| 60 -150 mins | $185 – $350* |
Typically, but not necessarily, this clinic will involve Peter attending one of the band’s regular rehearsals. Topics covered may include evaluating the band’s performance, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and engaging students in the music’s ‘story’. Peter may also help students visualize performance day and share past performance anecdotes.
The timing of when a director may seek the input of a clinician will vary greatly. Sometimes it’s good to kick start a year with some fresh external ideas. Other times it will be far more beneficial if the students have already learnt their notes and are seeking outside ideas to develop or shape their performance.
Band directors will meet with Peter for 15-30 mins at some stage prior to the session. Discussed in this meeting may be details impacting how the session will run including, perceived strengths and weaknesses within the band, attitudes/engagement of individuals and the band as a whole & specific areas within the performance program that may benefit from attention. It is essential that as much as possible of what the band director hopes to achieve from this workshop is clearly communicated in this meeting.
Content covered in the clinic may include:
- Evaluation of the band’s performance, promoting discussion of the musical and technical requirements of the program (and how effectively these are being achieved)
- Identification of strengths and areas for improvement
- Excercises to improve technical elements such as intonation, rhythmic accuracy, articulation, dynamics etc
- Ensuring that students engage in the structural and characteristic ‘journey’ of each piece (and then the entire program) as a way to increase their awareness and engagement in their delivered performance
- Encouraging students to identify, and maybe even name, the character they feel at particular moments in their program
- In consultation with the band’s director, discuss and help students visualise exactly what they can expect on the day of their performance
- Share often times humorous stories of things that have gone wrong at past performances – what band members did to get through these issues (or not!) – and troubleshoot how these problems could have been averted
- The importance of EVERY band member being completely engaged in what the band seeks to achieve in their performance…. It’s not about the notes; it’s about the music – the ‘story’ that the band wants to tell about the music when they perform it – and then how effectively they can communicate that story to an audience
*Price is for all workshops in metropolitan Melbourne. Extra costs may be required for workshops in other locations.