Send in a Tape!

November 14, 2024

Send in a Tape!

by Marvin Manring

Band Director, Stockton (MO)

Marvin Manring

When honor band auditions or festival performances come along during the school year, the first question I ask my students is "Why not you?". Follow that same way of thinking when any opportunity to showcase your students on a regional or statewide stage comes along.

In nearly 40 years of attending our state music educators conference, I've heard a common refrain from directors of honor ensembles: "Send in a tape!" (OK, cassette tapes were the only method of submission way back when...nowadays, it's mp3.) All agree that the performance is a thrill, but the lasting growth of the group comes from the journey.

No two schools throughout the PMC universe are currently in the same teaching situation. It's difficult to anticipate the next quarantined section leader, the "code yellow" temperature days, or a cancelled activity, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Look past just getting through this year and think ahead about how you can maximize your current activities for a better 2021-2022.

Our MMEA Conference, like many in the region, went virtual this year. Aside from some reading band sessions and demonstration clinics, the opportunity to share live music wasn't part of the program--but if all goes well, that opportunity will come again. Why not your group?

Entry deadlines and recording requirements vary by state, so consult your state music association's website for details. In any case, don't wait until the deadline to get a good recording! Here are some tips to get ready:

1. Record every day (or as often as possible), and don't wait until conditions are perfect. I can count the days of having a full band on two hands at this point in the year...but you work with the group you have, not the group you wish you had. It's healthy to let the band hear when the ensemble is incomplete, to reinforce the importance of every player. You're also trying to build their comfort level with 'going on record' each time they play, and not just for the one time there are optimum conditions. Keep up the journey, you'll get to an enjoyable destination.

2. Record as often as you can to get a stable process in place, and consistency in the quality of recordings. (Your PMC rep can help you with some inexpensive but effective solutions to daily recording.) The goal is to create consistent conditions for your students to grow and make musical progress together. You will no doubt learn a great deal about the best practices for recording in your band room as well. Students will enjoy the challenge of reconfiguring the group to get the best result.

3. Don't reinvent the wheel in your rehearsal day, or refill your folder. You've worked on selections for virtual or live festival events, and they're obviously pieces that are chosen to bring out your band's strengths. If you catch lightning in a bottle with your festival performance, use it! You aren't required to record these all in one session, but (in Missouri) you do need to provide programs or festival entry information to show that they have been performed. No splicing within a selection or other audio enhancements are allowed, just as many of you have experienced with district honor band auditions already this year.

While it's hard to promise any group the ultimate goal of a performance at the conference, the process is educationally based and does help you to zero in on needed improvements. Your group is playing to a standard AND competing for a spot on the conference schedule. It is a challenging process, but everyone in your ensemble will grow!

Your state association's honor ensemble coordinators are eager to hear your group! Send in a tape!

Marvin is a small-town band kid from Albany, MO who has taught in Missouri public schools for the past 35 years. He is a graduate of Central Methodist College (now University) in Fayette, MO. Since 1993, the bands at Stockton High School have consistently earned Division 1 (Exemplary) ratings at the State Festival and have been active representatives of the school and community through parade performances and the State Basketball finals at Mizzou and MSU. Marvin is active as a clinician for honor bands and adjudicator for MSHSAA, MSSBA, and area festivals. He has served MMEA as Historian since 2008 and SWMMEA as District President, Band Chair, and Mentoring Chair. The Stockton Band was selected to perform among ten school and university bands as an honor ensemble at the Missouri Music Educators Association's 2018 annual conference.

(417) 882-7006

Send in a Tape!

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