Songlearning.com

A History of Song-Learning Systems™

Gary Hammond

Ann Hammond

Cherie Batinga

Hammond Music Service - A History of Song-Learning Systems™

Gary Hammond, a life long musician and music teacher, was determined to find a tool which would provide his choral students a way to continue learning their notes, intervals and rhythms — those elements which form the nuts and bolts of learning new music — at home as homework. He reasoned that the instrumental students practiced their music at home, and students were expected to do homework on all their academic subjects, but he knew of no system or tool which allowed choir members to do homework on the music they were studying in class.

In 1980 he began researching ways to provide students with a homework tool that wasn't a rote learning device — one that wouldn't destroy all the sight reading skills he was attempting to teach in class. He reasoned that if the tool required the student to have their score in their hands, following along in the music, and what the student heard was similar to what they heard in class when he was playing their part on the piano as singers in the other sections were humming along softly on their parts, then the tool would be a legitimate reading and note teaching aid rather than a rote learning device - a distinction which he felt was important.

In 1985, after five years of experimentation he felt he had developed a tool which fit both criteria: it would help his high school choral students rehearse their music at home as well as avoid the stigma most music educators associate with rote learning devices. Each choir student heard their part being played on the piano in the foreground, with all other voice parts, accompaniment and soft metronome in the background. It worked like a charm!

During the next five years (1985-1990) he provided every choir student in all of his four choirs with a tape of all their repertoire and found that students who used this method faithfully and correctly — reading from their scores as they followed the music on the tape, (which was almost exactly as they learned their music in the choir room) actually improved their reading skills. Just as any instrumental student sharpens his or her skills at reading notes by daily practice at home, choral students were similarly benefited by daily homework — reading their music as they listened to the tape. He found the student's use of the rehearsal tapes to be a valuable adjunct to the daily work in the classroom, and realized that he had developed a legitimate home study tool.

In the late 80's the word got out, and nearby churches, community choirs and colleges began asking him to prepare Song-Learning Tapes™ for The Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Faure Requiem, Brahms Requiem and many other major works. An idea which he had developed specifically as a classroom tool to help students learn their music faster and more accurately soon began to help many choirs in the surrounding communities. Directors commented repeatedly how much faster and more accurately their choir members learned their music with the aid of Song-Learning Tapes™ than with traditional rehearsal techniques. They found that by using the tapes they could learn more difficult and challenging major works than was otherwise possible with their limited rehearsal times because they could concentrate on nuances instead of playing parts.

In 1990 he started advertising Song-Learning Tapes™ monthly in the ACDA Choral Journal and his catalog of major works soon exceeded 100 (currently the number is approaching 200 and growing all the time). He also found a natural marriage of his tapes with the organizers and conductors of all-state and honor choirs. Typically, all-state choir members are asked to learn their music within 6-8 weeks after being informed of their acceptance in the choir, and the CDs and tapes help them learn their music through independent homework so they can arrive at the first rehearsal with the mechanics (notes, intervals and rhythms) down pat. All-state conductors are always happily surprised and delighted when their choir members arrive with all the nuts and bolts learned, ready to progress right to the nuances and make beautiful music without the stress of having to teach notes and rhythms in their precious few rehearsals.

Gary realizes perfectly well the limitations of rehearsal CDs and tapes. He knows they are not replacements for excellent directors and teachers whose direction and teaching is invaluable to the learning of choral music. Nor do the CDs and tapes entirely supplant the need for sectionals, which provide valuable opportunities for sections to learn the nuts and bolts of their music in a group setting (although Song-Learning Systems™ are often used to lead sectionals where multiple pianos are not available). While our CDs and tapes observe the nuances of tempi changes — including ritardi, rallentandi and accelerandi, they do not have dynamic changes on them. Singers who use the CDs and tapes need to hear their part prominently in the foreground. Years of research has proven that if the loudness of their part on the CD or tape dips suddenly to reflect the dynamic changes in the music, their part tends to blend in with the other parts being played in the background, and they will lose their place. They can and will adjust dynamics from ff to pp during sectionals or full ensemble rehearsals, when those dynamic changes are asked for by the conductor and heard, felt and expressed as dynamic changes within sectionals or the choir as a whole. To summarize: the CDs and tapes are not a substitute for good teaching and directing, just an adjunct — a helpful tool which allows choir members to continue practicing their part at home.

Song-Learning Systems™ are simple, valuable tools to assist independent homework on the nuts and bolts of learning new music: notes, intervals and rhythms. Once these basic elements are down pat, directors can get to the nuances of expression, dynamics and rubato quicker because they don't have to struggle with correcting wrong notes and rhythms in rehearsals.

At present HMS is helping more than 1000 choirs around the world, including 50+ all-state and school choirs learn their music quickly and accurately. We strive to maintain the highest quality of accuracy and musicianship on our CDs and tapes, and are always searching for new ways to improve them.

Gary Hammond

Gary Robert Hammond — born to Alexander Sinclair Hammond and Wynne Davis Hammond, both professional singers in the Hollywood movie and sound studios in the 1930s who then became music teachers in the 1940s — grew up in music. He played piano at an early age, turned to trumpet through high school, college and a 2-year stint in the 49th Army Band in Italy, then went on to graduate from San Diego State University in 1963 where he was active in the Phi Mu Alpha Glee Club, the orchestra and the choirs under his mentor, J. Dayton Smith.

In his high school years he enjoyed leading his Palm Springs High School tennis team to a county championship in his senior year, and graduated in 1955 with the Bank of America Music Award, while the choir director (his father) looked on proudly.

He was fortunate to know, at the tender age of 16, that he wanted to become a music teacher, and that deep conviction sustained him when people would try to tell him, "He would never make a living as a music teacher!" Ha! He had to exam out of his final year of college early because of a job that was urgently calling him.

After a year and a half of teaching band and choir at a private high school in the mountains of Idyllwild (above Palm Springs in the mountains where he lives now, having come full circle!), he and his wife, Ann, and their family — of what would eventually be three boys and a girl — moved to Vista in north San Diego County and began his 30 year teaching career in public education in nearby San Marcos. He felt that the next five years of teaching bands and choirs in a small, rural community were definitive as he traveled between four schools building a small band program into a large, prospering one, and creating a vital choral program where there had been none. He felt that he learned how to teach in those five years, and was ready, at that point, to move on to bigger challenges in the Vista Unified School District.

After 10 years of teaching both bands and choirs, he had an opportunity to switch to teaching only choirs while at Lincoln Jr. High (7-8-9) in Vista, and took it. He truly enjoyed his years at Lincoln, where he began experimenting with the idea of rehearsal tapes. He has special memories of teaching and directing the Honor Glee — 40 outstanding 8th & 9th grade girls who gave their hearts and souls to the production of beautiful singing. He also appreciates the mentoring and friendship of his principal, Paul "Red" Brostrom, an excellent leader of teachers.

The last 9 years of his 32 year teaching career were spent at Vista High School, where he enjoyed the challenge of maintaining the quality that his friend and predecessor, Don Bursvold had built up over many years of earning Superior Ratings at festivals. Gary remembers with great fondness the many happy times with the Meistersingers — his small ensemble of 24 hand picked Juniors and Seniors who sang 40-50 gigs a year for community groups, as well as the Panther Choir — the Jr./Sr. choir which sang Mozart and Brahms so beautifully at festivals.

Along the way he found special enjoyment in singing the baritone roles in the San Diego north county oratorio scene. His favorites were Elijah, Carmina Burana, and The Messiah, which he sang with the larger churches in the area (notably the First Presbyterian Church in Oceanside, under the capable baton of William Atkinson and the talented musicianship of his organist and wife, Charlotte Atkinson) as well as the nearby community college music departments (most often with Mira Costa College under the able directorship of Jeff Sell, then later with good friend Jim Shepherd).

He also enjoyed teaching private lessons on brass instruments early on, and then private voice lessons during the many years that he specialized in teaching choirs. In 1990 he switched emphasis from teaching private voice lessons to further developing his growing catalog of major work for Song-Learning Tapes™.

The education scene was changing in California, with the University of California system annually demanding more and more academics for college bound students, to the extent that the arts suffered losses of its best and brightest students who were forced into taking more languages, math, etc., in place of choir and other electives. This began taking its toll on the quality of the choirs at Vista H.S. As time wore on, Gary saw the writing on the wall and took the option of early retirement when it presented itself. Fortunately, at the same time his Song-Learning Tapes™ were in larger and larger demand, so that when the time came to hang up his baton, his next major shift in emphasis was already humming along in high gear. Although he misses certain aspects of his teaching and choir directing career, he truly loves the new challenges of providing quality rehearsal tapes for the 1000+ choirs who use Song-Learning Systems™, and looks forward to many more years of helping choirs learn their music this faster, more accurate way!

Ann Hammond

Ann Hanzlik Hammond, the "better half" of the Hammond Music Service team, brings special qualities to HMS. Not only does she handle the Business Manager part of Hammond Music Service, typing and keeping tab of all the invoices, but she has warm, personal qualities that make clients enjoy talking to her on our 800 line. She knows most of our 800+ clients by first name, and has a keen memory for details about their past orders as well as details of their choirs that amazes our clients! She is fun to talk to on the phone.

Ann brings to her tasks of Business Manager, Chief Financial Officer and Head Dubber a level of professionalism that has helped establish the quality of our Song-Learning Systems™ as an indispensable learning tool in the minds of our clients. She creates an excellent first impression with first time callers, and has been largely responsible for building the qualities of stability and a caring attitude that are integral parts of the HMS business ethic.

Born in sunny Southern California, it's only natural that she loves swimming, horseback riding and traveling to other warm, sunny climates such as Kauai.

Ann and Gary raised four children: three boys and a girl. They are all grown, and the oldest, Greg and wife Diane have blessed them with three fine grandsons. All four Hammonds: Greg, Eric, Matt and Jenny are happily engaged in pursuing their own interests and careers.

Gary appreciates the loving touch that Ann brings to the work at HMS. Everything she touches blooms and grows, much like the beautiful flowers she loves to tend in the garden.

Cherie Batinga

Cherie is the main sequencer for HMS. She brings a lifetime of musical experience with many professional credits to her name.

Cherie has a B.S. in music from the University of Illinois, Champaign, and postgraduate studies from California State University, Fullerton. She has served as the Choral Director at Rantoul High School in Rantoul, Illinois; Valencia High School in Placentia, California, and the Crystal Cathedral Academy in Garden Grove, California. Cherie has been composing and arranging music for over 25 years, including a Christmas album entitled "California Christmas" which she wrote, arranged, and co-produced. She collaborated with her sister, poet Susan Kutz, in a book and accompanying audio tape, "Reflections in Mommy's Eyes," for and about children, composing more than 30 songs to express the poetic sentiments. Recently, she composed the music for "Cantata for a New Millennium," a classical work for orchestra and choir. She also composed, arranged and produced many CDs.

Outside of her composing and conducting accomplishments, Cherie has extensive performance credits, as a keyboardist and singer with such musical groups as the Cadillacs and the Platters. Currently, she is accompanying, choreographing, teaching, and creating arrangements for young entertainers in Orange County, California.

Cherie's technical skill on computers integrated with her music experience makes her more than qualified to sequence choral music for HMS, which does at a very high, professional level.