Brian Diller

Doctoral Conducting Associate, Wind Studies

College-Conservatory of Music

University of Cincinnati

Beyond the Band: A Model for Incorporating

Conducted Chamber Music into the School Music Program.

Strategies, Repertoire, and Materials.

Every music teacher acknowledges the benefits of performing chamber music, but few

are able to successfully incorporate trios, quartets, and quintets into the school music program.

Even if we had infinite time, ample rehearsal space, and appropriate literature, there are

significant challenges inherent to the conventional chamber music structure: while staying on

task should be possible, most students are not yet musically equipped to be successful in the

small ensemble. The challenges of score reading and self-rehearsing are daunting, yielding major

frustration even from students of very high-level band programs split into independent chamber

music ensembles. In short, those students are not set up for success. All students except the very

exceptional will need significant coaching, and since it is usually impossible to schedule during

school, coachings would occupy an inordinate amount of teacher time after school.

As an alternative model, the conducted ensemble offers many advantages over the

unconducted: the conductor can serve as both conductor and coach, directly facilitating student

growth; depth of contact with students; students still get to play great works of the literature;

more people in room can stimulate additional synergy; an outlet for the most interested students,

especially double reeds, who may not be sufficiently featured in the band setting; and the

conducted ensemble can provide additional opportunity for the developing conductor.

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When organizing the chamber music program at my school, I decided that while the

culture of unconducted ensembles was ideally best, I could build a special group that

incorporated the best of both models if I was willing to take time for creative coaching. The

semiconducted setting turned out to be the perfect platform to cultivate student leadership, teach

self-rehearsal techniques, and coach chamber music skills in a safe environment. As student

interest in chamber music grew, my group pollinated unconducted groups.

While there are numerous available resources for appropriate repertoire and ways to

structure a program for unconducted chamber music, there is virtually no published research on

incorporating conducted models to the band curriculum. This paper aims to fill that void of

scholarship, advocate for the conducted model, and provide assistance to other interested

teachers by offering a framework of strategies, repertoire, and materials drawn from my personal

experience building a school chamber music program.

Our model

Just out of college, I took my first job as Associate Director of Bands at Brentwood High

School in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. Although this was a very successful band program at

an outstanding suburban public school, there had been little chamber music occurring; eager to

stimulate growth in this realm of our program, I noticed some very serious students who seemed

poised to form the core of a chamber music program. At first, I did not ask students to make any

large time commitment: rather, I made the crucial decision to hook student interest in single

session. After identifying the most advanced students, I approached them individually about

reading some chamber music once after school for only one hour—no pressure, nothing to

practice, just fun. For this first session I selected a few pieces to read that would be easy enough

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to offer immediate benefits while challenging the students at highest level musically. At all

moments on the first day I tried to share my delight in the music and cultivate student love for

the intimacy of chamber playing. At the end of the first session, I facilitated a discussion on the

day’s experience. The group was interested in performing on an upcoming band concert, so we

set a weekly rehearsal time and plunged ahead. If anyone did not want to commit, I just found a

replacement and reassured the student that he or she could still play in the future.

Our first performance was on the December band concert. While the performance was

successful, I would not share a program with the bands again because the select group made the

band seem less elite. I later organized Chamber Spectaculars, which will be discussed later in

this paper. At the outset, I selected personnel for my group, but additional students started asking

to play; I tried to accommodate them either in the Chamber Winds or by helping them set up an

independent group. Ultimately, many students wanted to play and I formed a second group, each

rehearsing after school for an hour. The students were extremely involved with various school

activities, so I didn’t ask them to do more than one although a few wanted to.

Our repertoire

In my first year, we performed Dvorak’s Czech Suite (arr. Sheen for dectet) on the winter

debut concert, and in the spring, movements of Mozart’s Serenade in B-flat, the Gran Partita.

This was quite an advanced group, and the Mozart was the perfect piece for them with a few

substitutions: although we had no bassoons, substituting an outstanding trombone and

euphonium player worked great; and although we had only one oboe but three great flutes, we

very successfully included the flutists by doubling each oboe part. Rotating these parts gave the

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oboe a few of the choice solos. On this program, we used Stravinsky’s Carnevale (arr. Stone) as

a delightful encore.

In my second year, I decided that after-school chamber music in the fall was too onerous

a burden and focused on the spring semester. By this time, there was enough interest to form two

groups. Our double reed sections were blossoming and one group was perfectly positioned to

study the Strauss Serenade. While we had plenty of horns to cover the four horn parts, I found it

was best to put two euphonium students on the low parts: these parts are very low, and

euphonium was more satisfying and comfortable for young players. On another day of the week,

a second group studied the Weill Three Penny Opera suite. This selection worked well to

integrate stellar students from the jazz band rhythm section on drums, piano, and guitar.

Although tuneful, this music is quite chromatic, and modulations to distant keys increased

technical demands substantially; moreover, a crucial understanding of the dark irony and bitter

subject matter (Socialist critique of capitalism) provided an aesthetic challenge.

By the third year, I had grown substantially as a teacher; increasingly experienced and

committed, our students had also matured significantly. We had very strong double reeds by this

time, so we performed the entire Mozart C Minor Serenade k. 388 with no substitutions. Being

really deep music with modest technical demands, this was a great selection that mature

musicians could really understand and love performing. We also performed two movements of

the Bernard Divertissement to involve outstanding flute players; the lighter content and more

flashy technique contrasted nicely with Mozart.

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Strategies from our program

My groups rehearsed for one hour per week, scheduled around student activities. Because

students generally took great pride of being part of an elite group, there were few absences, but I

had to be flexible with the few that did arise. If someone missed, I would just play the part

myself and use the day to coach rehearsing and performing without a conductor.

It was extremely important to not let the atmosphere become conductor-focused, and my

rehearsal approach alternated between conducted and unconducted. Half of the rehearsals were

unconducted, with me sitting in front; in this role, I coached the music directly and nurtured

student communication, helping them explore when to lead and how to follow sensitively. Other

days were student-led; during this time, I sat within the group and coached only the student

rehearsing, obliging the musicians to assess the music making themselves. This was an attempt

to bridge gap of skills they would hone in unconducted groups, and coaching in a safe

environment proved to be the ideal setting to cultivate student listening, critiquing, rehearsal

management, and ensemble communication.

Chamber music provides unique opportunities to explore new instructional techniques to

bring the music alive. Making study copies of scores can be an extremely helpful tool that might

be more practical here than in the band class: students learn to read a score and examine others’

parts in a new way. Multimedia opportunities also abound and interesting videos can be found on

much of the literature. For example, the Gran Partita figures prominently into the film Amadeus;

while studying that work, we used certain clips to stimulate rehearsal and had an enjoyable

screening of the entire film one afternoon, interesting students beyond the chamber group.

Another very useful technique was group listening. Spending an entire semester on one or two

pieces, we had plenty of time to listen to contrasting recordings; during this activity, students

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would make detailed marks of interpretive differences directly on their study scores. This process

was a catalyst for new musical ideas, student discussion of interpretational dilemmas, and group

reflection on extra-musical questions posed in the music.

I was amazed at how eager professional musicians were to come and work with my

group; as a result, university conductors and Nashville Symphony players frequently came to

rehearsals as guest coach, providing extra motivation students and new approaches to the music.

Especially beneficial to me as a young teacher, here was an opportunity to take notes on things I

could have said or done more effectively.

An important aspect of any group is the creation of a special identity; in building a

cohesive ensemble that took pride in its advanced musicianship beyond the concert and marching

bands, I found it vital for the students to be social around the music: Nashville had an active

community for serious chamber music, and I would occasionally take my whole group to a

concert and follow it with socializing at a coffee house. We always went out for Mexican dinner

together after our concerts, and had I been in the position longer, we would also have taken them

out for special performances at conferences and other events to build prestige. The important

aspect was building a cohesive group of serious musicians dedicated to the group and to each

other.

The instrumentation of chamber music often poses significant challenges: selectively

orchestrated for certain few instruments, the piece needs to fit the musicians perfectly. If it is not

an exact match for the present group, the body of literature is rich enough to offer plenty of

alternative selection. That being said, substitutions can often be both a very practical and

worthwhile solution to instrumentation issues, including for double reeds. In the school, we study

chamber music for the students’ benefit, and thus the aesthetic dilemma of substitution should be

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at all a deterrent: one should play whatever will offer students the richest artistic experience!

Consequently, I will play our recording of the Gran Partita for anyone, not caring that it includes

three flutes, trombone, and euphonium. Moreover, tasteful substitutions can work surprisingly

well. Here are a few specific suggestions:

For oboes, flutes work perfectly well and require no transposition; also muted

trumpet.

For bassoons, muted trombone or euphonium work well and also require no

transposition. Put them in back row, pointed to side, and coach them in playing

tastefully in this role.

For horns, use euphonium or saxophones. This will require transpositions but is a

satisfactory solution. If four horns, euphonium works especially well on low end.

A few works require contrabassoon (Strauss Serenade, for example): use tuba! The

tubist will be especially thrilled to do this. Strauss himself said this substitution would

be fine, and a few moments of your time transposing the part will be worth the

student’s experiencing a great work.

A word regarding doublings: although multiple performers on a part would add security

and involve more people, I avoid the practice to not dilute the experience. However, doublings

might be appropriate in certain situations.

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Ultimate effects on our band program

Among the principal benefits of chamber music is its effect on the band program as a

whole. To that end, the conducted chamber winds can serve as the perfect vehicle for cultivating

a larger chamber program. As my ensemble grew, I would set several performance dates near the

end of the semester for Chamber Spectaculars. For these events, my Chamber Winds was the

“headliner,” but I encouraged all students to sign up to play a solo, trio, quartet, or whatever. In

their second and third years, students became increasingly interested and concerts grew longer

and longer.

On these programs, anyone could play anything; my only requirement was that I had to

approve it two weeks before. I would provide intermittent coachings for unconducted groups,

and, being a pianist, I could very conveniently accompany any soloists for a coaching or

performance. If one were not a pianist, it would be worth hiring a friend to play a dress rehearsal

and the concert with students; we pay hundreds of dollars for flags, surely this would be viable.

Smartmusic is another excellent option that gets students performing.

It is important to note the cross-pollination and stimulation with other chamber music that

can occur as a direct result of the successful chamber winds program. “If you build it, they will

come.” Indeed, all kinds of groups popped up within our band and students became more serious

with private lessons because they had a concert for which to prepare. The chamber concerts

provided motivation, opportunity, and accountability, and a few sections began choirs

(Trombone Choir”, etc.) run by student paired with private teacher. Soon, we stopped needing

substitutions for the Chamber Winds because all sections were strong, and Solo and Ensemble

participation was increasingly robust. In short, the semi-conducted chamber group played the

crucial role of rounding out our comprehensive music program.

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Repertoire: My suggested works with annotations

Selection of repertoire is crucial! It is the most important decision of the program, so

make sure to pick the piece that will be the best fit for the students. As has been said, the body

of literature is deep enough that if a piece is not the perfect one, keep looking; if one really wants

to conduct a certain piece, wait until the group is the right fit.

Generally, keep it standard. Students will be feeling extremely exposed in the small

group, and a foreign harmonic or textural language will destabilize them more than one might

think. An invaluable resource, much of the standard repertoire is on IMSLP, and anything not

can usually be borrowed from local university. I like to buy sets of standard literature for my

personal library, keeping markings for the next time I do the piece.

Although many works exist with a unique instrumentation, the two most frequent

combinations are as follows:

Standard Octet: 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Hn, 2 Bsn

This arrangement emerged in Central Europe as the very fashionable court band of

the 1790s from various traditions of Harmoniemusik. Mozart composed his great

serenades for this group, and much of the literature exists from the Viennese-

Classical period. It is an exceptionally demanding role for the first oboe who

functions as the lead voice. The octet works well with flute substitution for an oboe,

but if you’re light on oboes, why not just do a dectet, which is more idiomatic for

flutes?

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Standard Dectet: 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Hn, 2 Bsn

This configuration grew as an expansion of the traditional octet. More versatile than

the octet, the dectet puts less pressure on the oboe and has a more varied and

contemporary literature.

One extremely important note to take care of your young oboists in the octet setting:

while the tessitura within a Mozart serenade may be perfectly reasonable in rehearsal, your

student will be unaccustomed to the physical demands of performing in that range without rest.

Even the very best high school students do not have the physical chops to lead as the dominant

musical voice for an extended period of time; consequently, if you are going to perform several

movements of such a work, consider doubling the part, adding/substituting a flute, or allowing

extra time between movements to rest.

There is a rich and varied literature for chamber winds and this paper includes my curated

list of repertoire suitable for use in the school music program. All works are playable by

advanced students, and most are playable by groups of more moderate experience. While

coaching chamber music in my program, I found that the students were craving music of

substance. With our most serious players, there was no need for entertainment and they

understood deep music without convincing. Therefore, the following list includes only works of

very substantial artistic merit.

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Cochran Commissioning Series

Jim Cochran, long a passionate advocate for the advancement of wind music, was the inspiration for the Cochran Chamber Commissioning Project. This is a significant series dedicated to enriching the body of literature available to young players. “Inspired by Jim Cochran, the Cochran Chamber Commissioning Project was formed to introduce, inspire and educate young musicians as to the joys of chamber music through shared music making and commissioning. The driving force behind the Cochran Chamber Commissioning Project is the strong desire to contribute significant new repertoire to the chamber wind medium, particularly for schools and institutions whose ensembles are challenged not so much by any limits to their collective level of experience and ability, but by their numbers and instrumentation.”1 The project has yielded several extremely worthwhile pieces by major composers. The commissioned works are as follows:

o 1999: Woodscapes – Clark McAlistero 2000: Serenade for 15 Instruments – Michael Weinsteino 2001: Three Preludes – Scott McAlistero 2002: A Quilting Bee – Clark McAlistero 2003: An American Tapestry – Daniel Kallmano 2004: French Dances Revisited – Adam Gorbo 2007: Six Chamber Dances – Rolf Rudino 2008: Dances with Winds – Shelley Hanson

1 Liner notes to, Cochran Chamber Winds Commissioning Series, Vol. 1, Atlantic Chamber Winds, Mark Records 9976-MCD, CD, 2012.

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Resources

There is astonishingly little published research on conducted chamber music in the school music program. Below are a few resources:

Gerhard, Catherine. Annotated Bibliography of Double Wind Quintet Music. http://faculty.washington.edu/gerhart/dwqbibliography/

Secrist-Schmedes, Barbera. Wind Chamber Music for Two to Sixteen Winds: An Annotated Guide. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002.

Spurlin, Corey. “Chamber Wind Literature for Developing Bands.” Handout for Alabama Music Educators Association Conference, January 21, 2010. http://www.alabamamea.org/Clinic_Handouts/Chamber%20Wind%20Handout.pdf

Winther, Rodney. An Annotated Guide to Wind Chamber Music. Miami: Warner Brothers, 2004.

This is the essential text for the musician exploring music for mixed chamber wind ensemble. In the exhaustive study of works for 6-18 players, Winther provides factual information on length, instrumentation, and publisher, augmented by his personal insights on each piece. Multiple appendices allow one to search for repertoire by title, composer, or instrumentation.

Closing thoughts

I structured my program around music for mixed chamber winds because, having several

very advanced and interested students in each section, it was the best medium for my students. If

I had had a really strong brass program, I might have done a select brass choir, trombone choir,

or low brass ensemble; on the other hand weak sections might benefit the most from extra

attention. It is a matter of philosophy and goals for the music program. Because every situation is

unique, it is suggested that teachers innovate creatively beyond tradition to tailor their music

program to their strengths as well as the distinctive objectives of their community. This paper

outlines one such attempt in the hope that strategies and literature presented may be applied to

other contexts.