Contact me!

 

StudioLenthe

Trombones and Euphonium

at Indiana University's
Jacobs School of Music

(812) 855-2828
    .

 
 

StudioLenthe Syllabus

 

Expectations
Semester Curriculum
JSoM procedures
 

Instrumental performance has, for generations and centuries, been taught in a one-on-one setting.  As both a student and teacher, I have always found this to be a distinct privilege, and hope you think so too.  The weekly one-on-one lessons are part of your studio membership, which is an important part of your study career that brings further opportunity and potential but also responsibility.  The following information should help you better understand your studio membership, and know what to expect and prepare around some specific curricular junctures at the IU Jacobs School of Music. 

Please talk to me about any questions you may have.

Carl Lenthe

 

  

Expectations

Studio members should:

- Cultivate and maintain a positive, constructive attitude in your personal work.

- Enroll in the Lenthe section of I500 Master Class.

- Attend and participate in studio and trombone department master classes.

- Be timely and responsive in studio communications (scheduling, etcetera)

  

- Perform in at least one Sunday Open

- Be supportive of and helpful to your fellow studio members and ensemble colleagues.

- Diligently prepare lessons, autonomously when not    specifically dictated.

- Make timely arrangements for studio events & recital hearings.

- Attend recitals of fellow studio members.
  

- Frequently attend (not just trombone) recitals and concerts.

- Participate in ad hoc performances or organize your own.

- Each studio member is expected to be in a small chamber group or combo that rehearses regularly and performs at least once in the semester.

- A quality digital recording capacity is essential.

- Keep a small music dictionary in your case and use it.

- Please consult my Practice Syllabus for information on practice materials and concepts.

- Materials borrowed from the StudioLenthe inventory must be returned promptly, and to Professor Lenthe directly.  A semester grade will not be given until borrowed materials are returned.

Note: In accordance with the JSoM Faculty Handbook, lessons missed or cancelled by the teacher are to be made up at a mutally convenient time.  Lessons cancelled by the student can be made up at the teacher's discretion.

My application of this is that every effort will be made to re-schedule a lesson that is cancelled due to an unavoidable conflict, if reported at least 24 hours in advance.

 

You can expect from your studio membership:

My undivided attention at lessons, my help in recognizing and striving toward realistic but ambitious goals as demanded by our curriculum and your future profession.

14 lessons each semester at 50 minutes each.*

2 or 3 Studio Performance Classes each semester

Weekly master classes led by the trombone faculty, sometimes guest artists

For consultation outside of lessons, please contact me to arrange a mutually convenient time.

* For health and wellness reasons, it is imperative that I leave the confines of my studio for an hourly break.  Please do not take my adherance to this as personally dismissive.  Don't save questions for the last minutes of the lesson.

 

 

Your studio grade (applied trombone or euphonium) is based on the above expectations, as well as attendance, application and progress at lessons.

Three curricular instances in which your actual level of playing is graded are:

- Freshman jury

(BM 1st semester, BME/BSOF 2nd semester)

- Upper divisional exam (usually after 4 semesters of study)

- Graduate Jury

(Early 2nd semester of first year)


- Degree recitals

  

A jury may be called for at any point in your study career. 

 

Semester Curriculum

In addition to the musical and technical repertoire being pursued in lessons, the following should be a regular part of your practice regimen, and will be reviewed regularly in lessons.

- Scales, arpeggios, patterns and figures in all keys

- Multiple tonguing

- Alternate positions

- Play tunes by ear

- Sightreading, clef reading and transposition

- Performance-ready pieces

- Standard musical terms

 

- Fall 2009 -

 

The Fall semester will have an emphasis on performance - attitudes, philosophies, issues

 

Studio Performance Classes

Studio Performance Classes will be held on the following Thursday evenings at 8:30pm in MA452:

SEP 17

All students perform an Etude

OCT 15

Chamber Music

NOV 12

Concerto Competition

Studio Prelims

(finals to bel held in a Sunday Open, early in the spring semester)

  

Swap Weeks

StudioLenthe taught by Professor Ellefson

Swap Week 1: 9/21-25

Swap Week 2: 11/9-13

 

You should know the following

School of Music procedures:

Freshman jury

First year majors: Each first year major is required to play a jury. This is scheduled toward the end of the first semester for performance majors and toward the end of the second semester for concentration majors (BME, BSOF).

The jury is played for the low brass faculty, who grade the jury performance.  The jury grade counts as ½ of the studio grade in that semester.

Jury requirement: major and minor scales, two short selections of contrasting style, and sight reading. Please secure a jury form in the undergraduate office and fill it out as directed. Bring the completed form with you to your jury.

Upper Divisional exam

Second year majors: Each second year major is required to play an upper divisional examination. The upper divisional is a means of determining the viability of further study in the school of music, generally takes place at the end of the second year of study, and is played for the brass faculty. The upper divisional counts as a major portion of grade for that semester.

Each juror’s upper divisional grade plus my studio grade, divided by total number of entries = your semester grade.

Upper divisional requirements: major/minor scales, concerto or sonata selections with piano

Jazz majors play their upper divisional for the jazz faculty, which requires a broader range of scales, ability in improvising and a brief classical selection.

  

Graduate Jury

Graduate juries are expected of all first year graduate students in the trombone studios, and take place as a master class performance early in the second semester.  The jury is graded by the low brass faculty, and factored into the studio grade in that semester.

Jury requirement: a 7-minute concerto selection with piano, scales (all major and minor keys), sight reading and standard audition excerpts.

  

Recital requirements

Undergraduate performance majors (BM) are required to play a junior and a senior recital. Concentration majors (BME, BSOF) are required to play a senior recital. Masters students (MM) are required to play a Masters recital.  The recital is graded by your applied major field teacher (i.e. Lenthe).  DM students should consult with the Graduate office to ascertain the proper number and format of required recitals.

I encourage my students to perform often as, taking advantage of as many ad hoc performance opportunities as possible. These can include recitals, classroom recitals and further opportunities.

Recital hearing procedures

All undergraduate, masters, and PD degree recitals require a hearing played for select members of the brass faculty. Brass hearings are held on most Thursdays beginning at 3:30pm. It is important to plan your recital hearing thoroughly and in a timely manner, including the collaboration with your accompanist. The hearing must be two weeks prior to the recital date. Sign-up for the hearing must take place at least ten days prior to the hearing. A sign-up sheet is posted at Professor Lenthe's studio (MA315). Always sign up for the next available time.

Please note that this timeline requires action on your part approximately 4 weeks before the recital date!

The hearings are usually 25 minutes in length, and a representative selection of your program should be worked out in lessons, although anything on the program may be asked at the hearing.  (Repertoire with ensemble participation may be exempted with teacher approval.)

Note: For StudioLenthe members the degree recital hearing also serves as a jury, with the attending faculty members assigning a grade. This is factored into the semester grade.