Junior High Band
Rehearsal Tips

Fix Something Every Rehearsal

The best directors I observed didn't just play through the music. They worked on specific sections or problems and made some improvement every rehearsal. Wes Barry used to say that the improvement we made each day was like putting an eyedropper of water into a 50-gallon barrel. If we keep adding to the barrel it will eventually be full.

In order to improve the odds that what you fix will stay fixed, have the students mark the music with pencils. It was the students' responsibility to have a pencil. I occasionally had the students raise their pencils to show me they were prepared.

Video Disclaimer

The attached videos are not perfect examples of how each tune should be played. They are recordings of junior high students, some of whom have had their instruments for only a few months. Also, they are not professional recordings. They were taken by band parents using home equipment and naturally focusing on their own children.

I include them for two reasons: (1) To give you an idea of what the arrangements are like, and (2) To illustrate the kind of performance you can expect from your junior high students.