In regards to running rehearsals, Feldman and Contzius go into great detail about what

makes a rehearsal effective. One component listed that creates an effective rehearsal is the type
of rehearsal a director plans for each day. Examples that Feldman and Contzius list are Stop and
Go Macro-Micro-Macro, Overview, and Quick Drill. The first in this list implements
breaking down parts of a rehearsal after an overview of the piece, the second implements
analyzing the piece and its recurring or key ideas as a whole element, and the last involves a
great deal of playing with only quick 5-10 second comments in between section rehearsals. Three
more suggestions follow, being Sticky-Note, Self-Study and Sight Reading. These
approaches are fairly self-explanatory, with the second idea involving giving out a list of
corrections to students in the beginning of rehearsal that they should adjust, themselves.
Personally, I have experienced the Stop and Go Macro-Micro-Macro rehearsal, as well as
Overview and Sight Reading. In my personal teaching, I feel inclined to use these
techniques, as well as Sticky-Note and Self-Study methods to keep my rehearsals very time
efficient.
On its own, it is important to note that the Sight Reading rehearsal is a very important
approach to music education. Not only does sight reading introduce students to new music and
excerpts, but it also allows musicians to treat reading music as they would reading a book;
reading notes on a page should eventually become as regular as reading and anticipating, just as
we do while reading the newspaper or text books. Ways to creatively implement sight reading in
the classroom include having all students read a reoccurring motive that may only appear in one
instrument of a piece, before seeing that piece for the first time. Another idea could be to have
students compose a melody made of the same notes within a pieces melody that they are
playing, and have their neighbor sight read their rendition.

When analyzing problems that could be faced in a rehearsal, issues can occur such as
wrong partials on brass instruments, first notes of the piece arent together, or not enough
contrast in dynamics. Wrong partials on brass instruments can be addressed through having all
instruments who have the same part as the brass play their part while the brass buzzes the same
intervals. As well, if the first notes arent together, I could use a Quick Drill method,
addressing that the students keep their instruments up while we fine tune where they breathe,
where my ictus hits, and when they tongue. Lastly, if there is not enough contrast in dynamics, I
could make a Stop and Go Macro-Micro-Macro rehearsal the following rehearsal and make a
game, having individual sections play to see who can create the greatest dynamic contrasts while
keeping in mind air speed, relaxed playing, and an open tone quality.
Continuing, differential instruction can be implemented in the classroom, through
drawing from diversity in the classroom and deriving potential in students and rehearsals through
these differences. Ways in which this can be implemented are through utilizing a spiral curricula
to reach both new students and more advanced students who can draw from older techniques and
elaborate upon them. As well, Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligences can be implemented
through experiencing music in unexpected realms, such as mathematics or movement.
Finally, Feldman and Contzius address supplemental ways to enrich rehearsal experience,
such as inviting guest clinicians and recording the ensemble. I have experienced both of these
situations, and they create an aura of importance for the band, whether it is someone of a
professional standard giving a master-class or our band needing to prepare for a professional
competition recording. Feldman and Contzius also address the development of good practice
habits, in which we as directors should direct our students to use methods such as whole-partwhole study in their private practice, as well as marking their parts while they work on

chaining, or playing segments of music, then systematically adding more music before or after
this learned segment.