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MASTERCLASS

 

Montelione's commitment to education has led him to develop a series of masterclasses devoted to helping students of all ages improve their artistic and technical facility. Full length masterclass topics include but are not limited to:

Practice Doesn't Make Perfect

This class will discuss how to practice, the most efficient way to get the desired result and inspire students to want to practice.We guide your students through a series of ideas that will revolutionize the way they practice and will maximize their results. This focused masterclass shows how goal oriented practicing and critical listening can improve anyone’s performance in a very short amount of time. This is a must-have class for high school and college students.

Jazz Improvisation for the Classical Musician

Are you interested in jazz but fear the unknown of creating and then instantly performing music on the spot, in front of people? Have you ever had "a deer in the headlights" sensation when looking at chord symbols? Do you want to play in the jazz band but have limited to no experience with improvisation? Let this class take you and your students on an adventure that leads on a path of discovery that ends in debunking the mystery of a jazz improvised solo. This is ideal for students in need of developing their improvisational skills and for band directors in need of assistance in helping students understand the language of improv.

Brass Calisthenics

Why do athletes go to the gym? If the point of the game is to score more points, then how does bench pressing 350 pounds help their ability to score the most points and win the big game? And how does athletic weight training relate to playing a brass instrument? The answer is uncovered in this class. Brass students discover the similarities between how an athlete trains and how a brass musician should train. This class will provide a series of exercises that are proven to make stronger players and develop the ability to regularly perform in peak condition.

Success Means Failure

Do you want to play high notes? Do you want first chair? Would you like to be an all-state player? Would you like to be accepted to every college you applied to? Then this is the masterclass for you. The "Success Means Failure" experience teaches students about the concept of failure and its importance toward achieving ones goals.

Balance and Blend

Most students practice so that they are able to play with others in an ensemble. But how is a student supposed to practice playing with others by themselves in a practice room. The short answer is they can't. So what ends up happening is a student will join a band and all sorts of ensemble issues arise that increase the band director's frustration level. We're here to help your students understand the art of ensemble playing. We will discuss how to play as a band, what to listen for, who supports and who leads, how to best listen to each other and truly understanding the definition of a dynamic?

Why Watch?

Ever wonder why, some band students ask themselves "why does our director keep asking us to watch her?" As a conductor, ever wonder why you feel the need to say "watch me please!" Then this class will help in developing the tools needed to create osmosis between the band and the conductor.

Brass Basics I

A typical instrument methods class at a music school will spend a very limited time on brass instruments. Yet, brass instruments are one of the most technically challenging to young students, with many of them developing bad habits that they spend years trying to correct. This class is meant to go one step further in your school's curriculum. We break down the trumpet in detail going over topics that address the best way to hold the instrument, how to form a proper embouchure, how to use air, good posture, sound production, and much more.

Brass Basics II

An intermediate class designed for the average high school student who is beyond Brass Basics I. We help students unlock the secrets to developing a higher level of brass sound production, flexibility, articulation and mechanics.

Brass Basics III

An advanced class designed to meet the needs of a college student majoring in music or an advanced high school student on track to major in music.

Flat, Sharp or Just Right?

An interactive educational experience that opens up the student's ear to better understand intonation. Sure, the note is correctly played, but there's nothing right about the note. Most students focus their attention on "getting" the note and it is not until much later that the student begins to understand the concept of tuning. We have discovered an approachable way to introduce the concept of intonation that is fun, educational and will stick with your trumpet players well after the masterclass. 

Sectional Coaching

Preparing for festival, or perhaps an important concert? Then this class might be right for you. Whether it's band, orchestra, or brass ensemble, we will use our extensive knowledge from years of sitting in many ensembles to help students improve their skills playing within their sections. We give students access to our own techniques on tuning, balance, rhythm, cueing, and team work to achieve the best results possible.

Sight Reading

This masterclass helps students better understand how to read music on the spot without any rehearsal. This could be within the context of a first band rehearsal or perhaps at an all-state audition. This class is guaranteed to change the way you think about approaching sight-reading.

The Audition

Learn the ins and outs of how to achieve successful results from any audition. You may practice everyday for hours; listen to your teacher and have your music prepared perfectly but then the day of the audition, you do not play your best. Let us help you avoid this disappointment. Allow us to help unlock the secret to performing the "perfect" audition. 

Beyond The Notation

A class devoted entirely to bringing the music out of the page and effectively expressing your musical ideas. In this class we push the students' imaginations and creativity helping them understand how to translate ideas into an effective musical language.

Montelione Minute Masterclass

In this Montelione Minute Masterclass, Dr. Montelione talks about what is needed to become an artist

In this Montelione Minute Masterclass, Dr. Montelione talks about the components to a well-rounded practice session.

In this Montelione Minute Masterclass, Dr. Montelione discusses ways to be more efficient and more focused in the practice room

In this Montelione Masterclass, Dr. Montelione talks about the five do's and don'ts of auditioning.

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Mentorship

My goals as an educator serve to produce musicians who think critically, independently and creatively. I strive to instill a hunger for knowledge and life-long learning by creating a diverse curriculum that prepares students for the challenges that await them post graduation. 

My hope is that after studying with me, students would leave not only accomplished musicians, but also well-rounded and competent individuals prepared to engage the world around them. Each student is unique and there is no single style of teaching that fits all individuals. My approach centers on determining the type of learning style that works best with each individual. Overall, the environment I seek to develop as a teacher is one that is supportive, diverse, and individualized, fostering fellowship and a sense of community.

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