Programming and Repertoire Selection for High Level Young Orchestras (original) (raw)

Orchestra Programming A Survey of American Symphony Orchestra Programming for the 2003-04 Season

Some of the most important administrative decisions for orchestral organizations of all sizes relate to the programming of subscription concerts. Programming decisions often result from a dialectic between the musical ideals of orchestra leadership and the perceived tastes of the orchestra-going public. Farnsworth (1969) suggested that orchestra programming is one measure of musical preference or taste. The American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL) has published data on symphonic repertoire annually since 1982 in its Orchestra Repertoire Report (e.g., American Symphony Orchestra League, 2003a). This report gives frequencies of works performed by composer, but it contains little analysis of the data. However, various scholars have examined the content of American orchestra programs for the 1842-1994 seasons. The authors of most of these studies used duration of works performed by composer as a dependent variable, and all focused on the largest orchestral organizations (Hall, 1977;

Programming in the Zone Repertoire Selection for the Large Ensemble

Music Educators Journal

One of the great challenges ensemble directors face is selecting high-quality repertoire that matches the musical and technical levels of their ensembles. Thoughtful repertoire selection can lead to increased student motivation as well as greater enthusiasm for the music program from parents, administrators, teachers, and community members. Common problems that can lead to overprogramming are presented, along with a discussion of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory as frameworks for considering how directors' repertoire choices can affect students' motivation and continued participation.

Educating Orchestral Musicians

British Journal of Music Education, 2016

This article examines research on the specific training of musicians before they begin work as players in professional orchestras. Most of the research is in the area of education. The present article suggests that little research exists that is specific to the development of a traditional orchestra musician from an early age through the music education system, although considerable research exists on the development and broadening of the actual role of the professional musician in a changing world (portfolio careers).

Assessment practices of American orchestra directors

The Oxford handbook of preservice music teacher education in the USA, Volume 2, 2019

After reviewing a small body of literature on the assessment practices of American orchestra directors, this chapter quickly shifts attention to conducting original research. It describes a descriptive survey study with American String Teachers Association (ASTA) members (N = 416) that found performance-based assessments were the most frequently used form of formal assessment to evaluate technique, musicianship skills, creative musicianship, and ensemble skills. Music literacy was nearly equally split between performance-based and written assessments, while evaluation of music and musical performances and historical and cultural elements tended toward written assessments and verbal feedback. Creative musicianship and historical/cultural elements were the top two nonassessed areas, but were still assessed by the vast majority of teachers. Interviews with five string teachers demonstrate that the research participants emphasized performing/playing assessments, focused on student learning/improvement, acknowledged the role of the school district/administration and benefited from its support, and recognized the value in aligning assessment to standards/curriculum.

Conducting Amateur Musicians: Leadership of Community Orchestras in the United States

Community orchestras are part of the cultural tradition in the United States. This study sought to discover the unique characteristics existing among such organizations and their conductors. A total of 160 community orchestra conductors from the United States received surveys questioning what types of community orchestras exist, what is the experience and education of the conductors, what are community orchestra finances like, what is their role in their individual community, What is the community orchestra’s role in education and How does the choice of literature performed compare with that of professional orchestras? The results of the survey indicated the presence of an active community orchestra culture. The community orchestra’s presence represents a significant artistic and commercial impact. The existence of such orchestras also provides a venue for new composers, obscure American composers, and leaders who are from various walks of life, with a love of music as the common denominator.

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra MUSIC & ABILITY Evaluation Report

Music and Ability Evaluation Report, 2018

The CBSO’s Music & Ability Project partnered with three Special Educational Needs schools within Birmingham, Solihull and Worcestershire over a five-term period between 2017-2018. Funded by Youth Music, with the support of an additional thirteen funders, the project aimed to develop positive relationships with these schools in supporting the musical development of their PMLD (profound and multiple learning difficulties) cohorts of pupils, whilst simultaneously increasing the workforce and delivery skills of CBSO musicians in working with children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in special educational needs school settings.

Organizing the Musical Canon: The Repertoires of Major U.S. Symphony Orchestras, 1842 to 1969

Poetics: Journal of Empirical Research on Culture, the Media, and the Arts, 2002

Scholars have addressed the tendency of U.S. symphony orchestras to perform the works of relatively few composers. While many highlight this phenomenon, others note that the nature and extent of this conformity can shift over time, as reliance on the works of certain composers decreases and allows the works of newly heralded composers to be heard. Drawing on the work of DiMaggio and others, we derive hypotheses about field-level factors influencing both phenomena. We analyze more than 86,500 performances given by twenty-seven major U.S. symphony orchestras between 1842 and 1969. Our findings indicate that three factors spur the introduction of new composers into orchestral repertoires: the increased performance capabilities of symphony orchestras, the expanded resources for new music, and the proliferation of music programs among U.S. colleges and universities. We also find that one of these factors reduces the conformity of orchestral repertoires: the increased performance capabilities of orchestras. Our exploratory analyses, then, offer lessons about the organization of the musical canon.

Performance Reviews for the Orchestral Musician

Australian Journal of Music Education, 2014

Musicians are appointed to positions in professional symphony orchestras-both rank and file and section principals-following a blind audition process. They perform set repertoire works and orchestral excerpts behind a screen. In many higher education programs, musicians focus on learning the orchestral excerpts and instrumental repertoire that they can expect in a blind audition. They practice performing. They seek as much experience as possible for this scenario by performing in competitions and applying for orchestral vacancies-using each audition as a learning opportunity. Once appointed, musicians are expected to maintain the level of musicianship to retain the overall level of orchestral playing. However, musicians in professional orchestras in Australia are generally not involved in regular structured performance reviews. This study explores the introduction of leadership training for section principals in Australian orchestras and the qualitative evaluation of musicians' skills. These two aspects are linked with performance reviews for section principals and rank and file orchestral members in the same way that workers in other industries are required to present for an annual performance review (including the managerial positions in Australian orchestras). An orchestra is an example of an institution with its own culture and levels of leadership, pursuing its operations in the industry marketplace. Musicians employed in orchestras are continually learning and developing their craft. Involvement in performance reviews within the orchestral setting challenges a musician to consider their identity within the orchestra and as an individual musician, together with career aspirations and apprehensions. Each musician needs to articulate their creative knowledge and skills (in both words and music) and refocus their experiential learning and knowledge transfer, appropriate to their current role or a potential career change in or outside music.

THE ART OF MUSICAL CHOICE, A GUIDE FOR CONDUCTORS

One of the most important tasks for conductors is to select the most appropriate works for public performance. Here are some thoughts that may be helpful to the conductor who must make the difficult decisions as to which of the thousands of pieces available will ultimately be chosen to be performed on the next season's concerts. First we must understand that the terms repertoire and literature have different meanings. The term repertoire is understood by most people in the world of music to mean a body of compositions for a particular performance medium that is well known and performed often. Many of these works would be considered to be masterpieces. The term literature simply means all of the compositions available to a performance medium. Next we must understand that the repertoire for the 21st Century wind band is in the building stage and cannot be compared in quality or quantity to the already mature repertoire of the 18th and 19th Century symphony orchestra. Great progress has been made, however, in the world wind band repertoire during the past 50 years, and there is strong evidence the wind band and smaller wind ensemble will continue to integrate itself into the mainstream of international musical activity. The literature for the wind band and symphony orchestra is vast. Much of the literature, especially recent literature, is outstanding in quality and will perhaps someday become commonly recognized as repertoire. Unfortunately, some of the literature published for the wind band, as well as any other performing medium, would be considered by most musicians to be artistically inferior. Some of it is poorly written and has little substance. It is a serious mistake to believe that because a work is published, it must, of necessity, have artistic merit. A great deal of the higher quality literature is still unpublished.