Sound Differentiation: Interview with the Authors

Sound Differentiation is a motivational, time-saving supplemental resource that provides differentiated parts for 15 well-known tunes—perfect for a variety of teaching situations, including odd or incomplete instrumentation, or when working with a mix of ability levels. The arrangements in this collection are ready for use in an adaptable format with identical parts for all instruments. The featured parts are tune, bass line, harmony, and variation, and each one can be assigned to your choice of soloists, instrument sections, or difficulty-leveled groupings of students of both like-instrumentation or mixed-instrumentation.

We recently spoke with the authors of Sound Differentiation —father-daughter trio Bob Phillips, Becky Bush, and Sarah Lenhart—to learn more about the unique challenges the book addresses, what it was like writing together as a musical family, and their musical backgrounds.

What unique challenges were you facing in the classroom that inspired Sound Differentiation? Who is it for?

Bob : My students learned and progressed at very different rates. It is difficult with large beginning classes to insure that all students will be successful and therefore continue. We wrote the book so teachers have the necessary resources to address the needs of all children.

Becky : When teaching large beginning string classes, the biggest challenge I have faced is providing instruction where all students can be successful and be pushed to the highest level. Sound Differentiation is full of materials that we have used for years to solve this issue! It is for all beginning teachers and students.

Sarah : Teachers don’t have time to create all the materials that they would like to so this book provides what I wished I had when teaching beginners. It provides easier parts and more challenging parts. Having all the parts available makes it easier to use these songs for concerts and to spend more time with them so the important playing position issues can be thoroughly addressed.

What are some of the unique features of Sound Differentiation ?

Bob : This book has leveled parts so every student can succeed. By using the suggestions for arrangement these beginning tunes can be lengthened to serve as performance pieces in concerts as well as giving students a variety of parts to play.

Becky : Sound Differentiation has parts that can be used at the same time in one class of varying leveled students. Teachers can have students play an open string bass line, the melody, or a harder variation all together so that every student is successful and challenged. Teachers can make up their own arrangements or follow the ones provided depending on their situation.

Sarah : This book is adaptable to any teaching situation and really can be used in a customized way to meet each teacher’s needs for their classroom. I would have loved to use it in any of the five school districts where I have taught.

How is it similar to the other Sound Innovations for Strings books?

Bob : This is a perfect companion and tune supplement to Sound Innovations, Book 1 .

Becky : Sound Innovations Book 1 teaches each note sequentially, while this book provides all of the tunes that you would need for your first year concerts with arrangement flexibility.

Sarah : A method book teaches each concept. Sound Differentiation complements the method book because it is sequential and provides tunes which helps motivate students.

What are some examples of teaching situations that you’ve been in where you’ve had to really differentiate your teaching for different levels of students and learning styles?

Bob : Every day of the first year of instruction you have students who learn at different rates. The issue is to give the students moving more slowly enough time to succeed and the enough material for the students who move quickly all while playing the same piece.

Becky : In each district and class I have taught, I have had students that learn at varying rates. When I have a class of 45-85 beginners there are always students who need a slower pace to be successful and students who are ready for the next challenge. I have also had students who are in the beginning class who have previously played and this book provides a great resources for both of these situations.

Sarah : This provides variations which challenge the students who have already played. I have taught in pull-out lesson formats and in large groups and in every situation there are students learning at different rates.

How long have each of you been teaching?

Bob : I taught beginners for 28 years and have been working in schools with string students for 44 years.

Becky : I have been teaching in a variety of settings including private studio teaching, heterogeneous beginning classes, homogeneous beginning classes, middle school, high school, and youth orchestras for over 20 years.

Sarah : I have taught private lessons and 5th–12th grade strings for 20 years. I have taught in 5 districts which gives me a unique perspective of different programs. I have taught on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

Becky and Sarah: What was it like writing a book with your dad?

Becky : It was great to be able to co-author this book with my dad and sister. We have similar teaching styles but such a wide variety of teaching experiences that we were all able to bring different insights to the experience. We have all worked together in many different settings over the years so it was an easy process. We are certainly all more candid since we are family and know each other so well, so it probably speeds up the writing process. My sister and I always see it as our lifetime job to keep my dad in line with humor so this process was no exception.

Sarah : It was fun to write it together! We kept returning to the guideline of let’s write it how we actually teach and what we know has worked in all of our classrooms. Agreeing on ideas was easy. We were writing most of it in the summer so all the kids would be outside playing so we would joke that his other writing partners didn’t show up with 6 kids running around in his yard.

What was your musical upbringing like? What’s your favorite family musical moment?

Becky : I was raised in a musical family and started violin lessons at the age of 4. I enjoyed playing but really got serious about lessons in high school and fell in love with teaching while working at a summer ASTA camp. My favorite family musical moment is probably playing at family events such as weddings and funerals. It is so special to be able to be a part of these as a family.

Sarah: Music was always a huge part of our lives. My parents encouraged use to also pursue other things so we were well-rounded. I think this makes us better teachers. My favorite musical memory was playing at my grandmother’s funeral because it was a powerful way to contribute to the service together. We thought it was normal to travel with 6 instruments in the mini-van including a bass and the luggage in the car top carrier.

How did your parents influence your teaching style?

Becky : I have great respect for my dad’s experience because I was a student in his orchestras from 5th-12th grade so I have seen the power of his approach first hand. My personality is similar to my dad’s so we have a natural similarity in teaching style. I’ve learned from mom’s driven ability to see the big picture while being diligent about every detail and this has paid off in every teaching endeavor.

Sarah : My dad is the most influential person in my teaching style. He was my orchestra teacher for 8 years and our personalities are similar so I know I model most of what I do after him even when I don’t realize it. He taught me to focus on each student’s strengths, always be positive, and brainstorm solutions. My parents ran the Saline Fiddlers together so watching my mom do the music business part certainly taught me how to organize events and concerts. Her integrity shaped me as a person and I think who we are as people has just as much impact on students as the content we teach them.

Bob, what was it like writing this book with your daughters?

Bob :It was a real joy. Everyone had great ideas and perspectives. We represent a combined 75 years of teaching experience in a variety of states and school districts and beginner starting levels. In addition both Becky and Sarah have extensive private teaching experience. I have done clinics in almost every state in the United States so between all of us we have a very broad understanding of the American string classroom.

What’s your favorite family musical moment?

Bob : We had a family string band called the Phillips Family Fiddlers that was so much fun. We performed a lot and really enjoyed it. Pam Phillips ran the group, so it was a true family effort.

To learn more about Sound Differentiation, visit alfred.com/sounddifferentiation .