TUNEFUL
Resources for teaching all band kids to be independent musicians. Because let’s be real. The tubas are probably slacking.
START HERE
(Choose your own adventure)
How well do you know the following concepts?
Audiation • Tonality • Meter • Style • Tonal/Rhythm Patterns • Melodic Patterns • Teaching by Ear • Improvisation
This is foreign to me…
No problem. I’m glad you’re here! You’ll want to check out Musicianship Tutorials to get a good idea of these basics before you jump into the applications!
I know all this stuff!
Excellent! Head straight to the Repertoire Examples and Teaching Guides for suggestions about applying some of what you know to high school band repertoire!
-
Musicianship Tutorials
These modules take you through the fundamentals of musicianship and how best to teach them. It gives background and examples for teaching all the basics like tonality, meter, and style and improvisation!
-
Teaching by Ear
Check out a lesson plan and video example of how you could introduce a song by ear to your students.
-
Repertoire Examples
The Castle Walk - a straightforward concert march by James Reese Europe and Ford T. Dabney
Catango 5 - a more challenging, programmatic piece for wind band & saxophone quartet by Jodie Blackshaw
-
Resources
“Teaching Guides” includes a Planning Guide, Sample Lesson Plans, How to Establish Tonalities, and Tips for Reluctant Singers.
“Further Reading” has links to books and other materials by people way smarter than me.
-
About Me
My letter to high school band directors, and a little blurb about myself. Contact me here if you have any feedback or ideas for future content or resources that could enhance the usability of this website!