Brasswind Chamber Music in High School

By Seelan P. Manickam

I recently spoke at a music teacher’s conference about chamber music in the high school system. Something that struck me was how few brass and woodwind programs actually even tackled chamber music. It seems that, at the high school level, chamber music is only done within the strings program. Sure, the programs in well-funded districts might have a chamber music component, but one rarely sees it at the lower funded level.

The reason that this intrigued me was that, in many cases, music educators were fighting to keep their programs alive.  With barely enough musicians to fill out a small band, they still didn’t look at chamber music as a way to help rebuild their programs.  As this was not something that they had been taught while receiving their own music education, the teachers I spoke with were even at a loss as to how to start a chamber music program.

Chamber music, in particular brasswind chamber music, has always seemed to be an afterthought in many musical institutions’ eyes. Considered something that only the string players could be successful at, most schools tended to, and still do, focus on orchestral studies. Thankfully groups such as the Canadian Brass, American Brass, Empire Brass and New York Brass have helped to pioneer this art form and push it forward as a serious musical endeavor.

So how do we change this? We change it at the middle and high school level. In this time of budget cuts to our arts, starting a brass and wind chamber music program is, in my opinion, essential.  Not only are there are many resources out there for easy chamber music, but it allows those programs with smaller numbers a real chance at music making and their small size actually makes the task of arranging works much easier.

Some hints for a successful chamber music program:

• Start early; it is essential that kids have a chance to work on chamber music right from the start. You can start with like instruments and then move on from there.

• Use small combinations, duos, and trios before moving on to quartet or quintet. This allows a students’ ear to develop and get used to hearing the other instruments.

• Make the music relevant. If the students do not recognize what it is they are playing, they are less likely to want to continue.

• Have performances often. Try to strive for a recital at least every two months. The concerts do not have to be long, but it allows the students to set goals and see them realized.

• Finally keep it fun!

In time, an educator who implements chamber music into their program will reap the rewards of a strong and vibrant musical environment. With programs that are more mobile and better able to reach a wider variety of audiences, the “stage is set” for a new generation to explore and discover music. 

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Seelan Manickam began his musical studies on the trumpet at the age of ten. Seelan received his Bachelors of Music at the University of Victoria where he studied with Louis Ranger. He has also finished his Graduate work in trumpet performance at The Boston Conservatory where he studied with Steven Emery. Additional studies have been with Jens Lindemann of the Canadian Brass and Charles Schlueter, principal trumpet of the Boston Symphony. As a top prizewinner of several solo competitions, Seelan has appeared as a frequent soloist with the Boston Chamber Orchestra, Cambridge Choral Society, South Coast Community Chorale and most recently The University of Massachusetts Orchestra.