Kelly Ealy (left) and Deirdre Gilmore play the euphonium for the first time.
Only a few people attended Parent Band Camp, but they made a lot of noise.
NIC’s “parent band camp” commenced Thursday, Sept. 29 in Boswell Hall Room 102. NIC Wind Symphony Director, Terry Jones, created the camp so that parents could learn how to play their child’s instrument. All parents of beginning band students, past or present, were invited. As this was Jones’s first attempt at “parent band camp,” only two mothers showed up for the evening.
Kelly Ealy, Coeur d’Alene, marketing, came because she thought it would be a fun experience. Her son Connor Ealy, 18, has a scholarship at NIC for playing the euphonium, also known as the baritone, in the NIC Jazz Band.
“I used to play [the flute] in the band in high school and I wanted to meet Terry, the director, and just see what’s going on,” Ealy said.
Deirdre Gilmore, Post Falls, CNA at Kootenai Medical Center in the ER, also studied the flute in high school. She said she decided to attend after her daughter brought home a slip of paper inviting all parents to band camp. Her daughter Destiny Gilmore, 11, is a flutist.
Ealy was given her son’s instrument, the euphonium, for the evening. The euphonium is similar to a tuba, but smaller. Gilmore was also given a euphonium in order to keep the lesson synchronized and because there were no flutes available.
Both mothers were eager to attempt the new instrument. Lots of giggling and “remember that one time at band camp” jokes ensued.
Since both mothers already knew how to read music, Jones went directly to the basics of the euphonium. Before the women were allowed to play the instrument, they had to practice embouchure with just the mouthpiece. Embouchure is the use of facial muscles and shaping of the lips to the mouthpieces of woodwind and brass instruments. Jones said there are 37 muscles in the face, and all 37 must be used in order to play the euphonium.
For about 10 minutes, the two mothers enthusiastically sputtered into the mouthpiece of the euphonium until they could make a sound that did not sound like a duck farting.
Jones had the two women attach the mouthpiece to the rest of the instrument and then directed their attention to the large projector screen, which displayed simple sheet music consisting of single notes and rests in a 4-count beat.
Jones played along on his trumpet as he led the mothers through the measures. The goal was to play “Mary had a Little Lamb” by the end of the hour. After about five minutes of practicing, Jones began adding more notes.
Jones instructed the mothers to rest after each set so that they wouldn’t over extend their lungs and pass out.
One of the women suggested that next time there be wine, but Jones replied that he doubted the president’s council would give him permission.
Jones led the mothers through increasingly complex measures until they learned all the notes and rests needed to play, “Mary had a Little Lamb.”
By about 7:55 p.m. the women were ready to attempt the nursery song. Jones played the trumpet along with the mothers in a slow and charmingly clumsy rendition of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The very last technique Jones taught was how to open the euphonium in order to empty any spit built up inside of the instrument.
Both mothers said they enjoyed the experience, and agreed that the hardest part was learning how to control all of the facial muscles in order to get the right pitch.
“I think it was great,” Jones said. “That’s the first time they both played brass instruments and I thought they did a great job. They were troopers.”
Jones said that his study of African music for his NIC World Music class is one of the main inspirations for starting a parent band camp. Last summer, at a workshop hosted by a Tanzanian man, Jones learned about the participatory nature of music in African culture.
“As Americans, we have this passive attitude toward music. We want to watch from the sidelines, but that doesn’t exist in Tanzania,” Jones said. “Most African languages don’t even have a word that separates music from dance.”
Jones said he hoped the camp would educate parents and helps them empathize with their children’s frustrations at learning an instrument.
“A lot of young kids will have thousands of dollars of instruments, like a saxophone, so I thought I could teach parents how to care for this expensive equipment,” Jones said.
Jones said he would be pleased if the camp inspired parents to learn an instrument along with their child.
“If music education is going to survive, we need to think of ways to be more inclusive,” Jones said.
The “camp” is free and will run from 7 to 8 p.m.Tuesday nights from Oct 6-20 in Boswell Hall Room 102.
