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| Photo: Darryl Johnson II |
"Students were able to learn from visiting composer Darryl Johnson II" reports The Reflector.
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| COMPOSER DARRYL JOHNSON II helps three different school bands learn to play and better understand his music. Photo courtesy of Woodland Public Schools |
Composer
Darryl Johnson II visited Woodland Public Schools’ band classes during
the district’s Meet the Composer event in late May to teach students how
to play his music, while also educating them on the process of
composing for a variety of different bands and instruments.
Bryana Steck, band director at Woodland Public Schools, organized the Meet the Composer Event to provide students with an engaging experience to better understand music.
“For me, taking part in band clinics when I was a student had a huge impact on me; performing the composer’s music in front of them provides so much insight into how to play the music and what they were thinking when they were composing the music,” Steck said. “Johnson gave excellent instruction to help the students find different ways to create the intricate sounds he listens for in his pieces.”
Johnson worked with three different Woodland school bands to help them learn and play five of his pieces during his visit – the Woodland Middle School Band, the Woodland High School Concert Band and the Woodland High School Percussive Ensemble, a new band class offered for the first time this semester. After working with the different classes throughout the day, the three bands performed a special concert for parents and Woodland community members that evening.
Steck created the Percussive Ensemble Class in order to introduce students who might not have previous experience playing musical instruments or reading music to the joy of playing instruments. Students in the class learned to play a variety of traditional percussive instruments and also learned innovative styles of play by using large plastic buckets as drums.
Bryana Steck, band director at Woodland Public Schools, organized the Meet the Composer Event to provide students with an engaging experience to better understand music.
“For me, taking part in band clinics when I was a student had a huge impact on me; performing the composer’s music in front of them provides so much insight into how to play the music and what they were thinking when they were composing the music,” Steck said. “Johnson gave excellent instruction to help the students find different ways to create the intricate sounds he listens for in his pieces.”
Johnson worked with three different Woodland school bands to help them learn and play five of his pieces during his visit – the Woodland Middle School Band, the Woodland High School Concert Band and the Woodland High School Percussive Ensemble, a new band class offered for the first time this semester. After working with the different classes throughout the day, the three bands performed a special concert for parents and Woodland community members that evening.
Steck created the Percussive Ensemble Class in order to introduce students who might not have previous experience playing musical instruments or reading music to the joy of playing instruments. Students in the class learned to play a variety of traditional percussive instruments and also learned innovative styles of play by using large plastic buckets as drums.
