How to get Middle School kids to play Marches at the right tempo?

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Here is a copy of responses to the question asked on the Band Directors Group on FB. Great answers.

Bridget Beliveau? to Band Directors

2 hrs  Thursday 9 March 2017·

“So I’m working on a couple of marches with different groups. Chimes of Liberty and High School Cadets and I think my arm is going to fall off. How do you get your kids to play the correct tempo? We start to get it, then they play too loud. We play softer and they slow down. Any tips or tricks for a middle school band director????”

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Heather Staring Melnick stop conducting. Get off the podium. Make them listen. Have one of your snares play straight 8ths with a met in his/her ear
Like · Reply · 5 · 2 hrs
Shane Knupps Trying hard enough to get tired never made any band speed up. If they’re dragging, do less. Use your wrist and conduct smaller.
Like · Reply · 5 · 2 hrs
Metro A. Narcisi III Have snare drummer pound an 8th note pulse while the winds play. If you don’t have a snare drummer that can keep good time, use a metronome in PA system. Also have them play lighter. Don’t conduct, let them listen to the subdivision and count for themselves. If that doesn’t work, throw drum sticks at the kids…if they are nimble enough to dodge a drum stick, then they are nimble enough to play March tempo…. Heeheehee
Like · Reply · 1 · 1 hr
Andrew McKay ^^^^ This. Bigger = louder, right?
Conduct smaller to get their focus.
Like · Reply · 1 hr

 

Carl Rowles Conduct smaller. Lighter. Use only the smallest of flicking motions. If your students have been taught to follow, they will. Most likely, you’ll have to rehearse them to get them to lighten up. Start with the bass voices by themselves, getting them lighter. Then add the “chucks” (boom-chuck) then start layering things back together. They can get it pretty quickly. but YOU have to make sure you aren’t enabling them to play with a heavy style. If you think your arm is going to fall off, i’m guessing your pattern is too big and too heavy. Less is more.
Like · Reply · 1 · 1 hr
Allen Klaes Teach the bass drum and tubas to play in the front of the beat, then put them in charge of tempo and walk away.
Like · Reply · 3 · 1 hr
Keith Walker Tell the tubas and bass drummer that they are in charge, then challenge them to try to rush. Works almost every time.
Like · Reply · 1 · 1 hr
Stephen N Denise Pearce Middle School…”Play faster, kids.” High School…”Play faster.” Adult Concert Band…”Play faster.” Ockham ?
Like · Reply · 2 · 1 hr
Jim DePrizio Turn on the lie dectector… dr. Beat.
Like · Reply · 4 · 1 hr
Michael Saul Try getting off the box and not conducting.
Like · Reply · 1 · 1 hr
Bev Wemyss O’Connor Have them sing their parts with a metronome. Percussion as well
Like · Reply · 1 hr
James Gerrard I agree with what everyone is saying, conduct from the wrist, too many big motions and it’s like yelling all the time, it loses its impact. Save the big gestures for moments that call for it. I also plug my metronome into an amplifier and do sections a few times with it, then without it to see if they can maintain tempo.
Like · Reply · 50 mins
T Kurtis Carpenter Met time. Like, every day. Spend your energy conducting phrases and dynamics while the met is doing the heavy work.
Like · Reply · 39 mins
Mike Aycock Put a metronome ONLY in the ear of the tuba, bass drum, and snare. Have the group keep up with them. Play the march soft and overly (not heavy) articulated and keep time. Then, add dynamics until it is stable. Work the speed slightly too fast for a…See more
Like · Reply · 27 mins

Brian Pitts For me it’s getting the percussion to be right with me. Then I make the band listen. Get them off that metronome as soon as possible or you will be sorry.

Doing Belle of Chicago with my high school 2nd band (2nd of 3).

Like · Reply · 10 mins · Edited
Michael Benoit A very loud metronome
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