Using Repertoire to Create Positive Ensemble Experiences for Students

Repertoire selection is one of the most significant decisions made by ensemble directors. Thoughtfully selected repertoire can properly develop students’ technique from concert to concert, cultivate musicality, energize daily rehearsals, and motivate students to practice outside of class. During my career as a school orchestra director, my main objective was to foster successful experiences for my students. The first step in creating those positive experiences was choosing repertoire that met students’ musical needs, engaged them in the music-making process, and excited them about playing their instruments.

To meet these objectives, directors should strive to avoid common pitfalls when choosing music. Some of those common pitfalls could include not fully understanding student performance abilities, perhaps not being completely aware of the specific techniques required in each piece, and not understanding what might truly musically motivate your students. Considering the four strategies below will help directors create positive learning experiences for their students.

1. Set Realistic Expectations

As an adjudicator, the most common concern that other adjudicators and I discuss is that ensemble directors over program. I have found that some directors choose concert repertoire with their hearts instead of their heads. Common examples include programming specific repertoire because directors played it during their middle or high school career, a desire to teach a masterwork, or blindly choosing music based on a recording. Those decisions often lead to unrealistic expectations and result in directors becoming upset when their students do not rise to the challenge. Directors then project their stress onto their students during class, and that negatively impacts the rehearsal environment.

One way to help avoid going down the road of negativity would be to pay close attention when sight-reading new music with your students. Did you stop more than four times because the ensemble fell apart? Were the students in the back of the ensemble lost? If the answers to those questions were “yes,” consider selecting alternate repertoire that will lead to more student success. Yes, most students want to push themselves to learn “hard” music, but it can be demoralizing to those who just stay afloat. “Playing hard music” should not be the goal. Make creating positive musical experiences the goal in your classroom.

2. Know Your Ensemble

Part of setting realistic expectations is accurately understanding your students’ playing abilities. Before selecting repertoire for each concert, make a list of which concepts they perform proficiently and those that need strengthening. With that knowledge, directors can choose repertoire that nurtures their students’ musical development.

Effective programming involves emphasizing the strong sections of your ensemble, limiting the exposure of inexperienced sections, and knowing how hard you can push your students during each concert cycle. I avoided pieces that featured inexperienced sections and selected those that highlighted my ensemble’s strengths. If I have a strong cello section and weak violins, "Canon in D" is probably not the best repertoire choice. While "Canon in D" is an outstanding work, it would not give an ensemble with weak violins the best opportunity to succeed. Also consider the amount of rehearsal time for each concert sequence. If you have a limited number of rehearsals due to state testing and field trips, consider that when selecting repertoire.

3. Determine the Required Technique

Once you narrow down possible repertoire choices for your next concert, dissect each piece to determine what playing techniques are required. I determined what left hand (i.e. shifting, vibrato, various finger patterns, extensions), right hand (i.e. bow strokes, tone colors, stylistic playing, articulations), and music reading skills (i.e. note range, changing clefs, symbols, terminology) were necessary to produce a high-level performance. That information, paired with in-depth knowledge of your students’ performance abilities, will help directors determine how many new concepts occur in the repertoire.

During my time as a public-school director, I used a basic math formula to determine the amount of new skills I wanted to introduce. I also considered what playing techniques I planned to refine. For beginning 6th grade students, creating proper set-up and playing position was my main goal. As a result, I skewed heavily toward refinement (80%) over new skills (20%). I did not want to overwhelm my beginning students with too much information at once. However, the ratio changed as students aged because they had a solid set-up and better multi-tasking abilities: 7th grade (25% new skills and 75% refinement), 8th grade (30% new skills and 70% refinement), 9th grade (35% new skills and 65% refinement), and 10th grade and above (40% new skills and 60% refinement). I found detailed analysis and proper planning gave my students the best chance to create positive experiences.

4. Connect to Every Student

I found another crucial step to successful programming was choosing repertoire my students wanted to perform. If you are like me, I am sure you selected at least one piece of music in your career that your students groaned at every time you asked them to get it out of their folders. If your ensemble population mirrors mine, you have a diverse group of students with a wide array of personalities and an even wider array of musical preferences. I believe it is important to teach students about classical music, but what lasting impact will their ensemble experience have if they do not connect with or like the repertoire? Will it cause students to lose their desire to play in our ensembles?

Many directors program specific genres of music and iconic works, but consider programming works outside of your comfort zone to engage and inspire all students in your classroom. Remember that the experience is not about our preferences; it is about educating and inspiring our students so they become life-long musicians. Finding a variety of pieces that engage all students will help you reach that goal. For example, GPS (Meyer) can introduce Mozart’s "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" to students in an unconventional manner, The Emerald Falcon (Meyer) can teach the students about programmatic music, Moment at Angels Landing (Phillips) can teach students how music and real life can intersect, Gaelic Trilogy (arr. Palmer) can teach students about other cultures, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra arrangements can help students find their inner rock star. As long as the repertoire meets your students’ technical and musical needs, try to choose works that reflect their personalities. Above all, remember to choose repertoire that inspires your students to love music and their instrument!