Band Olympics

General set up:

Divide your classes into teams. You can do it by sections or instruments however I’ve discovered that
having students draw a color or number makes the teams more even.

Once each team is set have them make up a name for their “country.” I require that the name have
something to do with band such as Brassylvania or Woodwindland. I make a “flag” for each country to
display on the medal board. You could have your students do this if they have access to technology in
the classroom, mine don’t. Also, that takes more time than I am comfortable giving up during class.

The next step is to decide what your events are going to be. I have varied them each year but I will give
you the breakdown of what I am doing this year.

Beginning Band:

Day one: Flashcard mania

Each student must correctly identify a set of flashcards with signs and symbols. The total
number of correct for each student in a country is added together and the average is taken. Gold, Silver,
and Bronze are awarded to the countries with the highest averages. Individual gold, silver, and bronze
are awarded to the students with the highest number correct.

Day two: Longest notes

Time how long each student can hold a note. Again average the times for an average time for
each country. For percussion students I have them tap eighth notes with the metronome and see how
long they can go before losing the tempo or pattern.

Day three:

Each student performs a line from their method book. Their score (out of 10.0) is based correct
notes, rhythms, good posture, hand position, and tone quality. Examples of deductions are minus .5 for
bad posture, minus .5 for bad tone quality, minus.1 for a wrong note, minus .2 for a wrong rhythm.

Each student’s score is totaled and averaged for each country.

Day Four: Windmaster

I have a small (15 peg) and a large (25) peg Windmaster. The students try to blow over all the
pegs in one breath. If they can do the whole small Windmaster they get to attempt the large one.

Each student’s score is totaled and averaged for each country.

Day Five: Rhythms

Each student must count, clap, and play a rhythm pattern

Deductions taken for incorrect counting, not keeping a steady tempo, poor tone quality, hand
position, and/or posture.

Each student’s score is totaled and averaged for each country.

At the end of the week the “country” with the most total medals gets a reward and each student that
gets a medal receives a reward. I am doing the bite size candy bars with the gold, silver, and “bronze”
colored wrappers.

For Seventh and Eighth grade bands

Day one: Concert Bb

Each student receives a score (out of 10.00). Degree of difficulty added. If only one octave is played the
highest score possible is an 8.5. Deductions are taken for bad posture, hand position, tone quality, and
not staying in tempo. Percussion plays scales on a mallet instrument.

Day two- Longest note

Refer to Beginning band day two. I increased the tempo for the percussion in these groups.

Day three- Windmaster

Refer to Beginning band day four

Day Four- Playing a passage from the music for festival

Refer to Beginning Band day three for scoring

Day Five- Play all six middle school honor band scales

Same scoring as day four

High School band

Day one- Concert Eb and Ab (These just happened to be the two scales we were focusing on this
week)
In order to earn a 10.00 the student must play at least two octaves by memory. A one point deduction if
music is used. A one and a half point deduction if only one octave is played.

Day two- Longest note

Day three- Passage from festival music

Day four- Rhythm pattern

Day Five- Play whole circle of 5ths

You can make up your own events and adjust how you score as you see fit. Other “events” I have done
in the past include playing a scale each day, playing the full range chromatic appropriate for each
instrument, and completing theory worksheets. You could also see how long a student can maintain a
pitch in tune. The Tonal Energy app works great for this because it keeps track of that data. Plus the
students can see it work. The longer you maintain pitch the bigger the smiley face gets.

Also I’ve included events such as the stick flip and relay races using ping-pong balls (they must use only
their air to move a ping-pong ball across the floor and back or they must balance a ping-pong ball on a
trumpet mouthpiece while maneuvering around a line of chairs). I have some really immature students
in my middle school and I wanted to maintain focus on technique with the older groups this year so I
chose to leave those events out.