Yoga Pants and my lawnmower
As I write this email, my wife is sitting next to me in her yoga pants and sipping her green juice "smoothie" (although it looks kind of chunky to me). She is reading her mindful magazine and practicing living in the moment. This is just a part of her daily wellness ritual. She is the picture of health and truly looks more youthful and beautiful each and every day. I genuinely respect and appreciate her approach to life, but have no desire to emulate it.
To me, her juice tastes like how I would imagine it would be to clean the underside of my lawnmower with my tongue. Yoga? Well, a couple of years ago I gave it a shot and let’s just say that there was a lot of swearing going on. After one particular session of colorful curse words my wife said, “I think you might be missing the point of yoga!” To which I responded, “I think you are missing the point. If the supreme being wanted my foot to go there, then he would have put it there.”
Needless to say, I am not a flexible person… physically, emotionally, cognitively, or well, in any other way.
I like things to be left they way I left them and in the place I put them. I like things to go as planned with few hiccups or surprises. I do not like beginnings or endings, they are messy and unpredictable. And despite my displeasure, here we are again at the beginning of another school year. Yes, today we all begin again...
Today is the first day of someone's new career/job.
Today is the first day of someone's retirement.
Today is the first day for your new students.
Today is the day someone will lose a leader and gain a new member.
With all of this messiness, might I suggest that you take a different path and less rigid path than me and celebrate these changes.
Today, let's celebrate the kids that walk through the door and not mourn those who don’t.
Today, let's let go of last year and embrace this one.
Today, let's not worry about "what will be” and enjoy "what is."
Today, Iet's be thankful that we teach music.
As I said, change is not easy for me. I get cranky when things are not as I like them. Full disclosure, I should admit that I have been taking Metamucil since the eighth grade, and want nothing more than for you to keep that infernal racket down as it is making it hard to hear the questions on Jeopardy.
As for the green juice and yoga pants… I will stick with my running shoes and bacon thanks.
Welcome back... We begin again, and I must admit, it feels pretty good.
Simple questions with complex answers...
Hey everyone... editing work on Be Part of the Orchestra and travel outside of the country will continue our newsletter hiatus for another couple of weeks. However, since we know many of you are the planning stages for your student leader training and band camp, we thought we would pass along some of thoughts and ideas about how to best prepare your student leaders for future success.
The leadership trainer in me is always seeking higher truths and greater understanding when it comes to developing student leaders. The band director in me is looking for concrete and practical applications that can make an immediate and measurable impact on my program.
As a director, it is difficult to find the balance between the practical and the philosophical when training your leaders. You want to challenge their minds and enrich their souls, but let's be honest, the band room needs to be cleaned and the truck must be loaded.
Below you will see five philosophical concepts alongside five practical applications to teach your student leaders. This is not meant to be a complete training guide, but rather a "greatest hits" list. Together, they create a leadership training guideline that will help to address both the conceptual and the concrete.
5 Philosophical teachings
- Process vs. Product (which is more important and how one affects the other)
- Parameters (what student leaders can and can not do)
- Equity vs. Equality (teaching/treating people based on what they need)
- People vs. Performance (which is more important...the player or the person?)
- Permission (giving students permission to make leadership choices and decisions without fear of failure)
5 Practical applications:
- One thing a student leader should do before every rehearsal
- One thing a student leader should do during every rehearsal
- One thing a student leader should do for their section every week
- One thing a student leader should do for their director every day/week
- One thing a student leader should do to do to make band more fun
I am also attaching a copy of my 25 Discussion Starters and 50 Leadership Activity Ideas. These six pages alone could keep any leadership team busy for weeks. If you are looking for more leadership training materials, click here. The PDF is below.
Why I make my kids do music!
Since I am here... I might as well share this quick video I posted last week.
In an effort to vary the depth and delivery of my content. I have added a little video studio to my house. And by added, I mean I moved the guest bed over, and by guest bed, I mean where my dog sleeps.
I did this so I could record semi-professional looking videos with little to no set up time. The idea was that if the inspiration struck me, I could be camera ready in two minutes or less and that's exactly what I did!
Who knew my first one would be such a hit. The first video has over 5,000 views!
Click below to see why I make my kids do music and share/re-post if you like.
Liar, Liar Pants on Fire!
Hey everyone:
I know I said I was going on hiatus two weeks ago, but well, one last email won't kill anyone, will it? I promise it will be quick.
We are in full speed ahead mode with respects to Be Part of the Music. We are shooting Be Part of the Orchestra in two weeks and have the high school retention video scheduled for September. We are well on our way to meeting our goal of enrolling an additional one million young people in music next year.
In our relentless pursuit of funding, we came across the Chase Main Street Grants. The program awards twenty $100,000.00 grants to deserving organizations. I could bore you with all the details, but bottom line is, in addition to my grant proposal submission, I need 250 people to vote for me to make it to the next round.
Will you please help by clicking on the link below and voting? The deadline is looming!
https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/b/37581?inf_contact_key=7276d233428567c5d1ca13808b414b05f83a43310ffb39aa71213d6adbeaf8e9
Leader of the Band
Leader of the Band
The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
- Dan Fogelberg, Leader of the Band
If you don’t know this song or the artist who wrote it, you should.
In 1981 Dan Fogelberg wrote a musical tribute to his band director father that shot all the way to number one on the Billboard Music Chart. Through his poingnant lyrics and soulful melody, Leader of the Band spoke in a powerful way to this crazy profession and the impact it has on people. The song and sentiment are truly touching and although the he wrote it for his father, it could have just as easily been written for you.
Your life and legacy live on through every student that passes through your program. Through your teaching you provide students with more than music lessons, you give them life lessons. This tribute song reminds us that teaching music is so much more than a profession and it can be accompanied by as much sacrifice and pain as joy and fulfillment. Music education is a calling, one that chooses us as much as we choose it.
In the coming days and weeks your students will leave you. Some of them forever, but that does not mean that you are gone from their hearts and minds. In part, they are a living legacy to THEIR leader of the band. But before they go, perhaps you could close the door of your office, take a break, sit back, and listen as Dan Fogelberg reminds us of the power of the Leader of the Band.
Next week will mark the end of the eleventh year of newsletters and the start of our communication hiatus. The break is not for us, as we will be barnstorming across the country working with student leaders, but want to give you some time away to relax. Enjoy!
The last 10 days of school
The end of the year is a flurry of instructional and non-instructional activities. Balancing the musical instruction and non-musical tasks (collecting music, inventory management, cleaning out lockers) can create a chaotic atmosphere. As someone who DESPISES the "May is for movies" approach to teaching, I wanted to share with you my Top 10 Ideas on how to deal with the end of year drama.
1. Schedule the final 10 days and post the schedule somewhere prominent. Students need structure and an understanding of what is happening each day.
2. Read through some classic literature. This is a chance to have the kids play literature (Holst, Grainger, Vaughn Williams, Reed, etc.) they might otherwise never play without the pressure of an impending performance.
3. Use one of the final days to talk about next year. Hype up the show and upcoming trips, introduce new leaders, etc. This is a great activity during "Senior Ditch Day."
4. Use the "check-out" process as a "check-in" process for next year. Ask to see students' 2016 schedules, collect camp deposits, verify contact info, etc. Touch base with every student to ensure they will not be lost in the cracks over the summer.
5. Have a group yearbook signing day. Tell the students that you will not allow yearbooks out during class until a pre-specified date. Be willing to give up one, or half of one, rehearsal to make the remaining ones more productive.
6. Do an end of the year closure activity. Have the students answer 3-5 questions such as what was your favorite moment/laugh out loud/thing you will miss. Compile the best answers into an end of the year document to hand out on the last day of school.
7. Honor the seniors. Take time to acknowledge the seniors. You can do it in public, private, or in writing. You can even involve your class. They will they appreciate it and it will become a special rite of passage to which the younger students look forward.
8. Do a service project for the school. At one of my previous schools, every year on the final day of school, as they were dismissed, the seniors would throw all of their papers into the air in the school courtyard. So every year, the band would offer to clean it up. It only took about 30 minutes and saved the custodians HOURS of work. It was a win/win.
9. Use your student leaders to automate your end the year processes. There is no need for you to do everything. You have bright and competent students who want to help. Create coordinators for instrument check-in, music return, locker clean-out, uniform check-in, etc. Create a "check out sheet" that requires signatures from all coordinators before your final signature. Any student not having completed all areas by the designated time will receive an incomplete. Work smarter, not harder.
10. End with a smile. The last thing they see will be the first thing they remember.
I hope that these ideas will help to not only lighten your workload, but create a more organized and educational environment that is consistent with your high standards.
Manny Pacqiao Has Nothing On You!
You are the Manny Pacqiao of the education world! Wait, before you get all bent out of shape, let me explain.
No, that doesn't mean you're a loser.
No, you're not short (although there is nothing wrong with short!).
No, you didn't make 110 million dollars Saturday night.
But, you are a fighter!
The latest data suggests that almost 17% of teachers leave the profession after year one. Thirty-two percent of teachers leave by year three, and more than half of all teachers will leave the profession by the end of year five. Just when you start to get good, you get gone!
Maybe it's dealing with misbehaving children or parents. Perhaps it's the battle with administrators and budgets. It could be the low pay and long hours or all combination of the above. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that 50% of the people who become teachers couldn't take the beating. They trained for the fight, got to the fight, and made it to hear the opening bell but not the closing one. Unlike Manny, they exited the ring before the fight was over.
Not you! You're no quitter. You fight the good fight, each and every day. You win some rounds, and lose some rounds, but you vow to keep fighting as long as the kids keep coming. You are going to finish the fight until they ring the final bell of your career because you are a fighter!
Yes, sometimes you take a beating. Some days you feel bruised and battered. And yes, while you may not always win, the fact that you are still in the ring makes you a champion. Manny Pacqaio has nothing on you!
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
I hope that by now your in-box, voice mail, and teacher mailbox are OVERFLOWING with messages of thanks and appreciation for all that you do. Other than a parent, few adults can rival the opportunity for real impact that a music teacher provides. The overall level of commitment your students make, the emotionally charged environment of making music, and the sheer magnitude of time you spend together creates a virtual perfect storm of opportunity for character enhancement. This something that we sometimes take for granted and other teachers crave. But this opportunity comes at a cost, personal and professional.
Listen... I know that you are tired. I know that you are frustrated by increasing demands and decreasing time. I know that you are concerned about budgets, job security, and the future of music education. I know that more than a few of you have considered making a change to your career on more than one occasion. Having said that, I wanted to tell you something.
You matter to your students.
You make a difference in their lives.
You make your school and community a more human place.
You matter to them.
You matter to me.
You matter!
Music is important and without you, there is no music, and that would be a tragedy, for you and for your students. I have always believed that your worst day on a podium is better than your best day in a cubicle.
The sounds of silence
Hey Everyone:
- Did you know that the volume level during commercials is set higher than regular TV shows?
- Did you know that many childrens' toys have an attention seeking “display” volume that is louder than the “play” volume?
- Did you know that people spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year to “tune out” sound?
- Did you know that noise pollution is considered a modern day civil rights and health issue?
In an effort to attract and maintain our attention, our world is always in search of new and obtrusive ways to fill every moment of our lives with some sort of noise. Without our permission or consent, we are constantly and forcibly exposed to a never ending stream of sound. We're being attacked. We are victims of a crime. This is an "audio assault.” Where are the police? I need to file charges!
Our world and our lives are getting louder. Louder not just in “volume” (decibels), but in volume (amount), and schools are a part of the problem. High stakes testing and accountability measures have forced schools to fill every single second with some sort of information exchange. No time to spare, no second to waste. Jobs and credibility are on the line.
From the moment a student sets foot on campus to the moment they leave, we inundate them with noise, academic and otherwise. Bells, whistles, announcements, lectures, videos, questions, answers, etc…it’s virtually non-stop. Rarely is there a time when students can just sit, reflect, and get a reprieve from all of the noise in their lives.
Except in music. Yes, the place on campus where we make the most sounds, our students are exposed to the least amount of noise.
For many of your students, music is the quiet in their lives. For 55 minutes each day they can hush their minds and still their bodies. They can disconnect with their technology and connect with their thoughts. They can relieve themselves of the burden to be funny, smart, or cool. The can decompress and briefly delay the pressures associated with school.
It’s ironic that the loudest place on campus might the quietest place in their lives, but in a young person’s world, the sound of music is the sound of silence.
Take care and have a great week!
NAMM Foundation and Music Achievement Council join in!
We are excited to welcome The NAMM Foundation and the Music Achievement Council as sponsors to our Be Part of the Music project.
For decades these organizations have led the way in working with researchers, policy makers, and advocacy experts in ensuring a bright future for music education and the young people who engage in it.
If you are not familiar with their impressive body of work, you want to be sure to visit their website www.nammfoundation.org. There you will find a wealth of resources to share with your students and parents about the value of music education.
The addition of this incredible organizations will help us with both the depth and breadth of our reach. In conjunction with our other founding members: ASTA, Jupiter, French Woods Performing Arts Camp, GIA Publications, Music for All, NAfME, Scott Lang Leadership, St. Louis Music, and Yamaha, we are working hard ensure that every child has access to a high quality music education.
We are so proud to be associated with each of our incredible sponsors and thankful for their generous support. Without them, Be Part of the Music would not be possible. If you know of someone or an organization that might be interested in becoming a sponsor, please let us know by sending us an email. The sky is the limit with what we can achieve when industry leaders and teachers unite to help kids Be Part of the Music!