Cheryl & Darryl Ferguson
We have presented Professional Development Sessions for Manitoba's Tempo Music Conference, the Canadian Band Association, Brandon University's Da Capo Music Conference, the Canadian Music Educators Association National Conference, the Ontario Band Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Band Association, and many school divisions.
We would love to have the opportunity to present sessions for your music educators! Music educators love to hear immediately applicable ideas from professionals "in the trenches".
Sample sessions that we have presented are listed below, but we are happy to discuss constructing sessions to fit your needs.
Intellect Versus Intuition in Your Musicianship
Do you rely more on your intuition or your intellect when making musical decisions? Would a shift in mindset benefit you as a musician? This session explores these questions and more, and includes practical examples of how to implement this thinking in your performance today.
The Heightened Importance of Being a Musician in the Digital World
How does the use of instruments versus devices impact us as human beings? This session explores how being an instrumental musician feeds all that is most important about being human beings.
Ideas for Developing Musicians During Pandemic Restrictions
This session will explore creative ways to keep students engaged and meeting curricular outcomes no matter the limitations. It will include a discussion of how age, experience level and learning style may impact the teaching approach.
Motivation, Recruitment and Retention
What motivates students to demonstrate engagement and follow-through? How do we build a program or classroom that has an environment of excitement and drive to learn? How do we attract and retain amazing, enthusiastic and energetic students? We will discuss the importance of motivating students in varied ways and also identify key steps to take in each month of the school year to ensure healthy enrollment.
How to Choose and Teach Repertoire for Ensembles of Various Levels
How do you accommodate beginners and proficient musicians in the same room, ensuring all students can meet learning outcomes? This session will explore approaches to teaching, choosing repertoire and adjusting repertoire so all can develop their skills individually for the benefit of the larger group… without losing momentum!
How to Focus on Fundamentals Without Losing Student Interest
In a post-pandemic band world, many of us are or will be disappointed in the sound of our bands. This session will explore ways to address the fundamentals in exciting ways for young students, and in a mature fashion for high school students. This will include ideas that can be used immediately in your bands, whether they are meeting in person or online.
Rehearsal Strategies for Young Jazz Ensemble
Ideas to get your beginning and 'less-experienced' jazz ensemble up and running! Topics include rehearsal strategies to develop great style and fundamentals, beginning improvisation techniques, section-specific considerations and developing a thriving 'jazz culture' in your band room.
In Sickness and in Health
Recruiting and retention strategies and ideas in a COVID-19 world and beyond!
Setting Effective Goals for Success
This session addresses how to form and define personal and musical goals and how to take action to ensure these goals are met. This session can be directed towards music educators and goals for their music programs, or directed to a student audience for their own personal musical goals.
Great Charts for Young Jazz Ensemble
Tips and tricks for getting your beginning jazz ensemble off to a great start. Topics covered include ideas for selecting the band, establishing a positive culture in your ensemble, introducing jazz styles (including swing and Latin styles), 'tried and true' repertoire suggestions and ideas for introducing improvisation to beginners.
What They Play Determines Whether They Stay: Choosing Repertoire That Aids in Retention and Satisfies the Curriculum
This session includes an overview of what types of pieces may help you reach your goals in the band program, and will investigate the important link between repertoire choices and student retention. Also included are suggestions for specific repertoire (Grade 0.5-5)
A New Type of Leader
There are many kinds of leaders and many ideas of what constitutes leadership in our classes. This session will investigate our pre-conceived ideas about leadership and present some challenging questions about who our leaders are, the role we want our leaders to play and what we are doing to nurture these different types of leaders.
This session can be tailored for educators or for students.
Programming, Pace and Product: How Choosing the Right Repertoire Can Get Your Band Off to a Great Start
This session will present a variety of ideas and considerations for choosing literature that will help you achieve your music and curricular goals. Topics covered include considerations when selecting a method book, and the importance of programming various composers, styles and tonalities to help develop musical literacy. Repertoire suggestions will be provided (Grades 0.5-5)
Getting Your Students to Fall in Love...With Band Music!
Strategies for helping students develop a passionate connection to band music. Content includes meeting students where they are at developmentally, using social experiences to connect students to the music and each other, and the importance of student voice as a reason to get your students to start a love affair with band music.
The Numbers Game: Strategies for Developing and Maintaining a Thriving Band Program
This session focuses on Ideas to help promote the retention of music students in our band program. Topics include some reasons for students not continuing to study music in our schools, and ideas to resolve these issues and help enrolment increase in your music program.