bruce Moss, Bowling Green State University Erica Neidlinger, University of Omaha Steve Peterson, Ithaca College Robert Ponto, University of Oregon James Popejoy, University of North Dakota Stephen Pratt, Indiana University Jeffrey Renshaw, University of Connecticut Timothy Rhea, Texas A & M University Tim Salzman, University of Washington Dwight Satterwhite, University of Georgia Gary Sousa, University of Tennessee Gary Stith, Houghton College Richard Suk, Ohio University Mallory Thompson, Northwestern University Frank Tracz, Kansas State University David Waybright, University of Florida Rodney Winther, University of Cincinnati Jim Worman, Trinity University
PARTICIPATING HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTORS:
Brian Anderson, Fremont High School, Fremont, Nebraska Tom Barker, Lafayette Jefferson High School, Lafayette, Indiana Mark Berntson, West Fargo High School, Fargo, North Dakota Eugene Bohland, Sylvania Northview High School, Sylvania, Ohio Byron Braasch, Bellevue West High School, Bellevue, Nebraska Charles Brown, Central Gwinnett High School, Lawrenceville, Georgia Dick Clardy, Klein High School, Klein, Texas Lafe Cook, Dobyns Bennett High School, Kingsport, Tennessee Randall Fillmore, Salina High School South, Salina, Kansas Johnny Folsom, Cairo High School, Cairo, Georgia 133
Patrick Flynn, Portage Central High School, Portage, Michigan Rudy Gilbert, Norcross High School, Norcross, Georgia Ann Goodwin, Park Hill High School, Kansas City, Missouri James Hannah, Plano West Senior High School, Plano, Texas Robert F. Hastings, Klein Oak High School, Spring, Texas Edward J. Huttlin, Fargo South High School, Fargo, North Dakota Heath Jones, Sumter High School, Sumter, South Carolina Scott A. Jones, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota Michael Kaufman, Grand Ledge High School, Grand Ledge, Michigan Ross Kellan, Glenbard East High School, Lombard, Illinois Craig Ketels, Lewis Palmer High School, Monument, Colorado Mark Lane, Heritage High School, Vancouver, Washington Paul Nickolas, Sam Barlow High School, Gresham, Oregon Kevin Paustien, Auburn, Washington Ronald H. Polancich, York Community High School, Elmhurst, Illinois Vince Polce, Defiance High School, Defiance, Ohio Mark Provost, Oconee High School, Oconee, Georgia Jeff Shellhammer, Gahanna Lincoln High School, Gahanna, Ohio Matt Shepherd, Millard North High School, Omaha, Nebraska Chris Smith, Massillon Washington High School, Massillon, Ohio Richard Tengowski, Kohler Public Schools, Kohler, Wisconsin Paul Tomlin, Clearview Regional High School, Mullica Hill, New Jersey Warren Torns, Mt. Carmel High School, San Diego, California Tim Siess, Mountain View High School, Vancouver, Washington W. L. Whaley, Pomona High School, Arvada, Colorado Bruce Yurko, Cherry Hill East High School, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
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APPENDIX H
PERMISSION TO CITE AND INCLUDE HOWARD STUDY RESEARCH
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April 20, 2004
Carol Hayward College of Musical Arts Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio
Dear Ms. Hayward:
You are welcome to use any portions of my doctoral dissertation, to which I hold the copyright, entitled Repertoire Selection Practices and the Development of a Core Repertoire for the Middle School Concert Band, dated December 2001, as you prepare your own dissertation document. You may use my repertoire lists as well. Please, of course, cite the reference according to the proper standards of your department and your school.
Sincerely,
Ronald L. Howard, Ph.D. Atlanta International School 2890 North Fulton Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30305 (404) 841-3840 X218
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APPENDIX I
RESEARCH COMPLIANCY DOCUMENTS
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139
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