Apr 11 2009

In like a Lion, out like a Freight Train

March was an incredibly busy month: the NVOT production of Man of La Mancha, the Serenade Concert with Westchester Symphonic Winds (my idea to help make this crunch period easier, mind you!), the Prism Concert at NVOT, and the Disney Music Festival trip with 136 participants.
I’m not complaining, mind you — I’m grateful! I’m happy for the opportunity to have so many great experiences, and work with so many talented and dedicated people. Sometimes, it just all funnels into a narrow time period.
I learned several things in the past month:

  • It is good to innovate. The Serenade Concert was a new idea. It was a challenge for the players involved. It was also a challenge for the players who did not play, as patience was required on their part until we met again as a full ensemble. We experimented with a different audience base and a different venue. From what we learned we will be able to make good decisions about next year. And the players involved had a vibrant musical experience.
  • It is good to invite others to play in your sandbox. I reached out to some wonderful professionals who came to work in sectionals with my students in the String Ensemble and Wind Symphony. They really made a difference as we prepared for the Prism Concert and Disney Festival. Tom McCauley did a clinic rehearsal with the Wind Symphony and Paul Hostetter came to NVOT to work with the String Ensemble. Both had tremendously positive effects on these groups.
  • We learn more from our failures than our successes. The Wind Symphony missed a Superior rating at Disney by 2 points. It was clearly disappointing to everyone. But missing this mark provided an opportunity to really analyze what we are doing well and what our shortcomings are. In class the following weeks, I listed several of the caption headings mentioned in the adjudication review. For each one (Tone, Intonation, Phrasing, etc.), we listed characteristics that truly supported our Excellent rating, and suggestions for what we must do to be judged as a Superior ensemble. I sent the resulting list to all the members, and asked them to download, print, and keep the list in their folder. It was enlightening and thought-provoking.

Who knows what the April showers will bring!

Curt Ebersole

Curt Ebersole is a resident of White Plains, New York, where he is active as a music educator, conductor, clarinetist, and public speaker. In between musical activities he enjoys photography, cycling, napping on the beach, Wordpress web publishing, Bullet Journaling, and riding America’s fastest and tallest roller coasters.