Clinics

Your Staff Development Day Clinic will be customized to focus on specific areas of enrichment to benefit your school district's music staff. Bruce Pearson will help you create the day's schedule based on your staff's particular needs. The following workshops are offered:

Teaching Band with Excellence: Achieving the Most in Every Lesson

One of the time-tested ways to achieve the most in every lesson from day one is to keep students involved, engaged, and active in the learning process. This session will offer band educators practical approaches and ideas for starting beginners, carefully planning and pacing lessons, addressing the need for differentiated instruction materials, and applying enrichment studies included in the Tradition of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method. Approximately 1 hour

Effectively Using Technology in Beginning and Developing Band Classes

Knowing when and how to incorporate today's technology for the benefit of band student achievement can be challenging. In this session you will discover new ways to effectively use multiple technologies in private lessons, sectionals, and full band rehearsals - all with minimal teacher preparation while using the Tradition of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method. Special emphasis will be placed on ways to weave technology together with standards-based pedagogy to develop comprehensive musicianship in every student. Approximately 1 hour

Why Music Is Basic: The Value of Music Education (Keynote Address)

The value of music education is being questioned like never before. Music educators must accept the challenge of educating the public. Educating the parents of our students in the value of music education is equally as important as the education we do in the classroom. Dr. Pearson will discuss important research about why music should be a part of every child's education. Approximately 45 minutes

New Materials Reading Session

This clinic is designed to assist band directors in discovering effective and exciting new materials for their band to perform. A balanced band is required for this workshop and may be comprised of directors, students, or a combination of both. Approximately 1-2 hours

Principles of Expressive Playing in Music:
Bringing Life to the Notes with Young Ensembles

Transforming written notes to expressively performed music is one of the primary challenges facing conductors and teachers today. This clinic for conductors/teachers of young band and orchestra ensembles will provide tips and teaching strategies that will help students learn to "make music." Using a demonstration group, Dr. Pearson will demonstrate the significant distinction between playing technically and playing technically well with passion - expressively. The desired outcome is to demonstrate how an ensemble can learn to "speak as one voice," communicating and recreating the intent of the composer in an artistic performance. Approximately 1 hour

Rehearsing the Young Ensemble

Maximize the effectiveness of your band rehearsal. Structure and plan sequential rehearsals to better achieve short and long term goals. This workshop will serve as a "mock" rehearsal and will include strategies for warm-up and tuning procedures, sight-reading, rhythmic independence and phrasing. These elements, and more, meet the National Standards. Approximately 1 hour

Teaching Percussion for the Non-Percussionist Teacher

Band directors are often required to teach all of the band instruments. Oftentimes the band director recognizes a need to improve his or her teaching skills in the teaching of percussion instruments to their students. This "hands-on" clinic is designed to meet that need. Clinic participants are required to provide their own drumsticks. Approximately 1 hour

Recruiting and Retaining Students in the Band Program

A step-by-step process on how the band director can attract young people into the band and keep them interested, and develop a continuing program for nurturing the support of the parents, school, the administration, and the community. Dr. Pearson will also address ways to develop and balanced ensemble and matching student to instruments. Approximately 1 hour