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:

Back to the Future: 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.
approx. 1 hour

Assessing Your Students' Progress

Learn how easy-to-use software can assist you and your students with their practice while allowing you to objectively assess their rhythm and pitch accuracy.
approx. 30 - 45 minutes

Developing a Balanced Ensemble and Matching Students to Instruments

Two critical components for ensuring student success and for the development of a quality band program are matching students to instruments and achieving balanced instrumentation. Dr. Pearson will discuss how to achieve these important objectives. approx.
1 hour

Great Beginnings

Practical ideas to get a good start through effective and sequential lessons in performing, reading music, assessment, and motivational tips.
approx. 1 hour

Helping Your Jazz Band Groove

Proven techniques to help master jazz style, articulation, and improvisation.
approx. 1 hour

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.
approx. 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. approx.
1 hour

Recipes to Cook Up a Better Band

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. approx.
7 hours

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.
approx. 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. approx.
1 hour