Handbooks and my NEW Terms & Conditions

One of the annual start of school rituals for our students and parents is the signing of the beloved (or not) handbook.

Having seen and read more than my fair share of these, I can’t help but wonder if there is a merit badge out there for the lengthiest, most verbose document. 

I am not sure if you know this, but entire sections of the Amazon rainforest have been cleared because of our handbooks, which means that WE are responsible for global warming. And, if you don’t believe it’s happening, then I invite you to spend a summer day with me in Phoenix. 

Truth be told, the vast majority of parents and kids don't read our handbooks, They just skip to the back page, sign, and hand back to their child to dutifully turn back in. Think about it, how many of you actually read the "terms and conditions" on documents?

Believe it or not, handbooks have little to no legal standing as the parent can't "sign away" the rights of a child. And, unless the child is eighteen, they can't legally "sign away" their own rights. 

So why have parents even sign it? Information disbursement? Legal standing? Vanity? C.Y.A?

Nope, we do this because it makes us feel better. 

Students don't learn how to behave or what to do by reading lengthy documents. Students learn through observation and modeling. Simply stated, if you want a new member to learn how to act, rehearse and behave, make sure that your student leaders model, and engage the desired behaviors. 

After ten years teaching, I realized that if I spent more time teaching and less time writing, I might have better students and ensembles. I removed 80% of my handbook and replaced it with the following questions for students and parents to ask themselves:

Did I do the right thing? 

How have my actions affected others?

Did I live up to our band motto? (insert motto)

Just something to think about... After all, I kind of like the rainforests. And, it's getting REALLY hot in Phoenix.

Have a great week!
 

Scott's Terms & Conditions

• I agree to not to re-post Scott's stuff without citing the source (I work hard to steal my content and am deserving of the credit I am due).
• I agree not to post fake ads on Craigslist with Scott’s cell phone number (John, I am talking about you!).
• I agree that I am not an English teacher and will not send Scott snarky remarks about his misuse of a colon, as comments about Scott’s colon are inappropriate anyway.
• I agree not to mark Scott’s emails as “spam” because I am too lazy to simply unsubscribe.
• I agree to address Scott as "Broseph," “Big Deal” or “Hey you!” "Pint-sized jerkface dimwit" is not appropriate, besides my kids already have that one covered.
• I agree NOT to mention the fact that Scott is turning 50 soon, as he is touchy about it.
• I agree that, while each and every week may not be a literary masterpiece, Scott’s content goes to ELEVEN and should not be used or abused. In fact, don’t even look at it.
• I agree that boneless chicken wings are just an adult way to order chicken nuggets.
• I agree that I am not a bot, hacker, or spam junkie. Seriously, don't you guys have an election to hack?
• I agree that “you get what you pay for” and promise to remember that Scott’s weekly e-zines are free. Refunds available upon request.
• I agree when sharing Scott’s stuff on Bragbook, Instacrap, or MySpace (seriously MySpace?) to tag Scott Lang Leadership.
• I agree that 90's rap was a bad idea.
• I agree that none of this is legally binding.

I hereby “pinky swear" to these and any other future obscure terms that come to Scott’s mind. Any violations to these terms will force me to "lawyer up" on you. And by “lawyer up” I mean fold some laundry, as I don’t know any lawyers. 

Failure to agree to these terms requires you to send Scott a nice fruit basket and an assortment of dog toys for his neurotic Golden Retriever, Rexi.

Like father like son and my Da Capo!

I am the son of a military man. Marines to be specific, and I was raised in his image. My father had a booming voice, and a temper to match. He wasn't particularly compassionate or patient, but he was loving and generous in other ways. He gave of his time freely, even when it was un-welcomed. He never missed a single concert, and he coached every team I was ever on. 

Until the end, my father was a proud man, and rightfully so. Pride was as much a part of his good qualities as it was his bad. In the end, as he began to slip, my brothers and I began to make decisions for him, including where and how he would live. He protested through it all saying, “I’m NOT moving…” He passed away suddenly the night before his move. 

He showed us! 

He didn't understand music, or my choice to pursue it as a vocation. But his support for me to do what made me happy was unquestioned and unwavering. When I told him of my desire to teach, he said to me, "Scott, any profession is honorable, as long as it is the profession YOU chose, and not one that life chose for you." 

As I sit here and writing my last e-zine of the year, I see now more than ever the truth in his words.

"I chose this journey of music education, and it has been an honor to call it my life’s work. I am blessed to be able to do what I love and serve others at the same time. I suspect that you feel the same way. "

Few writers are as flawed as me. I often lack brevity, clarity and any understanding of what a semi-colon actually does. You deserve better. You deserve the best, and at times I have fallen short of that standard. But know that my mistakes and missteps are never for lack of effort. I always attempt to speak my truth and to provide value and meaning to you each and every week. 

Never let anyone tell you that you don't matter. Never let them tell your worth is measured solely by ratings, accolades or awards. Music (and you) are so much more than that. 

You're a parent to some and a memory machine to others. You are accountability and standards as well as the hug when students fall short. You are their tears of joy and sorrow. You are their moral compass and proof positive that the world is full of decent and hard working people. 

For some of you, today’s email is your Fine!, your final missive from me as you prepare to retire or chase another dream. To you I say THANK YOU for your service and may you reap all the blessings you deserve. For others, this is your Da Capo, a brief pause before returning to "the top” in a few short weeks to begin again. To you I say, recharge, refresh and return as a blank slate for the benefit of both you and your students. 

To both of you, let me just say that is has been my honor to serve with you in this profession. 

When I return in six weeks, you will hear about some upcoming monumental milestones both personal and professional. I guess you could call it a prideful act. 

Like father like son I guess. 

Bringing the Saxy (and the Sousaphone) BACK!

 

Perceived as "ultra cool" by just about every elementary band student, for decades, the saxophone has long been the instrument of choice for students and bane of existence for music educators.

Once seen as the "go to" instrument for boys and girls alike, the sax has struggled as of late, and has seemingly fallen from it's lofty pedestal of popularity. 

Adophe Sax would (rock and) roll over in his grave if he could see his beloved instrument as it is today. 

According to a recent article in The Outline, from 2000-2010, our longstanding love affair with all things saxamaphonic (I invented that word) waned considerably. As evidence of that, The Outline magazine has discovered that during this decade, the Billboard Top 40 contained fewer hit records with a saxophone than any other time in it's history. This was shocking because for most of American pop music’s history, the saxophone was the backbone of making a song a hit. 

Blame it on Bill Clinton. Blame it on Kenny G. Blame it on the Russians (my personal favorite!). Regardless of who you blame, it doesn't change the fact that during the formative years of many of our current students, the saxophone was going the way of the Eb alto horn, valve trombone, and the Omnichord. (I inserted links in service to those under the age of 30 who are unaware of these musical dinosaurs.)

Okay, the dinosaur comment may be a bit of a stretch, but you get the point. 

The saxophone was invented by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1840 and was to be used in European military marching bands. The concept was to create a woodwind instrument that could match the volume of the brass instruments, thus requiring fewer personnel to balance the sound of the band. 

But fear not (or fear a great deal), the trend is reversing and the SAX IS BACK! 

Yep, that's right! In recent years the sax has been making an appearance with some of the world's most prolific pop artists including Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, and even Lady Gaga.

These times, they are a changing. Geek is the new chic and computer coding has given way to social entrepreneurship. The tastes and preferences of today's teens are changing and so is their definition of cool! 

Kids today want to be different. Their idea of fitting in is to stand out. They want to belong to a cause and feel that they are making an impact. They are searching for ways to lead but are also wanting to be led in meaningful endeavors. They see greed and consumption as more of an avarice than an aspiration and want their academic experience to be surmised by more than just a G.P.A.

For these reasons and many others, yes, the sax is back... But so is the viola, the cello, the sousaphone, the trombone, and every other instrument, because MUSIC IS BACK! 

Now, if we could just make the bassoon cool!

Hot buttons, bottle flipping & my first fidget spinner!

My two boys are both the greatest source of joy and madness in my life. If you're a parent, I need not say more. If you aren’t, there is little I can do to explain it. I LOVE my boys, but every parent has their hot button. My hot button? STUFF! 

Children require LOTS and LOTS of stuff. 

Some stuff is born out of necessity. Some is required for health and safety. And yes, some is necessary for entertainment and play. But where does the madness end? My children's toys could entertain a small elementary school for weeks and I am fairly confident that the food remnants in the back seat of our family truckster could end starvation in Africa.

So when my children came to me with a “must have” toy request, I was somewhat “skeptical” (or as my kids described it: cranky). What was the object of their latest fancy? Something called a fidget spinner. 

I asked, "What's a fidget spinner?” 

After their explanation, my only question was, "If I buy you this, will you stop flipping those stupid water bottles?" 

I'M IN!

So, as it turns out, the next day, Easter Bunny showed up with fidget spinners for both boys AND ME (my wife is GOOD!). For the next two weeks we learned tricks, played games, and argued over who could make theirs spin the longest. Last night while playing with our new spinners (yep, we upgraded to better ball bearings) my son Brayden asked, “Did you have fidget spinners when you were a kid?” 

I thought about all of the toys in my life that might be considered a spinner or a manipulative. You know, something that was tactile and allowed my mind to rest while my hands were at play. Hmmmmm. 

“YES,” I responded… Music! 

As a drummer, I was always tapping on something. Tapping my fingers, hands, and legs. Practicing rudiments and patterns. It didn’t require an instrument and could be done in relative quiet through all hours of the day and night. 

Like many of you, music allowed me to have an outlet, physically, cognitively, and emotionally. It occupied my mind and provided kinesthetic engagement and feedback. It provided a break from math and science and the rules and rigors of school. It excited and calmed me at the same time. 

Maybe your “fidget spinner" had twenty seven keys. Maybe it had three buttons. Maybe it had a slide or strings. But unlike my NEW toy, I've carried my old fidget spinner with me for over forty years. 

Have a great week!

"The System" and Your Nobel Peace Prize!

 

While attending a recent conference, I had the opportunity to sit in on a presentation about the National Network of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela, commonly known as "El Sistema" (the system). Started in 1975 in an underground parking garage by José Abreu with just eleven students, El Sistema has grown into an international phenomenon with programs spanning the globe. 

During the session, the presenter spoke of the passion and sacrifice of El Sistema teachers. He spoke of their rich curricula that took their student musicians from zero to the national concert stage. He spoke of its power to transform lives and lift children from dire circumstances to some place better. He spoke of the fact that this program gave its deserving students the skills, musical and otherwise, to lead successful and productive lives. He showed multiple videos with young children smiling, happy, and making music with trumpets, violins, and flutes. 

It was a provocative and evocative session, but something was amiss or missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first, but then it hit me. What was missing in the presentation was YOU! After all: 

• Don’t you teach kids music with passion? 
• Don't you sacrifice personally and professionally to be a teacher of music?
• Don’t you (or your colleagues) start kids from zero and take them to the national stage? 
• Don’t you work with kids from dire circumstances?
• Don’t you give kids the skills needed to be successful in all of their lives?
• Don’t you create smiles and joy with trumpets, flutes, and violins?

The answer is YES! 

In Venezuela, El Sistema is servicing a country where music is NOT a part of the school day, where music is not a mandated curricula, and where children don’t have access to ensemble experiences, which is tragic. But in America, WE are “the system.” 

As the world recognizes and celebrates the work that they do, LET'S ALSO CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO!

While were at it, let’s also recognize the fact that America has time and time again made the conscious choice to make music a part of EVERY child’s life. Let’s spread the word that there are a tireless group of college educated music evangelists traveling from cafetorium to cafetorium and eating lunch out of their cars to do so. Let’s rejoice that we have national events, competitions, and festivals that allow our students to perform in the finest of halls and receive feedback from the most qualified adjudicators. Let’s celebrate that we are not teaching in an underground parking garage but in well equipped facilities. Let’s celebrate that America stands alone in this world in it’s commitment to make music accessible to EVERY child that wants it, everywhere in this land as a part of the their school day. 

Listen, we’re all trying to move the SAME needle in the SAME direction. And I say BRAVO to the good people of El Sistema, What they are doing, both abroad and here in America, is INCREDIBLE and I believe that José Abreu deserves a Noble Peace Prize for his work in Venezuela. 

But if they give one to him, they're gonna have to print 122,000 more of them for each one of you. 

Wouldn’t that be a special treat for Teacher Appreciation Week?! 

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

During Teacher Appreciation Week, I try and send some send extra love (which means extra emails). While I hope that your inbox are heart is full of love and affirmation, I still intend to do my share! The email below is something I wrote several years ago and to this day remains one of my favorites of all time. Please accept it once again as a sign of my love and respect for all that you do. I will return to my normal email schedule next week. 

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 

Scott: 

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 poignant 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. 

Please share this with every music teacher you know so that they are reminded how special they are.

With gratitude for all that you do... 

p.s. If you would like a modern take on this classic tune and are a fan of the Zac Brown Band check this out.

Sixteen Years of Teaching Accidental(ly)

 

I spent sixteen years in a classroom. Through it all I had NO IDEA what my curricula was. Sure, I had the black binder labeled “CURRICULUM” that the district gave me, but I never read it. Its sole purpose was to keep my other unread binder (District Policy and Procedures manual) company. 

I wasn't TOTALLY lost. I knew what music I was playing and what page we were on in the method book, but in terms of really knowing the scope, sequence, and expected outcomes, I was basically clueless. What’s worse, I was the Department Chairperson and served on the District Curriculum Committee, so yeah, let’s just keep this our little secret. Yep, as an instructional leader, I wandered from class to class, concert to concert, and year to year gleefully unaware of what I was actually SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING. 

As long as we're being honest…

I never read the National Standards, or the No Child Left Behind Act. The only thing I knew about either one of those was that music was listed as a “core subject.” I liked to drop that little nugget at booster meetings and band concerts.

Recently, whether out of guilt or a sense of professional (in)competence, I sat down to read the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). I didn’t just do the Cliff Notes version, I really hunkered down and dove in. How hard could it be? I mean, if I can understand the voicing rules of the Italian, German, and French second chords, then I can understand this, right? Seriously… I GOT THIS! So I sat there for more than an hour, reading and studying. I used a highlighter and took notes in the margins and everything. It was quite an undertaking, and after finishing, I gotta be honest with you… 

I didn’t understand any of it. Yep, NOTHING. Zip, squat, nada. 

I mean, I understood the words, I just couldn’t translate how it would look and feel in my second period JV band class. Was I a bad teacher? Was I doing this teaching thing wrong? Was I the only one? I panicked! 

I bet science teachers know their science curricula. I bet English teachers know their English curricula. I’m pretty sure history teachers know their curricula, after all, it’s sequential and historical and stuff. HOW COULD I NOT KNOW THIS! 

Then it hit me...

Music is not like other classes, and our curricula is different. Yes, there are outcomes and objectives, but it’s not the same. Our curricula is as much in kids life experiences as it is in a manual. It's as much in children's hearts as it is in their minds. It's measured in smiles and tears and giggles and laughter as much as it is on spreadsheets and performance rubrics. Our curricula is NOT in a binder, it is living and breathing thing capable of changing at any moment. It’s unexpected and unpredictable as the children who learn it. And yes, most times it is anything but sequential.

Yes, we have curricula but even after sixteen years of teaching accidentals, I was still teaching a lot of my curricula accidentally.

That was my favorite part. 

Have a great week!

p.s. Today is Administrative Professionals Day, so maybe you could invite all of your para-professionals down to the rehearsal room for a private concert. Just a thought!

Lounging at Lang’s Place & our (re)imagination...

Years ago, in an effort to keep the creative juices flowing and his idle mind in play, Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates) established an online show called Live From Daryl’s House (LFDH). Each show features collaborations, cocktails, and cuisine in an informal and spontaneous way. Developed by Daryl as an alternative to live touring, the show has hosted a WIDE variety of eclectic talents. Recent guests have run the gamut from Sammy Hagar to Ben Folds to Cee Lo Green. 

The concept is simple. Daryl brings in a fellow famous musicians for a weekend of fun, food, and music, after which they have a jam session. The guest artist plays a few of Daryl’s charts and then Daryl plays a few of the guest artists charts, with the goal being to make old songs new and new songs feel old through collaboration. I have included two of my favorite episodes below.

I think Daryl might be on to something here. I mean, other than the fact that he is TERRIBLE at naming things (Seriously! Hall & Oates? Live From Daryl’s House?), the idea of taking opposites and collaborating has some merit. Think about it:

• What if John Mackey were to reimagine Holst’s First Suite in Eb?
• How would Asphalt Cocktail be different if re-scored by Holst
• What would a duet featuring Trombone Shorty and Joe Alessi sound like?
• Would choir be different if they were required to march?
• Would band be different if they were required to sing?
• Would orchestra be different if they had to improv?
• How would music publishing change if it were run by a music educator?
• How would your band change if it were run by a businessperson?

The possibilities are endless and could present some unique collaborations as well as some entertaining television. 

Listen, like Mr. Hall, we ALL get in a rut. Teaching the same classes day after day, year in and year out, it is easy to get comfortable and complacent. The real challenge is doing the same thing day after day but doing it in a new way. I've been focusing on this lately myself, but like Daryl, I think I would benefit from a collaborator. To keep it in the style of LFDH (most people just know it by it’s acronym), I am looking for my opposite… You know: young, tall, and talented? 

Any takers? We just have to come up with a better name than Lounging at Lang’s Place!

Have a great week!

Teens, Adults and My Personal In-vest-ment!

This week I went in search of a vest. Yes, a vest!

You know, the three piece suit afterthought and staple clothing article for accountants.

Tired of polyester dress pants and ties, I went looking for a way to take something casual and comfortable into the realm of professional and polished. When I announced this to my fashion forward wife this is what she said...

“Honey, I'm not sure you're the type of guy that can pull off a vest." 

OUCH!

Listen, I am a Gen X'er and am WIDELY seen (at least by me) as incredibly hip and cool. Sure, I'm not living in my parents basement, growing an artisanal beard, and drinking craft beer, but I am still hip, aren't I? 

According to the students at last night’s workshop, the answer is a resounding, “NO!"

DOUBLE OUCH!

As educators, we live in a world dominated by a younger generation for whom classical wind band music is about as relevant to their lives as Engelbert Humperdinck. Our world is different than their world, and I believe that’s the point and any attempt to blend the two is likely to leave us both tragically embarrassed.

Kids don't want their teachers to be like them. And frankly, I don’t want to be like a teenager. Been there, done that, and it wasn’t that great. Sure, I lack the elasticity and energy I once had, but gone too is the angst that Jill Cederlof will laugh at me when I ask her to Prom and the wonderment of how I am to fill my tank of gas with my last forty-three cents. I like being an adult, just like they like being teenagers, so I am all in favor of letting the young people be young and I will handle the old part. They can have their Drake and Chance the Rapper; I will keep my Journey and Rush!

Teenage people don't want adults to participate in, or even understand, their world. That's what makes it their own. When adults try to fit in like me buying a vest, we actually become LESS relevant because we are not providing them with anything they don’t already have. Young people are surrounded with an abundance of youth and cool, so in order to become more relevant, we have to provide them with something that’s a scarcity to their lives: wisdom and experience. 

Teenagers know what they want, but have no clue what they need. They can take care of their wants, and we should be concerned with their needs. They can be teens, and we will be the adults. And the two need not meet in the middle.

But I’m still gonna wear my vest!

p.s. The picture above is the actual vest I bought. And yes, I look that good wearing it!

My Musical Matryoshka Doll

A matryoshka doll is a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside another. More commonly known as nesting dolls, a set of matryoshkas typically consists of a wooden figure which separates, top from bottom, to reveal a smaller figure of the same sort inside, which has, in turn, another figure inside of it, and so on. 

The figures inside may be of either gender; the smallest, innermost doll, is typically a child turned from a single piece of wood. The dolls often follow a theme. The themes may vary, but they typically try and tell the story of a family or of a life.

Matryoshkas are used metaphorically as a design paradigm, known as the "matryoshka principle" or "nested doll principle". It denotes a recognizable relationship of "object-within-similar-object" that appears in both man-made objects as well as mother nature (Wikipedia).

Music education is akin to a matryoshka doll. We are programs within a profession: band, choir, orchestra, jazz, and general music. We have Suzuki, elementary, middle school, high school, collegiate, adult, and professional ensembles. We have teachers, performers, therapists, conductors, and yes, leadership trainers. Although we are all different sizes, shapes, and are decorated in different ways, we are part of the same matryoshka doll called music education.

Everyone wants to feel special and unique, myself included. And, if we're being honest, being a music teacher is not exactly hard on the ego. Every day we play to a large and captive audience that is usually willing and wanting to hang on our every word. Well, usually! But rather than celebrate our uniqueness, perhaps we would be better off as a profession if we celebrated our sameness, because, like the matryoshka, all of us have the same final core: a young child willing and wanting to make music.

Have a great week everyone!