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All in the Case
Back in the third grade when it was time to select a band instrument to play, my classmates were busy ... -
Mouthpiece Matchmaking
Choosing and playing a mouthpiece ultimately is a personal decision. What works for others might not work for you; what ... -
Learning New Music? Slice It Up
Have you ever been given a new piece of music and struggled to learn it in a timely manner? One ... -
What’s Next?
Now that the school year and indoor season are over, what’s next? If you’re a graduating senior, or it’s your ... -
From Marching to Concert
Flutists face specific challenges balancing marching band with concert band as the style and approach are completely different. Here are ... -
Trumpet Talk 101
Young trumpet players: Let’s talk shop! No matter how long you have been playing, it’s important to develop a solid ... -
Writing for Winter Percussion
Over the last decade working with Homestead Percussion in Cupertino, California, director and music arranger Dave Sankus and I have ... -
Practicing at Home
Instructors expect guard members to put in time conditioning, stretching, and practicing different parts of their show outside of regular ... -
Preparing for College Juries
At the end of each semester or year, college music majors are likely required to perform “juries.” In juries, students ... -
Practicing in the Age of Technology
Being a musician in the information age presents us with many opportunities. We can look up, order, and download sheet ... -
All in the Approach
Want to be successful at playing your instrument? It starts with how you approach it. The “approach” to a drum ... -
Just Keep Breathing
Breath is a key aspect of successful movement, and movement affects every caption score in winter guard competition. Fuel Your ... -
The International Clarinet Association, a Treasure Chest of Opportunities
I love when I discover something new … at least new for me. I got a call to perform the ... -
Three-Part Diet in Playing Music
Hello, readers of Halftime Magazine. I’m excited to share with you my experiences playing chamber music and teaching music. In ... -
Looking Professional for Your Indoor Drumline Performance
We’re only a month or two away from early season winter percussion performances! Here are a few tips to help ... -
Manage Inner Monologue and Mindset in Color Guard
As a performer, it’s impossible to go too long without developing an inner voice that tells you when something was ... -
Learning New Music
Beginning the new marching season is an exciting time with drill to learn and music to master. Learning new music ... -
Band in Japan
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit in with the Hamamatsu (Japan) Commercial High School band. It was eye opening. ... -
The Evolution of Drumline
For this issue’s column, I’m presenting a smorgasbord of awesome observations that show the continued evolution of our great sport. ... -
Perfect Practice
When I first began my love affair with the color guard activity, I thought that the words “practice” and “rehearsal” ... -
Get Ready To Record
So, you want to record a project. What’s the “Where, When, and How” of it? I have 10 solo CDs ... -
Who Built Your Instrument?
I recently had the opportunity to travel to China and Japan to visit the factories where Yamaha manufacturers its musical ... -
Simple Checkpoints
With many percussion rudiments, finding appropriate checkpoints to monitor timing can be extremely useful—more so as velocities increase or during ... -
Cell Phone Cleaning
The first few weeks after your color guard team has learned choreography, the routine is clean and looks awesome. And ... -
Three Pillars of Practice
Two class projects are due. Exams are coming up. Then there’s soccer practice, band rehearsals, track meets. And homework … ... -
One-Stage Attacks
Producing a well-defined initial attack presents a challenge for many brass players to the point that it can become a ... -
Learning in the Lot
You probably find yourself at various times watching outstanding percussion groups during their warmups—in the parking lot at WGI Sport ... -
What Goes Up …
I recently had the privilege of judging the WGI Sport of the Arts World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. For me, ... -
Explore, Expand, Energize
After the excitement of marching season in summer and fall months, rehearsals often become routine when preparing for festival or ... -
Monetizing Music
Articles in the journal from the Toronto Musician’s Association and the website informationisbeautiful.net provide interesting statistics about the impact of ...
