Over the years I’ve done many clinics and masterclasses at the high school and college level. Sometimes the students are very advanced, sometimes they’re practically beginners. No matter what level your students are at, there are certain steps you can take ensure that they will get the most out of a clinician or guest artist. Whether you hire an artist for an hour, or for an extended residency, these tips should help your students get lasting benefits (which translates into more value for your limited clinician budget and better performances at concert time.)
1. Be there . Frankly I’m amazed I even have to point this out, but a surprising number of instructors simply treat a session with a professional artist as an opportunity to catch up on their paperwork or take a coffee break.
Your presence at the class is essential for several reasons. For one thing, it shows students that this is a worthwhile endeavor and they should pay attention.
Secondly, you may just learn something. As professionals, whether as musicians, teachers, or both, we owe it to ourselves to never stop growing and learning. I have team-taught clinics with other musicians who said things I would never have thought of. This has made me a better teacher. Even if you are unable to afford a frequent clinician visit, you can pass on that artist’s wisdom to your future students, but only if you’re there to hear what she has to say! In particular I have seen many school band situations where the band was simply not set up optimally. Maybe the bass player was on the opposite side of the room from the drummer, or the singer wasn’t properly miked. The clinician can correct these problems in his visit, but if you aren’t there to hear about it, the same errors will continue in the next rehearsal.
Here is the third and probably most important reason for you to attend the class. We all need repetition to learn anything new. Only by knowing what was said to your students can you reinforce it in the coming months and years. That talented young drummer may need to hear twenty times, not just once, that he needn’t play so loud; the sax player may need to be reminded regularly of the importance of doing long tones.
2. Plan Ahead. In advance, encourage your students to think of questions. You may ask them individually or collectively to make a list of questions or items they are struggling with such as a particular tune or an instrumental problem.
Next week I’ll post further suggestions on getting the most from a band clinician. Are you a visiting artist or a school band director? Comments welcome.