GAS Music Teachers Meeting 30​th​ March Minutes

Discussion
Review of the Music Program, Students and Teaching Methods through February and
March
Recorder​:
3​rd​ are split. Hold and up and down. Need a method Book. 2​nd​ Holding recorder, this is my
recorder. Wash the recorders. 2 buckets – one water and one dettol, towels. table
Violin Jr.:
Hannah 1,2 all parts, rest and play position. 3​rd​ split. New to the violin. Hannah is taking them,
Puran Heads it.
Puran: Book resource is being used – rhythm beat dynamics, sounds, percussion.
Violin
Kamal: Imrpoving. Posture. Bow hold. Many strings are dead making an irritating sound. Violins
should be checked for bridges at least twice a week. Rosin is needed. Make them wash hands.
Not doing 8​th​.
Hannah: 4​th​ – challenge. Intonation. Posture is good. Bow is fine. Some investing time. 7​th​ and
8​th​ are a lot better than 6th
Suvhum: Overall improving. Some need extra lessons. Know the notes but find it difficult to read
quickly. Fingers in the right places. Posture. Scales for 8​th​ – fingering for sharps cannot
remember.
Viola​:
Urbanus: Posture, bow hold, Older- rhythm, class 7 notes. 8 – intonation, new students. Some
are surprisingly brilliant with some help. Strings for violas are dead
Cello​:
Devraj: Overall very well. Posture focus. Some are using violin style fingers. 5​th​ – Pavitra who
are non responsive. Experienced kids have problem with rhythm like Ayush. Solo lessons
during ensemble as some are pretending for two periods. 2 cellos without sound post. 1 is
broken. Bridge and strings.
Piano​:
Sophie: Improving. Nice to have concert. Play new songs all the time. We have a method.
Sometimes they expect a little more fun.
Virgil: Foundation is being strengthened with posture, lifts, wrist rolls. We are breaking it down
for them. What to look for in the score first second etc. First clap the rhythm, then figure out the
pitch with fingering, then count and play.
Ensemble 45:
Puran: Bow patterns. New students taking time. Not enough instruments. Listening time.
Dynamics and difference between beat and rhythm. Performed for students.
Ensemble 67:
Prajal: Overall its going well. Minuet Mike Nelson. Focusing on dynamics and looking at the
conductor. Presence of other teachers is a great help
Ensemble 80:
Suvhum: Improving. Tempo , rhythm, fingering. Music that I wrote myself everyone gets to play
one after the other.
Terry: One ensemble class per week so maximise the time. Practise the music first. Teachers
should perform more for the students. Is available to accompany.
Observations by Virgil:
Congratulations on the commitment to these points, but lets improve too
Clearer instructions and classroom management – students need structure to become
comfortable and confusion leads to their behaviour being labelled as misbehaviour
Immediate rewards – That was good or good job – they will play it correctly with more probability
Punishment – First Ignore, Second look, Third point out that they are disrupting class and give
their first warning and then second warning, Fourth exclude them but not out of class or facing
the wall, but in full view of the board and the teacher.
Breaking down tasks to the level of the students – Have a plan that is centred around an
objective that you want to achieve. This should be as focussed as ‘Beat’ or ‘Crotchet’ for that
particular lesson
Creativity and Initiative – solutions to the challenges with each student.
Energy and Team Work
Group Lessons – Getting a hang of it but we need to see how to balance the differential skill
We need to remember these:
Written plans that are accessible to both teachers in class with ‘Who’ will instruct or take charge
of What and When in class. Only one person gives instructions at one time. Do not butt in, but
politely go up to the one in charge and suggest or ask to address the issue.
No sounds or distractions during instruction time that will make the kids look away.
Accompanists should not play during instructions or when they have not been instructed to play.
Get kids to sing softer with control so that they can play softly.
If a class has been assigned you can only leave for an urgent washroom break after you inform
the co-teacher or manage your time better so that you do not have to leave. Attending calls is
distracting during class time.
Students should not assemble before class and waste time. Rather they can use this time to
visit the washroom, drink water and wash their hands before touching their instruments
Classrooms have to be kept in order. All chairs and stands against the walls neatly. Students
have to be instructed and taught.
It depends on each teacher how they want to manage extra classes with weaker students. In
class, the brighter ones can get extra music to work out on their own while you focus on the
weaker ones.
Touching kids during classes results in some kids getting more attention and taking advantage
creating a problem while managing the classroom. Teach students to understand the difference
between class time and out-of-class time.
Keep phrases ready like ‘Let’s applaud them’ or ‘Give him/ her a big hand’ or ‘That was good’
etc so that it is not an order or chore but genuine appreciation.
When new songs are being introduced, it should be shown to Virgil beforehand to ensure that
the language is correct including pronunciation.
Entries and Exits in class should be quiet and the Welcome song should be the first thing they
sing or it loses its meaning – being a way of dissociating with the previous class and entering
your class
All lessons should begin with warm ups
Jam sessions out of the staff room including movies and games. Use your free time to prepare
for class and practice your instrument.
Kamal, Suvhum and Devraj will come in at 8:30 starting Monday as no lessons are scheduled
with Boarders after school on the weekdays. Kamal will join the Recorder Classes 1,2,3 and
Suvhum will join the Violin Classes 1,2,3 except on Wednesdays when they have a weekly off.
Adam​ will be arriving on the 7​th​ and work closely with the piano students and conducting the
ensembles.
Major Resolutions​:
Ensemble
Ensemble Lessons will now be conducted as such:
80 – Ensemble Class as a lesson until we are ready to put them together in an ensemble.
These will perform for visitors along with Teachers. Violin Suvhum, Kamal, Hannah, Viola
Bidhan, Cello Devraj.
67 – 1​st​ Class 6 is conducted by Prajal and 7 gets an extra lesson with Violin Suvhum, Kamal,
Hannah, Viola Terry, Cello Devraj. Then switch.
45 - 1​st​ Class 4 is conducted by Puran and 5 gets an extra lesson with Violin Suvhum, Puran,
Hannah, Kamal, Viola Urbanus, Cello Devraj. Then switch.
Repertoire for each ensemble will focus on rhythmic pieces with few pitch (translates to few
finger changes).
Missed Points
Teachers should use their free time to ​sort out the books​ in the Ensemble Room. This needs
to be completed by April 5 and put into the cupboards on April 6 post the Teachers Meeting and
the 12pm lesson. Kindly keep method books, solo, duet, ensemble repertoire separate within
each Instrument books pile. Virgil will relabel the shelves.
We need to start filling in the ​Student Progress​ sheet for those we teach. It is not mandatory to
write every class but every student should have a comment by the end of the month that include
each of the areas mentioned. Do keep a track of their progress in a focussed manner and not
just ‘feeling based’. Please write your initials before you write your comment. Example: VR
Shows some improvement in recognition of note values. If two teachers or more are writing for a
student for that month, kindly click on the last character of the comment and press
CTRL+ENTER and then put your comments starting with your initial so that the comments
remain in the same box. Kindly enter their baseline feedback for February and the current
progress for March. Please do check whether the instruments are correct and all the names of
your students are on the list. This has to be done for boarders too. Kindly enter their present
baseline feedback for March.
Please fill in the ​Boarders’ Attendance​ at the Lessons on Google Drive. The system is P for
Present, A for Absent, A (Inf) for Absent but informed (If they inform Virgil, he will put that in), L
for Late by 5 min or more or L (inf) for if they inform in advance that they will be late. New
students have been slotted in today. Virgil has put an A already for them. Orchestra and Choir
will be entered at the rehearsals. Someone should take charge of this every rehearsal
Please note your ​official work timings​ as will be given to Fr. Binod. 0830 – 1515 hrs (6h45m)
on weekdays and 1145-1630 (4h45m) on Saturdays. Henceforth, if you will be taking leave or
will be late etc, kindly inform Fr. Binod for official reasons and me or on the music teachers
group for practical reasons, so that someone can step in for you.
Do collect folksongs for July when the Music Teachers from the USA arrive.
Students need to start performing at assemblies​ – short solo/ duet pieces are fine
Virgil will lay out all winds and brass instruments and we need to take photos of the instruments
and send it to Manvinder to identify them.
Fr. Binod, Vivian Sir, Pemba Sir and Jerome Sir will be away from April 11-27. In their absence
Virgil will be teaching classes and Sophie will have to manage piano alone. Many of us will be
given substitution with plans given in advance.

End of minutes