Lex Grantham
Veteran Member
Joined: 12 Nov 2001
Posts: 345
Location: East Texas
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 Posted: Thu May 30, 2002 10:39 am Post subject: |
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The Prescott System dates back (I believe) to sometime during the 1930s and was basically the work of Gerald Prescott, a music professor at the University of Minnesota.
The underlying concept of the system was to develop appropriate materials for the first 2 years or so for beginning students on wind instruments. Prescott took existing exercises that had already been published by leading authorities of the time for the various instruments.
For example:
Trumpet/cornet - Arban
Trombone/Baritone - Arban
Clarinet - Klose
Saxophone - Universal Method
(et al)
Each book was a condensed manual of materials from the extensive methods for the different instruments. That made it somewhat less expensive for a student than to have to buy a larger book to begin. And a beginning band student was on trial-and-error time, anyway. Many young players would decide after a short while that practice was too much trouble, and dropouts would occur. I think the initial cost was about $ 2.00 per student...but that was back in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
Along with each book, Prescott devised outlines to indicate what each individual player would need to practice week by week. Sometimes, an exercise would be difficult enough that the student might be advised to practice it for more than one week only. Of course, the instructor would listen to the student and check off the accomplishment as the student achieved it. If a 4-week exercise could be played well in only one or two weeks of practice, the teacher might go ahead and check off the remaining weeks left for the exercise practice, too.
The Prescott System is what was in effect when I atarted cornet in the seventh grade. The school I attended was a jr./sr. high school in East Texas, so the high school band was really a composite band of students in grades 8-12. The band instructor told his seventh grade students that anyone who could pass the first 18 weeks of Prescott materials satisfactorily would be promoted to the high school band. Luckily, I worked quite diligently and made the high school band in April of my seventh grade year.
We students often referred to the Prescott System as the "weeks" system, as it was a weekly thing with the Prescott materials for the students to achieve and be better players as soon as possible.
After going to college, majoring in instrumental music, and becoming a public school band instructor, I used the Prescott System mainly with private lessons for a few years. Then after awhile, there were other things that were available for players, and I would apply them in planning the practice sessions for my students.
I have not noticed for some time, so I am not aware if the Prescott Sytem is still in existence or not. I seem to remember that Carl Fischer was the original publishing firm for the series of materials.
Sincerely,
Lex Grantham |
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