The Growing Band Director (149) Teaching from the Light, The Yamaha Harmony Director and The Carmel Band Program Throwback
Oct 4, 2025
Michael Pote, Carmel High School band leader known for ensemble tone and pedagogy, and Kyle Young, Carmel associate director and Harmony Director co-author, discuss teaching from the light and student-centered rehearsal culture. They explore the Yamaha Harmony Director and practical exercises for tone, tuning, overtone training, and sustaining a top-tier program through leadership transition and daily ensemble habits.
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Pyramid Exercise For Balance
- Build balance by adding sections one at a time using the pyramid exercise so each player fits inside existing sound.
- Teach players to listen for the overtone as they enter to find their correct balance and pitch.
Sing The Overtone, Feel The Vibration
- Use overtone-only singing to make the F feel like two pitches (F + C) and center concert pitch.
- Teach students to put a hand on their chest to feel vibration and confirm resonance while humming.
Train Thirds Down, Fifths Up
- Teach the mini-scale that adjusts the major third down ~13 cents and the fifth up ~2 cents using Harmony Director slides.
- Use simple language (significant/slight) rather than cents so students can apply adjustments quickly.
