Resources
Instruments and supplies may be obtained through the two local music stores in Rochester, MN. Both stores send representatives to the schools each week that school is in session to deliver supplies, like books and instruments. If your instrument requres repairs, the representative can transport your instrument to or from the shop. Families are responsible for the purchase of reeds, oils, mouthpieces, books and supplies. Please keep your student's instrument in perfect playing condition to ensure their greatest level of success!
Schmitt Music in Rochester, MN
Practicing Tips
Many students get frustrated with playing a band instrument because they don’t see progress from day to day and then get discouraged. Maximize your investment. Students don’t learn to play an instrument simply by going to band lessons. Invest in the time at home and the entire experience will be a positive one. I am compiling some helpful hints so that, even if you have no musical experience, you can help your student accomplish more during the practice session. These ideas have come from several articles I have read on this topic. I hope they will help you help your student succeed.
Establish a quiet time and place for them to practice. Consider practice time like active homework sessions. Keep distractions away and let the student focus on the playing without TV’s, stereos, or siblings interrupting.
Set a practice routine. A good start would be:
Warm up softly and slowly with long tones, then move to faster ones.
Isolate the hard measures and work on small sections before putting songs back together. Breaking big problems into small ones helps make them easier to solve.
End the session with fun pieces to review and improve on by playing faster with more correct notes.
Practice means repetition. Students need to play problem spots over and over again. Once or twice will usually not solve a problem.
Occasionally, have the student play an exercise for you without a lot of pressure.
Divide practice sessions into smaller times with short breaks in between so the student doesn’t tire too easily.
Help analyze problems. This isn’t as scary as it sounds! In the early years and first books, most of the exercises are taken from familiar folk songs or known tunes. If you or your child hears something obviously wrong, help him or her figure out the solution.
Record practice time. Practice time is essential to improving and is also part of the band grade. If the student knows you are listening and helping to keep track, he/she will be more focused and aware of what they are doing. As the routine settles in, this time will go by very quickly and they will feel good about what they are playing.
Be a motivator. Don’t dwell on the rough, early sounds or wrong notes. Focus on the positive. For example: “That was better than yesterday!” “That has some tricky notes or rhythms and they are getting better and better.” “Your sound is improving all the time!”
Know when lessons and rehearsals are. Help the student keep track of rehearsals and lessons and make sure the instruments are there and ready.
SmartMusic software (great help for practicing at any age and stage - I even use it myself!)
Online guides
Cool music font, tools for music classrooms
Music font, worksheets, transparencies, and other tools for the classroom are located for free on this website.
Music theory drills and concepts. This is recommended for all students, especially those interested in excelling in music, and possibly planning to study music in post-secondary school.
Music publisher with mp3 files of their pieces available for listening or downloading.
Music publisher with mp3 files of their pieces available for listening or downloading.
Jazz Scales (direct link to the BLUES)
Listen to and get all the blues scales in any key you'd like. Also has links to major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, blues, major, and harmonic minor scales, and triad chords, 7th chord qualities, and scale-tone chords.
Can't remember a fingering? Looking to extend your range? Look no further.
Open the webpage and set the tempo. The metronome clicks should come through your computer's speakers
Professional Music Organizations
Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestras homepage. There are several orchestras and ensembles that rehearse in Rochester. Audition times and dates are listed on the website. This is open to most instrumental musicians in SE Minnesota, and is a wonderful enrichment to our school program.
Southeastern Minnesota Honors Choirs homepage. There are five different ensembles that rehearse weekly in the Rochester Area. Auditions times and dates can be found on the website. This is an auditioned group, so it is open to all singers interested, but there is an audition process.
Sing out Loud MN homepage. This is an all female voice choir that has 2 different choirs available "Bella Voce" Grades 9-12 and "Bella Fiore" Grades 6-8. These groups are auditioned and the audition information can be found on the website. The Ensembles rehearse weekly in the Rochester Area. There is a younger choir in the spring called the "Bellettes" Grades 1-5 that rehearse and then perform with the older choirs.
Minnesota Music Educators Association
Music Educators National Conference
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
Jazz resource library, handouts, teacher manual, assessments, jazz styles, etc.
Drum Corps International official website. Links to all three DCI divisions, or how to audition for a drum and bugle corps.
Jazz Education website, with significant focus on Duke Ellington's music and influence on jazz.
Very cool...
Fun, competitive note-naming game
Great program for learning and practicing rhythm
Play this game to test how quickly you identify the correct instrument fingerings!!
Check out Wynton Marsalis (trumpet) and Alan Gampel (piano) introduce their art, discuss its history and background, share personal insights, and demonstrate mastery through performance. This is a cool website!
Young Composer: Brittany Meier
This young woman has overcome many obstacles including blindness and autism, yet her musical abilities are astounding. See the video and audio clips of what she can and does do.
Explore original compositions organized by many styles, categories, and "feel" that you want to evoke. Also a good resource for examples of bossa nova, funk, dance, hip-hop, classical, R&B, etc. Good stuff.
This website provides information on how you can get SmartMusic Home Studio for yourself at home. Play with band method books, grade yourself, and send recordings to family members!
Free online music notation software. Download the software and you can compose music using whichever instruments you choose have it played back to you. Click "Try It" to check out the free version, or "Buy Now" to purchase and download it.
Buy music online. Some pieces have audio clips so you can hear the music before you buy it. They have a store up in Minneapolis.
Music stands, risers, acoustic shells, cabinets, etc.