Registration for Birch Creek Adult Band Camp can be located here: https://www.birchcreek.org/academy

An Intensive Master Class on Teaching from the Podium is led by Chip Staley. Staley will be joined by Jim Stombres and Steve Sveum to work with participants during the Adult Band Camp session at Birch Creek. As performing members of the Summer Wind Ensemble, participants will be in a unique position to observe veteran teachers work to make the Wind Ensemble the best it can be as quickly and efficiently as possible. Discussions will center around the concept of “What works and what doesn’t work?”. This course is meant to be practical and applicable to any teaching situation.

Here is a testimonial from former participant in this class, Eric Stashek: “The Birch Creek/Vandercook College of Music Graduate Credit ‘An Intensive Master Class on Teaching from the Podium’ is a brilliant opportunity to expand your horizons of music education and performance. The hands-on practical experience gained allows for any musician, emerging or experienced, to further develop and advance their understanding and expertise of best music education practices through performance. In addition to learning diverse teaching methods, the course expands on one’s understanding of a music program expansion including scaffolding instruction, motivating musicians, relationships and rapport, and much more. The three instructors provide a rich background in each of these topics areas, allowing oneself to dive deep into an ocean of knowledge and sophistication. I highly recommend enrolling in the course to further your passion and comprehension of music performance and music education!”

This course will address the following critical topics as experienced in the Adult Band:

• Literature selection

• Rehearsal Pacing

• Setting Appropriate Goals

• Scaffolding Instruction

• Motivating Musicians

• Critical Feedback

• Relationships and Rapport

• Building Confidence

• Teaching Musicianship

Chip Staley can be reached at [email protected].

“You are what you repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  Aristotle

Course Goals

This course will address the following critical topics as experienced in the Adult Band:

• Literature selection

• Rehearsal Pacing

• Setting Appropriate Goals

• Scaffolding Instruction

• Motivating Musicians

• Critical Feedback

• Relationships and Rapport

• Building Confidence

• Teaching Musicianship

• Differentiating instruction by establishing nurturing relationships between musicians with different skill sets.

In residence requirements.

•  Participate fully in all scheduled activities for the Adult Concert Band.

• At the end of each day, meet with instructor to discuss the critical topics related to the day’s rehearsals.

Online Requirement

A final project will be a reflection paper reflecting on three of the critical topics, providing specific anecdotal evidence from the Adult Band Camp experience.  The student will select any three of the 10 critical topics addressed during the ABC session.

Teaching Methods:

Participants will be challenged to think deeply about the critical topics.  Participants will be able to recognize methods and procedures that help facilitate learning in a performing ensemble.  Participants will be able to articulate the difference between best practice and common practice.

Course Component Specifics

The course is laid out so that students will have an opportunity to discuss rehearsal practices immediately after rehearsal segments.  There will be an opportunity for each student to examine teaching methods and their efficacy.

Best of all, after the experience, students will have nearly two weeks to reflect upon the critical topics in writing.  This will make what they have learned more permanent enabling them to apply the methods they have learned to improve their own teaching.

Attendance and Make-Up Work

Attendance at the Adult Band Camp is required.  All work will be completed by August 31.  Students may ask for an extension for the on-line component.

Course Requirements and Grading

• The course will require students to participate in all activities as a musician in the Adult Band.
• Everyone in this class is expected to be actively engaged in detailed conversations about the impact of instruction on the performance of the Adult Band. This means that students will be collecting anecdotes and articulating them with great attention to detail.
• Participants will be graded on their participation and the quality of their final project

• Contact Chip Staley at [email protected] with any questions.