Performance:

Lower Brass

How to Train (or Tame)

Your Low Brass Section
A classroom management approach designed to facilitate musical growth
By Aaron Kennell

ave you heard the quote from Richard Strauss, Never look at the trombones; it only
encourages them? They say the frst year of teaching is the toughest but I would
argue any year teaching beginning low brass students can be brutal. Our trombone,

baritone, and tuba students are often the musicians who have an enthusiasm for gregarious
mischief keeping them engaged (and seated) can certainly be a challenge in itself. And teaching appropriate rehearsal strategies is only half the battle more importantly, we have to teach
them how to play their instruments with sensitivity and musicianship. Of course, not all low
brass musicians are troublemakers; many genuinely want to be strong musicians. And this is
great news because good band programs require a foundation made up of happy kids. Here are
a few suggestions that have shown to be helpful within my own ensembles.

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School Band & Orchestra June 2014

Lasting Impressions

bands might struggle with. The contest pieces that year included Blue Shades, October, and Easter Monday on the
White House Lawn. I spent the hour trying to motivate one
particular struggling student and his classmates to perform
the music at a higher level, heard improvement, and then
saw this student as an emotional wreck at the end of
the rehearsal. Then I realized the students ability to read music or not read music was
ultimately the teachers fault. My fault. I
felt terrible.

Take a moment and think about

all the teachers who stand out in your
memory. Perhaps they were incredibly
patient, gave great advice, or had a loving
demeanor. Sadly, I would bet some of you
also thought of a teacher or two who you absolutely
despised maybe this instructor humiliated students, showed
favoritism, lacked content knowledge of the class, or was just plain
old cruel. Either way, these teachers were people who made a
lasting impression on your life.
Its important to step back and think about how educators have
Fear as Motivation
infuenced you, because your teaching philosophy depends on it.
Fear is both an ugly and efective tool. One of the best things
I was lucky enough to grow up in a musical family both of my
about beginning band students is that they are fearless and
parents worked at the college level teaching music. My dad began
enthusiastic. If you ask them to count and clap rhythms loudly,
his career, like I have, teaching high school band. One of his veteran
sixth-grade trombone boys will shout the answers out loud because
mentors told him that everyone has two stages to their careers: in
they are generally competitive by nature. Of course, the students
the frst stage, everyone teaches exactly as they had been taught.
enthusiasm fuels two purposes: bravado and attention-seeking
In the second stage, instructors adjust their style based on other
behavior. And they dont like to look stupid in front of their buddies.
expert teachers theyve borrowed ideas from. The amount of time
Left uncorrected, this rowdy behavior can be a pain in a band
it takes teachers to move from stage one to stage two varies. Some
directors side. Once student behavior has gotten out of control, the
take years, decades, or even never make it to the second stage of
teacher may resort to tactics that will humiliate students in order
their teaching career, while
regain control of the class.
others move from one
And this use of creating
I start all of my beginning low brass
stage to the next in a matfear can be particularly
ter of hours.
efective
if
students
musicians on trombone partly because
This piece of knowlare not sure when they
my school does not have many secondary
edge completely changed
may be singled out and
the way in which I taught
embarrassed.
instruments available for student use.
my students. As a student
One example of the use
Right from the very beginning, the students
myself, I was a trombonist
of fear would be my weekly
who attended a summer
summer camp challenges.
who are interested in either baritone or
camp for several years and
As a student, I was expecttuba are exposed to the power of delayed
unintentionally had been
ed to learn and defend my
brought up largely to fear
chair against other tromgratification.
authority and band dibonists by preparing all of
rectors. For example, my
my music during a period
ensemble manager had very strict, militaristic rules. I dreaded atof about four days. The challenge could occur in any section of any
tending my highly competitive biweekly sectionals and challenges,
piece and this was a very efective tool at getting me to practice;
and swore to myself I would never teach the way I had been taught
however, it was also a very efective tool at getting me to be physbecause I didnt want my students to have the same type of fear of
ically ill whenever I walked from my rehearsal to my sectional lotheir instrument I had in the past.
cation.
I was unsuccessful despite all my best eforts. Straight out of college I found myself teaching all levels of public school band. What
Positive Alternatives
grade level and classes gave me the most problems in that frst
There are certainly more positive ways to run rehearsals. What
year? Sixth grade beginning trombone, baritone, and tuba by far!
causes the opposite feeling of fear? And what would that be?
I was more than 10 years removed from my own beginning band
Would it be considered happiness, tranquility, or something else?
experiences and I hadnt fully thought through the process of exOver experience and time, after attending numerous workshops,
plaining ideas that would be difcult for others yet easy for me.
reading about this subject, and conducting research, Ive come to
My largest frustrations came from the realization that my high
the conclusion that students can be pushed to learn out of desire
school trombonists couldnt read music well. At frst I assumed it
rather than fear. In order to create an atmosphere of respect and
was the students fault for not paying close enough attention to
patience, Ive developed a philosophy that is based on a calm
their previous instructor. I broke my promise to myself and found
classroom rather than a happy classroom. A calm classroom has a lot
myself using some of the same fear tactics that teachers had used
of structure in place: the procedures are practiced and understood,
on me. And I found some surprising results. One afternoon I was
there are rules and consequences for inappropriate behavior, and
working with the high schools top trombone section. This was
students are aware that learning is often a messy business. Its
an outstanding band; they were playing pieces that many college
important to note that calm classrooms are often also happy
June 2014 School Band & Orchestra

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Performance: Lower Brass

classrooms, but when the priority of the teacher is to
create a fun classroom, happy classrooms are not
always calm. This is not an easy atmosphere to
create, as young students often have difficulty
accepting the rewards of delayed gratification;
however, when students share the common
goal of musical achievement, it is much
easier to have a positive tone in the
classroom.

Developing Maturity

When youre the voice of reason

who reminds them of simple analogies, such as an airplane has to
fly very fast in order to gain altitude,
so I need you to increase your air speed in
order to play that high note, the students are
reminded that there is a scientific reason that
can explain what you want them to do. I teach
my low brass classes as much musical theory as possible during the first year because Im trying to create
autonomous musicians, not students who rely on me for
every bit of information they know. This helps immensely,
as students are able to transfer the knowledge of what they
understand to new principles and ideas, saving time later in
the school year. A strong foundation leads to a well-rounded
musician.

The secret to developing a mature

attitude comes from a love of sharing
music and teaching patience. I start all
of my beginning low brass musicians
on trombone partly because my
school does not have many secondary
instruments available for student
Facilitate Growth
use. Right from the very beginning,
Treat your students as young adults. Another way to think of
the students who are interested in either baritone or tuba
it would be to treat them as youd like to be treated. One of the
are exposed to the power of delayed gratifi-cation. To some
problems I encounter in my classroom is overly enthusiastic
degree, we are all guilty of knowing we love something when
students who want a chance to play a musical selection for
it is a brand new possibility,
me when another has been
even though in reality we are
unsuccessful. Ooh! Ooh! Pick
nave about the amount of
me! theyll say, shooting their
Calm classrooms are often also
work this new love will take.
hands in the air. I personally
happy classrooms, but when the
I inform the students of
would hate being allowed to
the requirements to be conquit at the first sign of trouble.
priority of the teacher is to create a
sidered for one of the auxiliaInstead of letting them play, I
ry instruments, and let them
ask my volunteers to describe
fun classroom, happy classrooms
know they will spend at least
what the performer did
are not always calm.
one semester purely learning
well and what they could
the trombone. This allows me
improve on. With this student
to focus on teaching a single
led feedback, the original
instrument rather than three concurrently, and also deterperformer always improves. Would you like to know what the
mine which students will be mature, intelligent, self-motivated
coolest feeling about that is? At that point, I know my students
learners. Along the way, I demonstrate professional models of
have truly grown.
what low brass musicians sound like in order to set an example for my students to emulate. And this last part is really imAaron Kennell currently serves as assistant
portant. My students are constantly reminded that they are on
band director at Plummer Middle School and
the right track in making approximations of those professional
Wilson Intermediate School, both of Aldine Inperformances.
dependent School District in Houston, Texas.
His duties include directing the Concert Band
and teaching beginning brass and percussion
Communication is Key
students. A graduate of Bowling Green State
Students need to be reminded why theyre doing what
University (Ohio) with a major in instrumental music education, Kentheyre doing. When we develop our procedures and rules
nell received his masters degree in music and human learning from
for the year, I make it a deliberate point to explain why the
the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his appointment at Plumitems were deemed important. Weve established that fear can
mer MS, Kennell held the position of assistant band director at Aldine
be effective, but fear can also lead to resentment, right? For
High School and associate band director for Canyon ISD in Amarillo,
that reason, any procedures you devise must lead to positive
Texas. Aaron Kennell is an active adjudicator, clinician, and consulresults. And when students know that theyre making progress,
tant for bands in Texas and Ohio. His professional organizations inthey cant help but agree to listen to you. Youre the expert. And
clude the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Asyoure developing credibility every time you help a student do
sociation, the International Trombone Association, Kappa Kappa Psi,
something he didnt think he could do in front of his peers.
and Phi Kappa Phi.
When students struggle with a new challenging task, remind them of something that once seemed unattainable.

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School Band & Orchestra June 2014

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without
permission.