Countdown + warmup + audio track.
It equals a great start to every rehearsal.
The beginning of class sets the tone for the rest of the rehearsal. But with young bands, a variety of individual requests can pull you, the instructor, away from getting rehearsal started. Any given day, you could find yourself needing to:
- Get music for a student who can’t find theirs
- Troubleshoot an instrument
- Replace a worn-out woodwind reed
- Track down an absent student
- Grab an item that you forgot in your office (it happens to the best of us!)
Here’s an example designed for second-year players.
…all while trying to get the warmup started.
With the Amplified Warmups system, the director doesn’t have to do anything more than pull up an audio track and press play. That audio track begins with a one-minute countdown, getting students in their seats, ready to play. Then, the track leads the band through the entire warmup. And with that, the first five minutes of rehearsal are covered.
Amplified Warmups is like having an extra band director in the room.
With the band covered, you are free to take care of all the other needs that come up. Or, you can move off the podium, anywhere in the room. You can…
- Check in with individual students
- Sit down and model what good posture and participation looks like
- Listen up close to individuals or sections
- Give the percussionists some needed attention
The most helpful part of this system is that rehearsals get started consistently without stress. It sets the tone for a great rehearsal, every time. But what’s also great about these warmups is they offer…
Excellent skill development for your bands.
With four different levels and nine complete warmups in total, this system provides a new level of challenge every semester through the first four years. With these warmups, your bands will develop…
Tone quality . . . Breath support . . . Concept of air . . . Ensemble blend . . . Tonguing and slurring . . . Articulation styles . . . Dynamics . . . Range . . . Flexibility . . . and more.
Your students will be set up to succeed in three ways.
- The audio track models what the band should play, so they’re automatically getting reinforcement on how they should execute pitch, intonation, rhythms, articulations, dynamics, note length, and more.
- Individual parts are complete with fingering guides to new notes (for the first three years) and reminders on how to properly play the lines. Click here for an example of an individual part.
- These exercises are made to be fail-proof. These warmups are built around exercises that can be played imperfectly and still be beneficial. That said, you are free and encouraged to stop the warmup and say something if it needs to be better. But if you are busy, no worries – you can get it next time.