Major Scales

Music revolves around scales. They make up everything and it is impossible to not use them. There are many types of scales such as major, minor, melodic, harmonic, and more. In this blog, I will be discussing the importance of the 12 major scales.

The 12 major scales include C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, G, D, A, E, B, and F#. Each scale contains a different series of notes starting with the name of the scale. There are five flat scales, six sharp scales, and C, which contains all natural notes. Every piece of music is written in a certain key, which is the same thing as a scale. This determines what notes everyone will play. Each key sounds slightly different, giving each piece of music a unique sound.

It is very important to memorize all 12 major scales if you want to become a serious musician. Music is created by simply developing relationships between notes. Once you reach the point where you can look at a piece of music and analyze the relationships between notes, everything immediately becomes much easier. Instead of seeing random notes, you can see how the notes fit together and are the role they play in the relationships. This is why the major scales are so important to music.

Dancing

I recently viewed a video that illustrated cartoon birds dancing to a classical overture and I was highly amused by it. Typically I associate dancing with more modern, hip-hop music. However, this video opened my eyes and made me remember that dancing is not exclusive and it can be done using any kind of music.

Dictionary.com defines dancing as "to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music". I think this is an excellent definition. Dancing can be done with or without music, but I personally find it more effective with music. Dancing, just like music, is an art. It can be used to express actions or emotions that are difficult to express using other forms of communication. While it can be used to express, dancing can also be more informal and it can be performed simply for the pleasure or enjoyment of oneself or others.

As in the video of the birds dancing to the classical overture, dancing can be used to help illustrate music. Music stimulates the auditory senses and systems of the brain. Dancing adds another element to this and stimulates the visual senses and system of the brain as well. Engaging multiple areas of the brain is much more exciting and beneficial than just stimulating one or two. I believe this is why many people enjoy going to see ballets or other types of dancing shows or performances. I enjoy going to see performances like those as well because they are very entertaining and they do indeed stimulate many areas of my brain.

I would like to recommend that everyone consider going to a dancing performance or show sometime soon. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it!

High School vs. College Marching Band

Marching band is very different in college than it is in high school. There are many who say college marching band is much harder, but there are also some who disagree and say high school marching is far more difficult. I am only a junior in high school, so I have not experienced college marching band yet and I do not know what it is like from personal experience. However, I would say that both are difficult in different ways.

Learning music is much easier in high school marching band in my opinion. Generally, there is one show throughout the season that the band will perform at games and competitions. The students only have to learn one set of music and they will continue to perfect it throughout the season. The music is often passed out sometime during August during band camp and it is pretty well learned by the first competition. College marching bands, however, have a large variety of shows they perform throughout the season. Each week, new music is passed out and a different show is performed at the football games. This is not as difficult though because the college students have the ability to perform using music. There are little contraptions called lyres designed specifically for each instrument that you can put music into and attach to your instrument. Almost all the members of the band use lyres and can read the music as they perform. Not being required to memorize new music every week takes lots of pressure off of the players. They still have to work very hard and practice the music, though. Overall, despite having the ability to perform using music, I think learning a new set of music each week is harder than learning one set for the entire season.

The drill in high school has different difficulty levels depending on the skill level of the band. Some high schools marching bands have very simple, easy drill whereas others have complicated, complex drill that is very impressive when executed well. Like the music, high school bands only learn one set of drill throughout the whole season. Since they have many different shows throughout the season, college marching bands also have many different sets of drill to fit the show. Unlike the music, however, the students cannot read drill as they are marching. This means they have to memorize the new drill each week. The drill in college marching band is much easier because of this. The band often moves very little and stands in one place while playing. This lightens the load on the players. I think the drill is  about equally as difficult at the high school and college levels. This depends on the high school, but generally they have more complicated drill. College bands have easier drill, but they also have to learn new drill every week. Therefore, it is hard to tell which level of band has a higher difficulty level regarding drill.

The time commitment for college marching band is far greater than that of high school. Most college bands rehearse around three hours a day throughout the season. Keep in mind, the marching season for college is much longer than that of high school. They typically do not participate in competitions, but the bands have to play for all the football games, both home and away. The games take a large amount of time out of each day. The time spent rehearsing outside of the school day for high school marching band varies, but it typically is not as demanding as the time commitment for college. My band only rehearsed for two nights a week during marching season, each being three hours. High school bands in my region generally only send the band to home football games, which are much shorter than college games. We simply have to play our show during halftime and sit for the rest of the time playing pep band tunes. However, high school bands participate in competitions. Most competitions run for half a day, usually on a Saturday. This is still less than college football games. Therefore, the time commitment is far greater for marching band at the college level.

I enjoy watching both high school and college marching bands and I like assessing the differences between them. It is fun to watch both types and learn from them.

Judging Marching Band Competitions

Many marching bands go to competitions to perform their show and be judged and ranked against other bands. The rules and scoring guidelines vary from competition to competition, but they are similar across the country. Similarly, the judges are all different, so all the rules are interpreted differently. Despite these variations, there are some basic guidelines that all judges generally follow when judging marching band shows.

The number of judges depends on the individual competition, but there are usually at least five. These include judges for colorguard, percussion, marching and maneuvering (M&M), music execution, and general effect (GE). Each category has an individual score that contributes to the total, which is added up to rank and place the bands. Each score is important and contributes to the total score, so it is not a good idea to neglect a certain category and focus too much on another. 

The first two categories are pretty self explanatory. There is a judge who watches and analyzes the colorguard only. This judge is typically on the field with the guard. He or she watches many things such as the complexity of the work, the quality at which it is performed, the basics of colorguard technique, and much more. This judge can comment on other aspects of the performance, but they are supposed to mainly focus on the colorguard. There is also an individual judge who judges the percussion sections, which include the drumline and front ensemble, or pit. This judge is also on the field and has to run back and forth between the front sideline to listen to the pit and the back of the field, which is typically where the drumline is written into the drill. The judge analyzes things such as how well the pit and drumline are lining up, how well they are lining up with the band, how the percussion music complements the music the winds are playing, the complexity of the music, and more. These two categories are specialized, but they still contribute to the overall score and are important.

The next two categories being judged are labeled marching and maneuvering and music execution. These judges are also on the field with the band. The M&M judge focuses on the marching of the band. He or she watches both the group as a whole and specific individuals. This judge comments on marching style, whether individuals are marching in time, upper body orientation, intervals and spacing, and more. Like the colorguard and percussion judges, this judge is free to comment on other aspects of the performance but they usually stick to their assigned area, which would be marching. The music execution judge can also focus on individuals or the sound the group is producing as a whole. This judge walks around and listens to everyone, so they can point out people who are not playing and dock points because of that. He or she also listens to the sound the group is putting out from the field. This does not sound as good as it does in the stands, but the judge can still determine whether it is quality music or not.

The final judge that most competitions have is the general effect judge. This judge sits up in the press box so he or she can observe the performance from above. He or she is free to comment on every aspect of the show. This judge analyzes how the show comes across to the audience, how effective the music and drill are, and how everything works together. All of these judges are very important and play a crucial role in the placement of the bands.

The Radio

I have never used the old, clunky, beat up radio that sits in my basement before. I'm sure once upon a time it was used quite frequently, but I do not even know how to turn it on. Nowadays everyone simply uses their phone or MP3 player for music. Old fashioned radios are very rare and not likely to be seen in homes. However, many people still use radios every day, just in different forms.

Many people listen to the radio in their car every day on the way to work or school or wherever they are going. In most car radios, there are two settings: AM radio and FM radio. AM radio typically refers to talk show radio stations that you can listen to in the car. FM, on the other hand, consists of music stations, though they may have some talking as well. Of course, there are commercials on both settings, so that adds extra talking no one usually wants to listen to. Listening to the radio while driving is relaxing or entertaining for most people, which is why they turn it on in the first place. Personally, I do not mind driving in silence. However, sometimes I turn on the radio to listen to music as background noise while I am driving places. I generally turn the radio off if there are other people in the car, though.

Similarly, many people listen to music on their phones to provide entertainment for themselves. Some simply buy music from the iTunes store to listen to at their leisure. I think that most people simply use an app to listen to music, though. Common music apps include Pandora, Spotify, and SoundCloud. It may seem obvious, but when using these apps they are pulling different songs from different radio stations. This means that you are indeed using a radio when you use these apps to listen to music, even though it is on your phone.

There are hundreds of different stations and genres on the radio, such as pop, jazz, hip-hop, rap, classical, blues, and so much more. There is a type of music for everyone to listen to thanks to the many radio stations that exist. If you have not found a type of music you enjoy listening to, you simply have not been looking hard enough. Next time you pull out your phone, try going through some of the different music apps so you can browse through the vast amount of stations. I hope you find a type of music you enjoy!

Performance at Valley

Every year, my high school marching band wraps up the competitive season at the Valley MarchMasters Competition. This is the competition we aim to do our absolute best at. We hope that our performance at Valley is the peak of our season. This year, it certainly was. We finished at fourth place out of fourteen, the highest Kennedy has placed in at least a decade. The performance was absolutely spectacular and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Earlier that morning, our band participated in the State Marching Band Contest. This is not a competition, but rather we are judged against ourselves. Band can earn one of three scores: Division I, II, or III. Division I is the highest and Division III is the lowest. As usual, we secured a Division I rating with ease. Then we loaded the buses and departed on the two hour trip to West Des Moines Valley High School.

It has been freezing every year that I can remember at Valley, but this year it was not too bad. This was the first good sign. We warmed up the band and had an inspiring pep talk from the directors. I could tell the band was going to play very well the moment we stepped on the track. The music sounded excellent and all the things we pounded on the entire season was fixed. The drill was clean and crisp. I couldn't help but smile as the band played the show.

When we lined up for awards, the other drum major and I patiently waited to hear our name being announced. We waited and waited, while many other bands were placed below ours. Finally, our biggest rival, Washington, placed fifth. We were in shock. We had never placed higher than Wash before. Our school name was announced next in fourth place. It was and extremely emotional experience.

I am so proud of how far the band has come this season and I absolutely cannot wait for what is in store for us next year!

What is Music?

Music is an art form, social activity or cultural activity whose medium is sound and silence. The common elements of music are pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture (which are sometimes referred to as the "color" of a musical sound). Different styles or types of music may emphasize, de-emphasize or omit some of these elements. Music is performed with a vast range of instruments and with vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping, and there are solely instrumental pieces and solely vocal pieces and pieces that combine singing and instruments. In its most general form the activities describing music as an art form include the production of works of music, the criticism of music, the study of the history of music, and the aesthetic examination of music. 

Taking Care of Your Instrument

Taking care of your instrument is extremely important. Failing to treat it properly can result in many consequences. The instrument could be damaged severely or it could fail to play with the same quality it once did. These problems waste both time and money spent to repair the instrument. Instead, it is easier to simply treat the instrument well and make sure it is always in the best condition possible.

One of the worst possible things you can do is drop your instrument. Sometimes, nothing happens and you can get away with it. However, sometimes dropping the instrument causes permanent damage unless fixed. Dents are very common in younger musicians' instruments because they are more likely to drop them or bang them against a chair or stand. The dents are not only ugly, but they can also affect the quality of the sound the instrument produces. They decrease the value of the instrument as well, which is not good if you are looking to sell it later on. Simply keeping a good, strong hold on your instrument and not dropping it saves you much stress and hassle.

Being sensitive to the weather is also vital in taking care of your instrument. This applies more to woodwind instruments than brass. Many woodwind instruments such as clarinets, oboes, and bassoons are made out of wood, hence the name woodwind. Wood does not do well in extreme temperatures. Leaving a woodwind instrument outside or in a car when it is too hot or too cold can result in major damage. This is because the temperatures cause the wood to expand and contract, leading to the risk of the wood cracking. Rain is also very harmful to wood instruments. It is necessary to keep the instrument dry at all costs. It is important to always take your instrument inside with you and never leave outside unattended.

Another thing you can do to keep your instrument in tip-top condition is to swab it or clean it out after every playing session. Again, this is more important to woodwind players. Brass players can simply open a little button where all the spit collects and empty it out that way. For the same reason rain is bad for wood instruments, it is not good to let water or spit sit in the instrument. The water drains the moisture from the wood and dries it out, which can also lead to cracking. Many people only swab their instrument about once every three to four times they play, but I prefer to be safe so I swab my oboe every single time I play.

When I was in seventh grade, my private lesson teacher and I decided it was time for me to purchase a professional wood oboe. I took care of it the best I knew how, but it still cracked within the first few months of its purchase. I never left my oboe in the car or walked outside with it not in its case. I swabbed it every single time I played and never dropped it. This crack was not my fault though. My new oboe arrived during winter, which is a horrible time to break in a new instrument. Breaking in a new oboe is already very risky, so the weather did not help any. Both of these elements helped factor the crack in my oboe. Despite taking such good care of my instrument, it still cracked. It is important to know that accidents can still happen even if you treat your instrument properly. However, you should still always make your best effort to care for your instrument.

Disney World "You're Instrumental" Workshop

Last March my high school band took a Spring Break trip to Walt Disney World. While most of the days were spent riding rollercoasters or lounging on beaches, we also performed in Florida. Disney offers many classes and workshops for performing arts. The workshop my band participated in is called the "You're Instrumental" Workshop. We were given the chance to experience what it is like recording music for a movie or TV show.

Only the best of the best are hired to play in studio recording bands for movies. These musicians must be very trained at sight-reading. Sight-reading is when you are playing a piece of music for the first time and you have never seen it before. It is a hard skill to practice, so many musicians either have it or they don't. Bands that record music for movies do not get together and practice often. In fact, they do not get together to practice at all before the day of the recording. The musicians come in and rehearse the music once or twice and then they record it. This is why sight-reading is such an important skill. The music is not given to the performers before the day of the recording, so they do not have a chance to practice it at all before coming together with the rest of the band.

Through Disney's "You're Instrumental" Workshop, my band experienced what it was like working under these conditions. When we walked into the room many chairs were set up with signs indicating where each instrument section should sit. The director running our workshop introduced himself and gave a brief talk once we were settled. For the first hour and a half, we ran through five or six well-known tunes from popular Disney movies. We only played each song three times at most, so things moved along fairly quickly. In between reps of each song, the director pointed out four or five things that we should focus on and try to improve for the next run through. After the first half of the workshop we took a short break. Upon returning, the director announced the selection we would be recording to sync up with a clip from a Disney movie. We would be playing a scene from "The Lion King" in which Simba ventures down into the gorge and the buffalo start to stream in. We rehearsed the piece around four times and it improved each time. Finally, once the director was pleased with a recording, the professionals played the clip up on a projector with our music in the background. The recording sounded great and it was very fun to make. To my pleasure, every participant was sent home with a copy of the clip. The workshop was extremely entertaining and helped many students understand what it was like being a professional recording musician.

If you are interested in taking your band to a Disney's "You're Instrumental" Workshop, check out this page: http://www.disneyyouth.com/our-programs/performing-arts/sp/workshops/program/dpa-workshops-youre-instrumental-wdw/#categories-workshops.

Performing in a Pit Orchestra

Playing in a pit orchestra in a musical is far different from any other type of performance I have been a part of. While it might seem tough at first, it is very fun and rewarding.

My first experience performing in a pit orchestra was performing the musical Jekyll and Hyde. I absolutely loved the music and I had a great time playing. It also helped that the cast and crew were fantastic and did an amazing job making the show come to life. I think Jekyll and Hyde will always be my favorite musical. It was such a great exposure to the world of pit orchestras.

Music in a musical pit is quite different from regular band music. It is typically the same for brass instruments, but there are not certain books for specific woodwind instruments. Instead, the books are simply labeled Reed 1, Reed 2, Reed 3, and so on. Rather than playing one instrument, the musicians playing the different Reed books are usually asked to play multiple instruments. For example, on the first song the Reed 2 book may be marked as clarinet music, but on the third song it may be marked as oboe music. This means the players will have to switch instruments between tunes. Woodwind musicians hoping to be hired to play in a professional musical have a higher chance of being selected if they are capable of playing more than one instrument.

Playing in a musical pit is also much more exposed than playing in a regular concert band. There are typically only one to two players for each instrument with one player on a part if there is more than one part. In order to sound good everyone must play with lots of confidence and no hesitation. There is no place to hide in a pit orchestra. I find it easiest to think of everything I play as a solo. Playing in a pit orchestra is vastly different from other types of performances, but it is equally fun.

Iowa All-State Auditions

For most high school students involved in music, all-state is a huge deal. The All-State Band and Orchestras are composed of the best of the best players in the state. The competition is cutthroat. With all-state auditions right around the corner in less than a month, I think it is a good time to explain exactly what it takes to be a part of one of these outstanding ensembles.

There are three parts to the all-state audition: a solo, two etudes, and scales. Each year students are asked to choose a minute to minute and a half excerpt from a solo to perform for the judge. The solo is always performed first, so it is extremely important that it be very solid. It needs to be especially good because it is the first thing you will play when you walk into the room, so it serves as a first impression for the judge. No matter how good anything else sounds, if you walk in and play your solo poorly, the chances of getting selected are very low.

The next portion of the audition is the etudes. Each year two etudes are selected from a specific book for the all-state auditions. Typically there will be one fast and one slow etude chosen to give players a chance to show off both aspects of their playing. It is important for musicians to have the ability to play both technically and beautifully at different tempos.

The final section of the auditions is arguably the most important: scales. Scales are said to be the things that either make or break your audition. There are twelve major scales total that must be memorized and played at a certain tempo. However, you only play three scales in the audition. Each student walks in and picks up a card that has two scales written on it. These are the two scales that are performed in the audition. The third is the player's choice scale. Everyone is given the opportunity to play their favorite scale that they feel most comfortable with for the judge. If your choice scale is written on the card you select, however, you cannot play that scale again as your choice scale. This is why it is important to have a number two choice scale. Some instructors even say to have a third just in case both of your choice scales are written on the card you choose. The last scale performed in the audition is the chromatic scale. The chromatic scale consists of every note you are capable of playing on your instrument; from the lowest to the absolute highest and back down. In order to make it into all-state, your scales must be near perfect.

This is my third year auditioning for all-state and I feel more prepared than I ever have. I hope all my hard work pays off and I am given the opportunity to play in one of these outstanding all-state ensembles.

Life as a Professional Musician

Many young children dream of becoming professional sports players, firefighters, or astronauts when they grow up. But how often do you hear them saying they dream of becoming a professional musician? The answer is not very often. It is extremely hard to strive in the area of music. The truly gifted soar to fame and are asked to perform at every high class event, while the rest fight viciously for a lowly spot at the local bar. Despite the constant stress and struggles, somehow there are many people who are willing to accept the difficult lifestyle of becoming a musician.

There is no doubt money is a major issue. It is sometimes hard to get by as a musician because often times there is not a stable source of income. Landing a seat in a band or orchestra is ideal, but that does not always happen as planned. Players may jump around from gig to gig taking whatever they can get their hands on. Many college students aspiring to perform as an occupation are faced with a shocking realization somewhere along the way: it is going to be really, really hard to succeed. However, a simple solution to this problem can be found. Many professional musicians decide to also take up another job related to music. These could include becoming a band instructor, teaching private lessons, or working in an instrument repair business. By taking up another job, musicians are able to feel more secure regarding money. Unfortunately, having another job does not allow for as much freedom as some would like. Musicians are no longer able to completely devote themselves to performing and finding opportunities to play. Despite this, happiness can still be found through these other occupations. The truly dedicated also find time to perform no matter how busy they are.

Music has the capacity to bring joy to everyone, whether it be through performing or teaching. Performing for others creates a special and unique feeling of connection amongst the performer and the audience. They may have never met before and may not ever meet again, but there is still a connection between them because of the music. Similarly, a special bond is created between a teacher and student. Giving someone the tools and instruction to succeed is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Knowing that you helped someone and shaped his or her life in some way feels great. Life as a professional musician can be very difficult, but it can also be pretty wonderful, if you choose to make it that way.