Everything Band: Episode 89 - Brian Silvey

The Director of Bands at the University of Missouri, Brian Silvey joins the show to talk about his background, music teacher education, and the importance of conducting gestures.

Topics:

• Brian’s background as a young trombonist from rural Kentucky, the lessons he learned from his band director, and his path to becoming the director of bands at the University of Missouri.
• Music teacher education and the challenges faced by young teachers and the resources to help young teachers succeed.
• Thoughts about differentiated teaching in band, particularly keeping the students who are pushing ahead of their classmates occupied and engaged while not discouraging others.
• Brian’s research into expressive conducting and some interesting findings about the importance of what conductors do on the podium.
• The types of classroom routines that are most effective for classroom management and good rehearsals.

Links:

• Brian Silvey
• The University of Missouri School of Music
• Maslanka: A Child's Garden of Dreams
• Vaughn-Williams: Symphony no. 5

Biography:

Brian A. Silvey is Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Missouri. At MU, he teaches undergraduate and graduate music education courses, conducts the Wind Ensemble, and provides oversight to the entire band program. Dr. Silvey has presented music education research and teacher preparation clinics at state, national, and international venues. Recent presentations have included the International Society for Music Education conference in Baku, Azerbaijan (2018), the Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia (2018), the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois (2017), and the College Band Directors National Association conference in Kansas City, Missouri (2017). He is published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Research Studies in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Journal of Band Research, and the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. He serves currently as Associate Editor/Editor-Elect of Update: Applications of Research in Music Education and as Editor of the Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education. In addition, he also serves on the editorial board of the College Band Directors National Association Research Journal.
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His research interests include conducting expressivity and effectiveness, instrumental conducting pedagogy, and preservice teacher preparation. Dr. Silvey is the past recipient of the MU Writing Intensive Teaching Excellence Award, the School of Music Faculty Excellence Award, and the Gold Chalk Award for Teaching Excellence. He is an experienced events adjudicator, guest conductor, and guest clinician, having worked with bands across the United States.