It’s that time of year again when I start getting more traffic to my posts on teaching my woodwind methods class, and sales of my textbook start to pick up. If you’re scrambling to prepare a new woodwind methods course, here are a few resources:
- Sample woodwind methods syllabus: feel free to steal or adapt
- Concept-based woodwind methods: I started teaching the class this way because of limited small-university resources, but now I don’t think I would teach it any other way
- Things you don’t need to cover in woodwind methods class: skip the unit on contrabass flute and focus on the essentials
- Things you need to cover in woodwind methods class: fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals, and don’t shortchange the double reeds
- Observing woodwind playing objectively and Connecting observations to techniques: lay the groundwork for your music education students to become thoughtful, methodical teachers of the woodwind instruments
- And of course my book, Woodwind Basics, designed to pack the most essential concepts into short, easy-to-read chapters at a bargain price
What questions do you have about teaching woodwind methods classes? Let me know.
