The Joys of the Beginning Band

Having taught music to all ages of students including older adults and small children, and having taught every type of music from folk songs to rock, sacred, contemporary, art, experimental, and having used a wide variety of resources including theory, history, recordings, power point, visual aid, and models of excellence, and having been personally rewarded with watching and hearing success in terms of love of music and enjoyment of the musical experience, plus being involved in choral, instrumental, academic, and popular styles, I am concluding that of all these events, the greatest and most rewarding teaching occurs when guiding and directing a beginning band. Furthermore, beginning band epitomizes the value, purpose, and process of education by being a direct and ubiquitous example of growth, development, and product.

Rarely in the educational process is there a more stunning and dramatic occurrence than the improvement of a beginning band from the first day to the last. The learning of a musical instrument in a group setting is so pronounced, individually and collectively, that teachers and students alike find themselves on an adventure of affirmation and success. Not that all moments are like Disneyland, but taken as a whole, there are few educational experiences that can claim such obvious growth. Beginning with virtually no knowledge or ability, a student in a relatively short time, can make sounds, play notes, play songs, feel a musical phrase, read music, and have a powerful emotional connection to what it means to perform.

Driving through our fair city a couple of years ago, I was shocked to see that a local Sonic restaurant had disappeared. The day before it existed, but the next day it was gone, having been destructed and everything removed in a shocking example of efficiency and decision making. Even more stunning, however, was that about 2 weeks later, there stood another newer and improved Sonic in the same location! The system in place for creating a new Sonic is remarkable and demonstrates how goals and commitment can have quick and positive results.

Obviously, people do not suddenly become educated in a matter of days or weeks, and life-long learning cannot be capsulized nor described in terms of bricks and mortar, yet in many ways, a beginner band exemplifies the same creation and the process of a new Sonic. With resources and materials, a teacher has all the elements in front of him each to render a band that while questionable on day one, can be aesthetically and musically solid by the end of the school year. Like a building, a solid foundation, thorough adherence to excellence, and dedication to the process leads to objectives and outcomes that are both desirable and measurable. But the musical result is only part of the story.

The true rewards of the beginning band do not come from the concluding musical excellence alone, but rather from the joy and satisfaction that playing in a music ensemble produces. The old adage of "teach a child to blow a horn and he'll never blow a safe" is obviously simplistic and a gross generalization, but also, when considered symbolically, contains more than a grain of truth, for playing an instrument is so psychologically and emotionally fulfilling that it can focus attention on the benefits, the rewards of discipline, the gain of group excellence, the sense of belonging that a music ensemble provides. In many and sundry ways, playing in a band is a microcosm of the independent yet synchronized lives we lead.

Each person applies musical knowledge, skill, and sensitivity to the printed page to make music. But in an ensemble, the music that is made is full, complete, and includes all members, making the rewards feel team oriented and serving the greater good. The selfish application of excellence in an ensemble, can, when handled correctly, produce selfless outcomes. This teaches and embodies the concept of acting individually but thinking globally.

But even this idea does not tell the full story, for the story is really about the joy that both students and teachers experience on a daily basis. Teaching a group of students replete with eagerness and anticipation on what they can accomplish that day is the highest in affirmation for a teacher, and the rewards for such endeavors are infinite. That is why I loved my time teaching beginning band.