Howard Kim

MUED 206
Jesse Rathgeber
9/19/2017

Summary of Repertoire Selection and Programming

An integral part of being a music educator in an ensemble-based classroom is

programming repertoire for the students. From beginning string ensembles in elementary school
to full-fledged professional orchestras, a common problem among ensemble directors today is
overprogramming, when directors assign too much or too difficult of music to their ensembles.
The goal for any performer and director is for their ensemble to sound good, especially in
performances. The road to a mature and well-developed sound from an ensemble starts in the
classroom. The director must also be an effective educator, mentor, and facilitator in the
classroom. Although they may not be able to pinpoint the problem since they are not experts,
parents and administrators will be able to recognize a good-sounding ensemble from a bad
one. Directors want to ensure that the repertoire has a diverse range of genre and era. The
difficulty of the pieces must also be considered, as too many easy pieces will not challenge and
grow the ensemble, but too many difficult pieces will produce poor sounds and will simply
discourage the ensemble.
One of the most common pitfalls that directors encounter is wanting to program their
personal favorite pieces of music. Directors become biased and fail to see that their ensemble
may not be experienced enough. In such a case, asking a colleague who has no emotional
attachment to the piece if their ensemble is ready could remedy the issue. Another common
mistake by directors is programming too many pieces. The students, but more importantly the
audience, will tire out if the concert is too long. A shorter, more polished concert is much more
enjoyable than a long, dragged out concert. When determining difficulty of the pieces, a good
rule of thumb for the entire set is 25% difficult, 50% reasonable, and 25% easy. When
choosing difficult pieces, directors are tempted to pick a masterwork. Masterworks are intended
to be played by professional orchestras, and plenty of other difficult pieces suitable for less
experienced ensembles exist. To determine the overall skill level of the ensemble, use auditions
and playing tests to hear what the students are capable of.