Distance learning is a challenge for any classroom, but it is
uniquely difficult for musicians who are used to playing in harmony together. Throughout
the months of March and April, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School students have
been responsible for keeping up with their coursework, and those enrolled in
band class are no exception. Montgomery Catholic band directors Alex and
Kristine Johnson had to come up with solutions to keep their students engaged.
“We can’t put students together in any ensembles,” said Alex.
“To keep up with their instruments, they are working on scales and etudes which
they record and send to us for feedback.”
The students receive assignments from the Johnsons, and they
must practice daily in order to keep up. Using their laptops and cell phones,
the students then record themselves playing and email these videos to their
teachers.
“Individuals are highly accountable on a daily basis for
material,” Alex added. “This method gives us an opportunity to give highly
detailed feedback to each individual.”
And while they are not able to play in groups, the students
themselves have come up with creative ways to create socially responsible
ensembles. Senior Theo Hornsby, a trumpet player, recorded a video where he
performed all 8 parts of a trumpet octet, Infinite Ascent by Erik
Morales.
“He’s very motivated to stay in top shape,” said Alex. “And
while it’s challenging to play along with a recording that is six and a half
minutes long, he was able to do it 8 times.”
Montgomery Catholic’s middle and high school band programs
had a record number of students who were accepted into the All-District Bands
and All-State Bands. 12 students from the middle school and 13 students from
the high school were chosen to perform in the ABA District VI Honor Bands, and
of those, 3 middle school students and 11 high school students were accepted
into the All-State Honor Bands. Additionally, for the second year in a row, the
7th grade band, 8th grade band, and high school band all
achieved overall “Superior” ratings at the annual Music Performance Assessment,
which is the highest rating a band can achieve. Ensembles are judged on
specific areas, such as tone, intonation, technique, rhythm, balance, and
musicianship, and are given an overall score based on their subcategory scores.
