Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: SaveTheChief
A warm body can complete the requirements to become a teacher, but not everyone has the skills or passion to be a good teacher.

Well put! You're definitely one of the latter, sounds like. :)

Tell me this: is there a difference between teaching orchestra and teaching band? Down here, we were a band during football season, but an orchestra during concert season. However, our teachers just called themselves our "band directors" the whole year.
129 posted on 10/27/2003 6:20:15 AM PST by Xenalyte (I may not agree with your bumper sticker, but I'll defend to the death your right to stick it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 117 | View Replies ]


To: Xenalyte
Tell me this: is there a difference between teaching orchestra and teaching band? Down here, we were a band during football season, but an orchestra during concert season. However, our teachers just called themselves our "band directors" the whole year.

A modern orchestra is a group with a core majority of string instruments (violins, violas, celli, and basses). A symphony orchestra is typically a large string group with a few of each wind and brass instruments added, along with a percussion section. Typical instrumentation has a wind section of two to four oboes, flutes, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, french horns, trombones, and one tuba. A percussion section is staffed with about a half dozen people. A typical professional orchestra will have a harp player or two on staff, as well as someone who plays piano.

A school band, military band, marching band, concert band, symphonic band, or jazz band typically has no string instruments, and if there are string instruments in any of these groups, it is an exception rather than a rule. Some of these bands include instruments not found in an orchestra. Saxophones, baritone horns (or euphonium), and sousaphones are expamples of these.

I don't understand the confusion here in Texas, as a band and orchestra are two distinctly different entities. Where I am from, a band director would not dare to call himself an orchestra director, nor would an orchestra director call himself a band director (kind of a little war they have going there). We cringe at such things... lol

In inner-city Birmingham, I was simply known as the "string-man". That's an entirely different story.

As for the difference in teaching band and orchestra, you do need to use different techniques. A band teacher needs to be able to tell what is happening in a student's mouth, and be able to recognize what he cannot see. A string teacher has everything out in front of him and can easily see when a student needs to work on technique. Other than that, music is music. A talented musician and teacher can teach band, choir and orchestra equally well if he so desires.

130 posted on 10/27/2003 8:11:59 AM PST by SaveTheChief
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson