Teaching Collegiate Trombone Or, what I did anyway… Marta Jean Hofacre 2 Teaching Collegiate Trombone Or, what I did anyway… By Marta Jean Hofacre © 2002 Marta Jean Hofacre Hattiesburg, MS 39406 USA All Rights Reserved 3 4 Dedication This book could not have been compiled without the help of my students that have taught me how to teach over the years. It could not have been compiled without the help of all the teachers and/or performers who, in master classes, clinic sessions, and performances I attended gave me ideas and materials. It could not have been compiled without the guidance of my own teachers who exemplified the art of teaching and were my role models (Carl Goudy, Lloyd Ringley, David Glasmire, Glenn Smith, and especially Irvin Wagner and his philosophies). It could not have been compiled without the support of The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), which gambled on a twenty-six year old and kept me while I learned to teach. It could not have been as happily compiled without the support of my colleagues, Jay Dean (Director of Orchestral Activities), Tom Fraschillo (Director of Bands), Steven Moser (Associate Director of Bands), Gary Adam (Assistant Director of Bands), and Larry Panella (Jazz Program Director). These people kept assuring me I knew how to teach and often showcased the results of that teaching on their ensemble concerts. Of course, this book would not have been compiled without the lifelong support of my parents who were so refreshingly naïve that they never even imagined a trombonist of the feminine gender would have difficulty getting a job in the 1970s. I am thankful that my mother passed on to me her dogged determination and tenacity, and my father, his sense of humor. All three traits were crucial in the pursuit of this career. 5 6 Acknowledgements Special thanks to Mississippi native, Will Jayroe, for his wonderful cover art and to Jon Lindsey of The University of Louisiana – Monroe, for his meticulous proofreading. 7 8 Table of Contents Dedication..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................................... 7 Introduction, Explanations, and Excuses.................................................................................................. 11 Teaching Applied Trombone .................................................................................................................... 13 Course Syllabus for Applied Trombone .............................................................................................. 15 Sample Trombone Studio Record ........................................................................................................ 18 Sample Brass Jury Comment Sheet ..................................................................................................... 19 Sample Jury Record For Student File .................................................................................................. 20 Sample Concentration Approval Form ................................................................................................ 22 Top Ten USM Trombone Studio Excuses........................................................................................... 23 Tenor Trombone Daily Routine................................................................................................................ 24 Bass Trombone Daily Routine .................................................................................................................. 28 Tenor and Bass Trombone Etude Books .................................................................................................. 32 Alto, Tenor and Bass Trombone Solos..................................................................................................... 37 Trombone Choir......................................................................................................................................... 43 Course Syllabus for Trombone Choir .................................................................................................. 45 Annotated List of Trombone Ensemble Music.................................................................................... 47 Jazz Trombone Ensemble Literature.................................................................................................... 86 Quick Index to Annotated Trombone Ensemble Literature by Number of Parts.............................. 90 Undergraduate and Graduate Level Trombone Literature and Pedagogy Courses ............................... 94 Undergraduate Trombone Pedagogy Course....................................................................................... 95 Graduate Trombone Pedagogy Course ................................................................................................ 97 Undergraduate Trombone Literature Course..................................................................................... 102 Graduate Trombone Literature Course .............................................................................................. 107 Bibliographies to Accompany Literature and Pedagogy Courses.................................................... 110 Brass Research Bibliography--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110 Brass History Bibliography----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110 Brass Literature Bibliography-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117 Brass Pedagogy Bibliography-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123 Brass Periodicals----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 131 Trombone Websites ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 133 About the Author ..................................................................................................................................... 134 Appendix A .............................................................................................................................................. 136 Teaching Philosophy........................................................................................................................... 136 Educational Philosophy....................................................................................................................... 136 9 10 Introduction, Explanations, and Excuses You will quickly notice that this book is not written in Turabian or MLA format. I read enough dissertations during my teaching career. I threw the rules out the window and simply talked to you as I wrote. Most of the time my stream of consciousness can get the grammar and syntax correct, but don’t bet on a perfect score. At first I tried writing in the present tense. It didn’t seem to work very well. So, I changed to past tense especially in cases where I talked about my own teaching. That didn’t seem quite right either so I simply flipped a coin and past tense won. In using past tense it at least gives the impression this book will still be around when I’m gone (retired or dead, whichever comes first). I didn’t italicize foreign language musical terms like basso or ossia. A musicologist told me that it is most proper to italicize on first usage any foreign language word that cannot be found in a standard English dictionary. We’re all musicians and any musical terms I used are regular words in our personal standard English dictionaries. I suppose, philosophically, this book is a waste of time because no teacher can teach like another. I firmly believed the effectiveness of teaching is strictly based on each teacher’s personality and how that personality relates to the age group of students he/she teaches. There is no other person with my personality (I’ll pause here so that those who know me well can give thanks). My rapport with my students was just that – mine. Also, I accompanied my students on their juries and recitals. I did a great deal of my teaching from the piano, especially expression, phrasing and intonation. In that way, my teaching related to no other trombone teacher I knew. That having been said, the point of this book is to give another teacher some ideas. Take whatever you find interesting within it (especially now that I’ve taken copyrighted material of other publishers our of it) and apply it to your own teaching. Change it in whatever way you like as long as you can make it work with your style of teaching. This compilation grew out of a clinic session I presented at the 1998 International Trombone Festival entitled “Scavenger Teaching.” I sincerely doubt that I had one single original pedagogical idea because when I sat down and thought about what I used in my teaching, I could trace everything to another source. The most highly conscientious effort was made to give credit where credit was due. This book is based on teaching at a state university and not a conservatory. Sometimes the quality of the students in my studio depended on how much scholarship money was available. Because my university students came from extremely varied situations throughout the region, my studio could have freshmen playing as well as doctoral students. At the same time,