Comprehensive bell-ringers for beginning band

Abstract

The purpose of this practicum was to create supplemental materials for beginning band method books that could be used within the initial minutes of class as bell-ringer exercises. A review of previous literature indicated a gap in existing beginning band method books in their representation of the National Music Standards (2014). The development of the bell-ringer activities was informed by the review of practitioner writing that called for more active participation on an individual level as well as an increase of creative activities that speak to the desire to continue to build comprehensive musicianship. The supplement will include curricular objectives that represent all the National Standards and will emphasize individual creation, connection, and response, as performance is otherwise most often covered through beginning band method books and activities within class. The supplemental material contains 100 bell-ringer activities to accommodate a class that would meet daily for one twenty-week semester. The practicum concludes with a summary and implications for future research. Some of these implications include continued research in educational transitional periods as well as individual active learning within large ensembles.