50 Tips from a youth orchestra director

Here are 50 things I’ve learned from arranging music for and teaching my youth orchestra students.

1. Key signatures matter and can be hard.

2. Beginning violin players don’t like flats … Like a lot

3. They really don’t like flats

4. D major is cool

5. Alto sax players learn sharps quickly because their in Eb and their key music has an extra 3 sharps

6. Syncopation isn’t fun

7. Neither are 16th notes

8. C natural is fine sometimes for violin players

9. Fuck bowings

10. Playing legato is hard

11. Beginning trumpet players don’t like notes above C5

12. Dotted quarter note + eighth note is hard

13. Starting a melody on the “and” of 1 is hard

14. Beginning violin players don’t like flats … again

15. Playing music you know is a big deal

16. If you’re excited, they’ll be excited

17. They’ll forgive your mistakes if you forgive theirs

18. They’ll put in effort if you put in effort

19. Be genuinely excited when telling them they did a good job

20. Saying “this may be too easy for you, so let me know if you need more of a challenge” will get them to try harder … A lot harder

21. Read 20 again

20. Saying “I want to challenge you, but let me know if this is too much. I can change it” will get an honest response

21. Read 20 again

22. Some beginners are well aware that they don’t sound very good.

23. If someone is sight reading and plays the piece kind of alright with a few mistakes, tell them that they did well for sight reading. Remind them how hard sight reading is.

24. Be honest about your own skill level. They don’t see being overly humble the same as you.

25. Letting them know how long it took for you to get to your level can help a lot

26. Tell them they “killed it” when they played well

27. Tell other teachers how well they did

28. Breath control is hard

29. Tonguing notes properly feels weird

30. Fingerings are hard

31. Hearing when you’re out of tune is completely different from being able to play in tune

32. F major is surprisingly hard for beginner violinists. Don’t use that key.

33. Playing by yourself for all your classmates is terrifying.

34. Beginning trumpet players try to breathe too much

35. If you don’t know a fingering when they ask you. Be honest that you’re looking it up for them.

36. Tuning is important

37. Tuning is important

38. Seriously … Remember to have everyone tune.

39. Tuning is important

40. Apologize for messing up. They notice.

41. Seriously apologize if you mess up. They’ll love you for it. And think much less of you if you don’t acknowledge it.

42. They want to have a good time in class just as much as you do

43. Even though they’re kids they’ll realize they don’t have fancy recording equipment. Tell them you know and don’t expect them to have fancy recording equipment. A webcam mic works.

44. Webcam microphones can sound really good

45. Violin always sounds awful on Zoom. Get used to it. Never mention it.

46. Talking too much is really boring

47. Call people by their name

48. At one point whole notes were hard for you. They’ll be hard for all beginners.

49. Tell them they’re playing a simplified version. They won’t be offended. Some will be happy you also realise it’s not the original.

50. Recording yourself is uncomfortable.

Alright that’s it. I hope that was of some value.

ISJ