Funny Things Said in the Band Room
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nafmeadmin.
nafmeadminOne of my more hyper sixth grade students was very interested in my tempo posters that I have hanging in my room one day. As we were talking about musical goals that we wanted to accomplish, he raised his hand and very seriously stated, “I’d like to be more Lento.”
nafmeadminMy lead trombone player has a running list of quotes on the whiteboard. Some of my favorites:
“YOU try thinking and playing quarter notes!” (when discussing subdivision)
“I hate this song but I love it.”
nafmeadmin6th grade Band – Me, “Where does an accent come from?” (thinking I’d get a great answer such as “from your foundation”, but instead…. Student, “Britain”
nafmeadminI’m teaching two Senior High Music Appreciation Classes this semester and have been doing a lot of listening, me playing music for class and discussion, them playing music for the class and telling classmates about music, etc.
This last listening round I thought we would have some fun and have each student play the “worst song they have ever heard”. Has made for some interesting discussions as one student plays a song, and 1-2 others in the class say “I actually like that song”.
Best one was last week as we were listening to a song, in walks my HS principal. He’s a newer guy, still getting to know him, learn his personality, etc. He proceeds to name the song, the band, the album it was on and “man that is a great song….” The room got real quiet, class was not sure they wanted to laugh at the principal.
He talked to me about an issue and starts to leave when one of the students in the back of the room lets him know why we are playing the song. He took it well and laughed it off, but I wasn’t sure that I was going to tell him.
nafmeadminToday, we were playing a very quiet passage and my bass drummer came in wicked loud. I stopped, and asked him if there were any letters under his part. He replied, “mp.” I asked him if he knew what it stood for. His response: “more power.”
nafmeadminSo I am doing a piece with my entire band on buckets, this term that is only 22. The buckets are getting pretty beat up. One student today says I am sorry I missed that section my thumb was stuck in my crack. That ended rehearsal so much laughter.
nafmeadminThe other day a young clarinet player asked me for a new reed. I asked him what size. He said, “two-and-a-half inches.”
nafmeadminHere are a few of my recent favorites:
A junior girl very vehemently told off another person in her section: “I AM music, okay? You cut me and I’ll bleed out Mozart!” This is the same girl that once got her arm temporarily stuck inside the bell of her alto sax.
6th grade boy: “I just hit myself… in the back of the head… with my trombone.”
I was running rehearsal with my 6th graders and said, “Okay, let me hear everyone play but flutes.” One of my boys in the trumpet section hollered out, “Butt flutes?! Did you just say butt flutes?!” Even I had to laugh at that one.
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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