Steps to a Successful Clinic

1. To be successful in a Clinic Setting one must feel comfortable working with music students on all skill levels.   What can you do to improve students on an elementary level through the most advanced high school level?

2. You must feel comfortable going into a clinic and having the students perform with you as their conductor!   The students are there to learn from your expertise.   They do not want to hear you talk, they can listen to your tape later.   They came to perform.   They want their instrument on their face, or their vocal chords working.

3. During a performance write down three or four specific items where you feel you could help the students improve.   Work on an area you know you can show the most improvement.

4. Know the time frame you have to work with and pinpoint 2 or 3 specific items to work on within this time frame.

5. Know there are specific items you can help them with that will give them immediate success if at all possible.

6. When you go on stage, or go into a separate clinic room, always meet everyone with a smile!

7. Greet the director, and have something positive to say!   You “enjoyed the group’s performance”, “how clear their conducting patterns are to follow”, “what great instrumentation the group has”, etc.

8. Greet the students with the same enthusiasm, smile, and a couple of positive statements about their performance (No one said this was always going to be easy!).   “Wow, you guys were great this morning”, or “that was a nice performance”.   That word Nice, sort of means it was good.   Didn't’t say the performance was Excellent, Superior, Awesome.   It was nice. Be consistent with the grade you awarded for their performance.

9. Compliment soloists, “what a wonderful sound”, “nice lyrical line, expressive playing,” etc.   Even when students have a little trouble, let them know how you understand they can get nervous, and that they will concur this as their playing continues to mature.   Let them know the importance of their contribution to their group’s performance and that the group could not have done this work without their effort.

10. Then go to work with lots of enthusiasm!   Be excited about working with them.   If they are making some progress compliment them and push them to do even more.   They will try, they want to please you.   It is your “bubbly” personality that will make the difference in their performance.  

11. Know that sometimes things do not always work.   And here there is a skill to knowing when to move away from it.   You may show them a method, or technique that their performance skills will not let them grasp right away.   You can still encourage them with a positive statement like, “with a little practice you will have it down”, etc.

12. Remember everyone in the group came to the clinic!   You may be a virtuoso clarinet player and you want to fix those awful embouchures.   Great, please do take a couple of minutes to try and give them the proper concept.   But make sure everyone else gets to play and work on new ideas and techniques. Do not let sections of the ensemble sit idle for long periods of time. How about some of those wonderful percussion techniques you heard, articulation styles, there’s lots to work on.

13. At the end always try to leave them having accomplished something that both they, and you, can feel positive about.

14. At the conclusion of the clinic always thank them for their attention, cooperation, work ethics, and for trying to implement the items you touched on.

15. Take a minute while students are leaving to talk with the director.   Let him know what great students he/she has, how you appreciate his/her student’s cooperation, what a fine job they are doing, etc.

16. Often the clinician does not know anything more than the director.   But your main goal is reinforcement. Sometimes you will say something and the students will smile.   You know they have been taught that.   However, they just are not doing it!   Let them know you know they have been taught correctly, and then tell them, “ now let’s do it!”  

17. Especially encourage all directors.   If you see promise in a young director encourage them.   Remember your early years!   It took time, work, the help of others, etc., for you to become the quality musician you are now!

18. Be respectful of the Director and students, even if they did not have a “good” day.

19. And most of all Have Fun!   If you do not enjoy working with young adults, or you have lost your enthusiasm, then take a little time off.   The students deserve your best.   You can always come back when you have rested a little and you are ready!