I have had some great interactions with beginning instrumentalists during various field experiences.  Some of the most challanging students I taught were flute students.  It makes sense when I think back to woodwind methods class…Nearly every student who attempted the flute struggled to make a sound or struggled with keeping fingers in the right place while trying to sit up straight and avaoid the “flute player’s lean.”  As college students we were able to keep trying again and again until we could play “good neighbors” and “hot cross buns.”  Many beginners lack that determination and are easily frustrated or give in to defeat before they experience success.  However, there are some really cool tools and aids out there that may help these beginners expereince success and gain confidence in their skills.

One neat tool I have seen and used for teaching lessons is a contraption called a “Pneumo Pro Wind Director.”  This thing is basically a plastic tube with some little fans placed here and there.  The Pneumo Pro is shaped to be like the head joint of a flute.  The fans are placed in a column.  The student is to use the Pneumo Pro to learn how to isolate the direction air is blown.  The great part that really helps students is that the student can see where the air is going when the fans spin.  So if the teacher instructs the student to blow air to the lowest fan and he or she is spinning the top fan, the student can see what is going wrong.  The visual aspect of this tool is just amazing!  I found that students were able to have great discovery moments when using the Pneumo Pro.  Instead of trying again and again and remaining unsuccessful, these students were able to visualize the air spinning the individual fans.  This experience proved to be priceless when they showed substantial improvement in the following lessons I observed.

Bopep flute finger aids are another great tool I have seen used for teaching beginners.   These little things are great for helping students develop good hand/finger placement habits from the beginning.  The series of finger aids include: the finger saddle, finger rest, and thumb guide.  The finger saddle and finger rest are designed to aid in placement for the left hand.  The thumb rest is designed for the right hand.  To quote the box, “[The Bopep] eliminates cramping of the left-index finger, eliminates twisting of the left wrist, and lessens the need for left hand pressure and improves technique.”  The only problem I see with incorporating these aids into lessons is that they are too expensive to buy enough for a “class” of flute lessons.  It would be best for each student to own his or her own set of finger aids.  I realize that is not practical for most students taking lessons in a public school.  I still think having one or two sets to share is better for students than having nothing.  Cultivating good habits early in the learning process will allow students to achieve better and faster results.  I found these finger aids to be so effective in the lessons I observed and taught – I bought a set for myself!

 I think the most important thing with using any type of aid like the pneumo pro or the bopeps is that they are not the solution/cure.  Students need to understand that depending on such aids do not replace practice time and good habits.  If a student is depending on the aids out of pure laziness, the aid needs to go away for a while.  The finger aids, etc…are not essential to playing the instrument.  They are aids not replacements.  Once a student realizes that, I think the aids will amplify their skills and develop even better habits and results!

 test post

     In most cases an open audition consists of students auditioning in front of peers in addition to the show’s directors.  Students are welcome to sit in and observe other auditions.  This process may increase stress levels and competitive edge of students auditioning.  It also may unintentionally allow students to feel as though their assessment of the auditions makes a difference in any casting decisions.  Directors may find that having so many extra opinions, especially from uninformed teenagers is not something they wish to deal with.

     On the other hand a closed audition consists of students auditioning individualy for the only the directors (and possibly a choreographer).  By excluding other students from viewing the actual auditions, directors can make decisions without other opinions “breathing” down their backs.  In this type of process a student may give the best audition of the night for a certain role…But the directors might be aware of the student’s tendancy to hang out in detention or in-school suspension.  After much discussion, they give the role to a more dependable student.  This kind of consideration is necessary to creating the best environment for a successful show.  In an open audition, other students would have been able see this student’s audition and as a result, feel obligated to question the directors’ decision…

     Both audition processes have positive and negative sides.  No matter how auditions are structured, some students will be unhappy with the results and blame the system.  Parents are also eager to voice their opinions and may try to intimidate the directors’ decisions.  Directors can take measures to prevent these situations by educating their principals and other administrators.  Making the administration aware of the auditioning process and reasons why it is conducted as such will hopefully bolster their ability to stand up for your program and decisions.