This school year, due to scheduling changes and the number of students enrolled in band, it made the most sense to have Fine & Performing Art teachers Amy Collins and Eric Vincent teach both Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band together for the first time.
In previous years, Vincent conducted Symphonic Band, a class open to all students and primarily made up of freshmen in their first year of high school band. Collins led Wind Ensemble, which consists of select instrumentalists and requires an audition to join. While they continue to primarily focus on these same classes, they are now both present in the room during each other’s lessons.
“For the most part, I do the Symphonic Band,” Vincent said. “Mrs. Collins will help out in each section or sometimes we will help a whole section of students out and do a sectional rehearsal on the stage.”
While Vincent works with individual sections in Wind Ensemble, Collins can primarily focus on leading the group as a whole. This allows more work to get done in a shorter amount of time.
“I think we can both get a lot more accomplished faster for the students,” Collins said. “Especially when Mr. Vincent can work with a group of students separate from the ensemble, and I can work with the big group. He can pull out ten kids and work on them individually.”
The benefits of having two teachers in the classroom have been especially apparent when students have personal issues arise. Instead of stopping the entire rehearsal to address one problem, one teacher can assist the student while the other continues instructing the larger group.
“We had a student this year switch an instrument for us because we needed someone to play the tuba,” Collins said. “Mr. Vincent was able to work with her one-on-one and help along with the process, where [without two teachers] they would have been on their own a little bit.”
Senior Ben Kahn appreciates the new source of extra help, but feels the general dynamic of Wind Ensemble has not drastically changed.
“It hasn’t been all that much of a change from past years,” Kahn said. “It’s more having two people who can coach individual sections on things. It just allows more work to get done in the same matter of time.”
Sophomore Julia D’Aprile was initially uncertain when she saw Vincent listed as the teacher for Wind Ensemble on her schedule.
“When I read my schedule online, I was confused,” D’Aprile said. “PowerSchool said Mr. Vincent was teaching [Wind Ensemble], and I wasn’t sure why.”
Despite her initial confusion, she has enjoyed the switch so far and feels it has been beneficial.
“It’s been good to have two teachers in the classroom,” D’Aprile said. “There’s a lot of kids in [Wind Ensemble] and with two teachers, they can do things much quicker.”
Sophomore Sedra Alani has also found the presence of two teachers helpful, especially when individual sections of the band are having difficulties.
“Sometimes when a certain section is struggling one teacher can take us to the side and work on our part, while the other teacher is directing,” Alani said. “This helps us feel more confident in our playing and hopefully also helps us in our performances.”
The collaboration between Collins and Vincent has allowed them to naturally pick up on each other’s habits, and even learn something from one another, which is advantageous to the students.
“My style is a little different than Mr. Vincent’s and vice versa, so that’s also beneficial for the students who have a different ear, a different opinion, or a different way of doing things,” Collins said. “I’m learning things from Mr. Vincent like some of the great phrases he has for the kids or strategies that are new to me. I feel like it’s making me a better teacher too to be in the rehearsal and watch that.”
Although still learning from one another, Collins and Vincent already know each other well, so there hasn’t been any true learning curve.
“We’ve been working together for I think 16 years, so I think we know each other’s style a little bit,” Vincent said. “It’s only been beneficial.”
As the Wind Ensemble received Gold at the MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association) festival, Collins and Vincent are eager to continue pushing both band groups towards excellence.
“Hopefully the music department will continue to grow because it’s just a great department and a way to be a part of the school,” Alani said. “It would be great if the band will continue to be strong enough where we need [Collins and Vincent] to be there and both of them helping out at once will make us even better.”
