The Growing Band Director Trae Blanco - Habits of a Successful Teacher
Apr 29, 2022
Trae Blanco, a collegiate band director and clinician known for rehearsal technique and ensemble musicianship. He discusses setting high, non-negotiable standards, choosing repertoire that fits your group, building student ownership and leadership, practical directed-listening and pencil-rehearsal strategies, and using clinicians to reinforce long-term habits.
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Praise People And Critique Instruments
- Give praise personally and critiques instrument-specifically to avoid discouraging students.
- Trae praises named students (e.g., 'Kyle, great solo') but tells sections instrument-focused fixes (e.g., 'Clarinets, intonation in the throat register').
Use Guided Listening Exercises For Rehearsal Skill
- Train listening with recorded excerpts and expert feedback to teach what to fix and why.
- Andrew Boysen Jr.'s book collects recordings, asks teachers what they'd fix, and supplies model answers and scores for rehearsal training.
Directed Listening Solves Balance First Then Intonation
- Focus listening by assigning who to listen for at specific moments to solve balance and intonation.
- Trae borrows the Directed Listening Model: pencil dynamics and marking who carries a line to fix perceived tuning issues.
