Skip to main content

How to Be a Good Section Leader in Band

<p>You have recently been promoted to section leader and you want to make sure that your section isn’t singled out for poor performance and preparation, but you don't know what you can do to improve it. Being a section leader is a large responsibility and it puts you in an authority position. The director selected you because you were qualified musically and you have good leadership skills. Being a good section leader will require effort, sure, but it is worth the extra responsibility to have the power to improve your section and the band as a whole.

Rehearsals 


Step 1 Collect contact information for the members in your section. This could be an email address, a phone number or both. The contact information should only be used to remind the members about rehearsals and meetings. It can also be useful on the day of a performance if a player does not show up.

Step 2 Determine a schedule to meet with your section for private rehearsals. Give members three possible times to meet and then agree on the time that everybody can arrive. If the three options do not work for everyone, select three more until you find a time that works. It's important that you don't just tell members when they have to arrive. That sort of authoritarian leadership style could spurn mutinies.

Step 3 Examine the music for your section before rehearsal. Determine problem areas in the music and be prepared to discuss, rehearse and instruct players on proper practice techniques.

Step 4 Meet with the section on the agreed upon date. Make sure you remind members the day of the rehearsal. Email or phone each person. When you meet, begin with a warm-up and then work through the difficult parts of the music and the areas that have taken up rehearsal time with the band. Bring a metronome to practice the music at the proper tempo.

Conflicts 


Step 1 Discuss any problems that arise with members before they become serious issues. It is important to be attentive to how members of the section are feeling about the band. By paying attention to their needs, you can prevent problems before they begin.

Step 2 Determine an appropriate plan of action for the cases when a problem does arise. If there are policies put in place by the director, you should always adhere to those policies. Being a section leader means that you have to enforce the rules of the band even if you don't agree with them.

Step 3 Meet with the band director to discuss problems that can't be resolved on your own. It is your responsibility to be aware of issues in your section, but the resolution of those problems are not solely your responsibility. The band director has much more authority to settle disputes and can initiate disciplinary action for extreme cases.

Preparedness 


Step 1 Discuss with your section what is required at each rehearsal, sectional and performance. Typically, musicians will need to have lubrication for their instruments, pencils for taking notes and all required music. Also explain that they are required to practice parts which they can't play in the ensemble until they are able to.

Step 2 Work individually with players that consistently are unable to perform up to the level of the ensemble. It is the section leader's responsibility to help players learn the music so that the rest of the ensemble doesn't waste valuable rehearsal time.

Step 3 Determine the consequences for players that consistently do not bring materials that are required or are unable to perform with the level of the group. It is a good idea to go over these consequences with the group in the first sectional rehearsal and take input from section members.

Carry an extra copy of the music in case a member of your section forgets his. Don't dismiss comments from section members. Try to integrate member suggestions when feasible. As the section leader it is important that you set an example by demonstrating the ability to play all required music. Never resort to name calling. Do not act out of anger. If you find yourself losing your temper, take a moment to stop and think. Corporal punishments should never be an option for dealing with a disrespectful group.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Claude Debussy Never Cared About Music Theory

  Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862. So, I felt writing a blog post to celebrate would be appropriate. Debussy was a revolutionary composer who challenged the conventions of Western music. He was influenced by the impressionist painters, the exotic sounds of gamelan music, and the symbolist poets. He created a musical language that was expressive, colorful, and atmospheric. One of the most remarkable aspects of Debussy's music is his use of harmony. He did not follow the rules of tonality and functional harmony that dominated the music of his time. Instead, he used modes, scales, chords, and parallel movements that created a sense of ambiguity and fluidity. He also experimented with timbre, texture, rhythm, and form to create musical images that evoked moods and emotions. Debussy's music can inspire us to think outside the box and explore new possibilities in our own compositions. We can learn from his innovative techniques and his artistic vision. We can also apprecia...
Post a Comment
Read more

List of Musical Techniques and Their Meanings

Musical techniques are the building blocks of any basic music training. These techniques allow performers to improve their coordination and develop accuracy through repetitive daily exercises. Musical techniques progressively build upon previously learned techniques. Scales Scales form the basis for other musical techniques. Student may study major and minor scales as well as modern scales, such as the whole-tone and octatonic scales. A scale consists of patterns of half steps and whole steps. These whole steps and half-step arrangements will be different for each scale. Scales are musical techniques that can help a performer to play faster and more accurately, and make learning new pieces easier. Chords Chords require knowledge of major and minor scales. Chords come in several different forms that affect the sound. Triads consist of three notes spaced a third apart and classified as major, minor, augmented and diminished chords. Seventh chords build on triads and have an additional no...
Post a Comment
Read more

Similarities of Classical and Baroque Music

Music has evolved through the centuries and undergone drastic changes. One of the most significant transitions was from the Baroque to the Classical period of music. In this paragraph, I will compare and contrast some of the main features of these two styles, such as ensembles, instrumentation, and counterpoint study. The Baroque and Classical periods of music have many similarities. While the style of music changed drastically, certain key elements remained the same between the two styles. Composers in the Classical period sought to simplify music and create clearly audible musical lines. In contrast, composers from the Baroque period were interested in creating complex and highly ornamented musical lines. The Baroque period occurs from approximately 1600 to 1750, and the Classical period extends from 1750 to 1820. Ensembles Ensembles are groups of musicians that perform together. Both the Baroque and the Classical period had similar types of ensembles, such as operas, orchestras, str...
Post a Comment
Read more