The Opportunity of Inequity

In a world that places a premium on individuality, education stands out as a place where conformity and continuity are the accepted norm. Whatever their dreams and desires, students are placed in educational tracts where very little room is afforded for individual skills and interests.

Despite varying abilities, students in a given class are given the same texts, administered the same tests, and complete the same homework assignments. While we often hear about the individual child, our school systems are structured in a way that confines and constrains learning because of this "one size fits all" approach.
 
Except in music…

In music, personal ownership and educational individuality is a common  as varied as the instruments, and the people who play them. In most music classes, the traditional barriers of age and curricula tracts give way to place each child where they will experience success and then challenge them to reach for more. Students can rise or fall as high or as low as their talent, work ethic, and desire will take them. Students who work harder in music are afforded greater musical challenges and performing opportunities. Conversely, students who struggle are given challenges equivalent to their skills.

Whether due to part assignment, ensemble placement, or outside opportunity, the result is the same; each student is in charge of his or her own educational experience, both inside your class and outside as well. Those who seek leadership are given greater responsibilities. Honor ensembles are in the offering for those willing to commit to extra practicing. Private lessons are readily available to children of all skill levels. Small ensemble festivals can place even rudimentary players in skill appropriate ensembles.

In most curricular ares, the outcomes and objectives are clearly prescribed.  The scope, sequence, and schedule are set in stone and are not easily adjusted for any class much less any individual child. But with the curse of discrimination (last week’s newsletter) comes the blessing of opportunity.

In short, a student's musical education and experience is largely what they choose to make of it. And isn’t empowering student learning what education is all about?

As I said last week, with every curse comes a blessing, and this blessing opportunity outweighs the curse on inequality.

Have a great week!

Al Sharpton and the Concert Bass Drum

It’s late at night and it's been a long day of travel and speaking. As I sit and await my plane, the news channels are alive with yet another issue relating to race relations in America. Tempers are short and speeches are long as the pundits sift through it all. As I gaze at the TV in a sleep deprived stupor, I wonder how long it will be before someone pickets us?

Historically, the arts, and music in particular have led the way in accepting all people as equals. Whether we are talking color, gender, age, faith, or personal choice, music has long been considered a space where ALL persons are valued equals.

Yes, music may be “color blind” but that does not mean it doesn’t discriminate.
 
As an educator, you would never consciously offer a lesser experience or opportunity to any child based on extraneous circumstances. It would be unconscionable and illegal. And yet, we do it every day. How so?

In music, we don’t discriminate based on the person, we do it based on pitch.
Typically speaking, does a tubaist graduate with the same musical skills as a flautist?
Do most compositions offer similar musical challenges to a bari-sax as it does an alto?
Are your all-region etudes the same level of difficulty for all instruments?
Will the same audition score yield the same result on violin as it does on bass?
If the music is our curricula, can you name another subject that gives different textbooks to different students in the same class?
Do we offer equal challenges and performance opportunities to every student?
You don’t need a doctoral dissertation to see this. Pick up any score on your podium and flip through the pages. If you believe that the greater the challenge, the greater the learning opportunity, then the abundance of black ink at the top of the score clearly presents an inequality for the folks on the bottom of the score. After all, when was the last time you said,“...for the love of goodness, can you PLEASE take the concert bass drum home and practice?"
 
As I said, the lower the pitch, the lesser the challenge. It doesn't get much lower than bass drum.
 
Now, before you go all Al Sharpton on me, I know that you aren’t doing this intentionally and that I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I understand that the level of demand we place on our students has to do with other factors such as blend, balance, and harmonic structure. I get that you didn’t write the music and method books your students use. But it does not change the fact that in music, we discriminate. We have to consider the possibility that intentional or not, the "back of the room" could be viewed by your students as the "back of the bus," a place of second class status.
 
I have always believed that for every curse there's a blessing, and this is no exception. Buried within all of this is a silver lining and I will share it with you next week. Or maybe I will just share it with my treble clef friends. I don’t expect as much of you “low” people!
 
Then again, I’m a drummer and it doesn't get much lower than that.
 
Have a great week!

Sausages, laws and drum heads

"Two things you don’t want to see made are sausages and laws"
                                                              -  Otto von Bismark

(Editors note: There is some discord among some scholars who believe the aforementioned quote originated with John Godfrey Saxe. In the interest of academic integrity, I decided to do some extensive research, and by research I mean I looked it up on Wikipedia. Then, in the middle of the first paragraph, I decided that I didn't really care and moved on.)
 
On a recent trip back east, I had the opportunity to spend some time with John D’Addario III, the President and third generation head of the family owned D’Addario company. (D’Addario Strings, Pro-Mark, Evans Drum Heads, etc…) At the conclusion of our meeting, he asked me if I wanted a tour of their factory. I’m not going to lie, my inner geek (some might argue not so inner) was very excited at the possibility of a backstage pass to how musical equipment is made.

For the next two and a half hours we wandered in and out of two football sized warehouses full of impressive machinery and the incredible people who operate it. I was blown away by the size and scope of it all. Aisle after aisle and row after row of high tech machinery was dedicated to the sole purpose of producing a single perfect violin string or drum stick. It was incredible.

In all of my years in music education, I had never had the opportunity to go behind the iron curtain and see how and where musical equipment is made and I was fascinated. Honestly, prior to that day, I had never really considered how much blood, sweat, and tears goes into making the things that we use for our blood, sweat, and tears. I was also impressed by John’s passion, knowledge, and commitment to excellence. His college degree might be in marketing, but his passion for music education rivaled that of of any teacher or conductor I have ever met. It truly was an “aha” moment.

Otto Bismark may have been right about laws and breakfast foods, but I assure you that the same doesn’t hold true for musical instruments.

Thanks to John, his crew and everyone else who works hard so we can practice hard.
 
To see the video of how strings are made, click here

To see a video of how a drum sticks and heads are made, click here.
 
 

We want to enroll 1,000,000 children in music

Whew, that felt good to get off my chest.

A couple of weeks ago, we said that we had a secret. A secret so big that we were dying to tell, but just couldn’t. Well, it’s not a secret anymore.

Nearly four years after it’s first inception, we are proud to announce that Be Part of the Band has come full circle and is becoming Be Part of the Music, a K-12, cross-curricular (band/choir/orchestra) recruitment and retention solution. This audacious project hopes to replicate the successes achieved with band in all curricular areas (choir/band/orchestra) while also increasing the retention rate from grade to grade.

The project will begin production this summer, and our goal is to have the first components available for the start of school next year. The complete roll out will take a few years, but trust us when we say that we are already hard at work. As with Be Part of the Band, these materials will be available FREE of charge and available to download on the web.
 
We could not have done this without the generous support of our corporate partners (listed alphabetically) at the American String Teachers Association, Jupiter Instruments, Music for All, NAfME, St. Louis Music and Yamaha. Without their support we simply could not be doing this.
 
Next time you buy an instrument, or pay your dues, know that you are also supporting this incredible project. We are not completely funded yet, but with their support we know that we can and will get there. If there is someone you think we should be talking to, contact us and let us know.

There will be more information in the coming months, but for now, as you are in the midst of your recruiting and registration process, know that there are a lot of people and companies by your side and rooting for you, because without you, your students would never know what it’s like to Be Part of the Music.

Hope our little announcement has helped to make your day a little brighter. Have a great rest  of the week.

America's Snow Day

As we speak, most of America is in the grip of one of the largest winter storms ever recorded.  With so many schools closed, my unofficial observation tells me that today may be the largest "snow day" in the history of our country.

So what do music teachers do on a "snow day?"  They turn it into a "work from home day."  Believe it or not, my inbox is overflowing and my phone has been ringing off the hook with directors who are using today to catch up and get ahead.  Really? As long as you are working, (you're reading this email aren't you?) I thought I would help you fight off the winter chill with some warm thoughts.
 
Like many of you, I watch the evening news to get a glimpse of what is happening in the world. Last night, I was inspired by a story of thousands of people standing as one against ISIS/ISIL. My fixation was not just on WHAT they were protesting, but HOW they were protesting...through song.  It turns out that in the Middle East, music is the force that can bridge gaps of geography, language, education and religion among the people. Music is their common cultural thread and has been for thousands of years.

When you teach music, you teach more than notes on a page. You teach self-discipline and personal expression. You teach values and give a sense of belonging. You connect children to other children not just in your classroom, but to children halfway across the world.  Something to think about and perhaps talk to your students about as you return to your classrooms.

Now do yourself and your students a favor. Step away from the computer, play with your children, and take a long nap.  Trust me, wrong notes, bad tone, broken reeds, and lost music will still be there tomorrow.

Take care, be safe, and stay warm and if your still on a snow day, go do something fun!
 Interesting Image

Scott

p.s.  We interrupted our previously written email to bring you this not so important weather update. We will return to our regularly scheduled broadcast next week with an announcement that will blow your socks off! Seriously, be prepared and wear two pair of socks next Wednesday. In case you hadn't noticed, it's cold out there!
 

IF/THEN

This past weekend I was in New York for a series of workshops. During an off night, my wife and I ducked into the city to catch Idina Menzel in her new musical, "IF/THEN." (The chance to hear her sing something other than Let It Go was something we just couldn’t pass up!)

"IF/THEN" tells the story of woman named Elizabeth (Menzel) who makes an unassuming choice in the park one day that alters her life forever. The play follows the different paths her life could have taken had only she made a different choice on that fateful day. The production was incredible in every way.

Afterwards, I was thinking of all of the seemingly innocuous choices I have made in my life and how they have led me to the pathway I am on today. Unlike the play, there is no way for me to know how my life might have played out had my choices been different. But it was interesting to think about and reflect upon what is, and what might have been.

The process was so interesting that I thought I would share it with you. Obviously, the questions are as infinite as the answers are, so I will keep them professional in nature.  Want to play along? (That was a rhetorical question BTW). I will pose the IF, and you provide the THEN.
 
IF I had chosen a different instrument in elementary school, THEN...?
IF I had chosen not to be in music, THEN…?
IF I had gone to a different high school, THEN…?
IF I had gone to a different college, THEN…?
IF I had left or stayed at my previous job, THEN…?
IF my spouse/partner felt differently about my job, THEN…?
IF I had not become a teacher, THEN…?
IF I could no longer teach, THEN…?
IF I could make one different choice in my career, THEN…?
 
In the interest of candor and honesty, let me share the following. I lack psychic powers and I am not well read enough to wax philosophic. I am not trained in the science of psychology and frankly my gut instincts are almost always completely wrong. But, having met many music educators in my life, my belief is that the pathways created by and through music are richer and more rewarding than the paths not chosen. In other words, your IF/THEN is not as good as your HERE/NOW.

At least I know that it is true for me.

The loss is more painful than the victory is sweet

Like everyone else on Sunday, I was glued to the television for the annual American epic event known as the Super Bowl. During the pre-game telecast, John Madden was quoted as saying, “Having been on both sides of the record, I can tell you the pain of defeat is greater than the sweetness of victory.”
 
I believe there is truth in that. Granted, I have never played in the Super Bowl, but as a life-long Bills fan and a band director, I know a thing or two about the pain of defeat. Like both teams, my victories/good days outnumbered my defeats/bad days ten to one, but it is the bad days that I remember the most.
 
I know that I am not alone in this. I also know that the angst, uncertainty, and pressures of being a music educator can, at times, eclipse the joy of the fact that we get to make music each and every day. I also know that most of us feel and remember the bad days, deeper and longer than we feel and remember the good ones. We fester over the students who quit more so than we celebrate the students who stayed. We fuss over the wrong notes more than we praise the right ones. It is an occupational hazard to be sure.
 
Is it possible to have the joy without the pain, or the pain without the joy? Probably not. Keep in mind, the recent measles outbreak started in the happiest place in the world, Disneyland. Oh, the irony. Yes, I agree with Mr. Madden to a point. I do believe that the loss is more painful than the victory is sweet.
 
But both are better than not having played at all. If you don’t believe me, just ask my Buffalo Bills or the other 30 teams that were at home watching the game in there living room just like me (although, I suspect their living room is nicer than mine).
 
At times, the pain of this profession can and will outweigh the joys. But at least you get to play in the game, and that is better than the alternative.
 
After all, your worst day in a classroom making music, is better than your best day in a cubicle.

I am the world's worst secret keeper!

The combination of no impulse control, a guilty conscience, and an overactive imagination makes me the worst secret keeper in the world. I have the best intentions, and don’t want to spill the beans, but inevitably, I do. Let’s just say that if there is something you are trying to hide, something you don't want anyone else to know: DON'T TELL ME.
 
Having said that, I have been doing a pretty good job of keeping some secrets lately. I’m not talking about the “I know who killed Kennedy” type secret, but secrets none the less. Believe me, I am just DYING to tell someone. Thank goodness you aren't here.
 
Next week, at TMEA (Texas Music Educator’s), we will be letting the cat out of the bag. In fact, the secret involves several cats. It's is like a LITTER of cats coming out of this bag. I am not sure who put the cats in there, but if you could keep that a secret from the folks at PETA, I would appreciate it. As I mentioned, I am not good at keeping secrets.

The Uncomfortable Truth

If there is extra time at the end of a workshop, I will take some questions. Last night, a young lady raised her hand and asked, “Why do you do what you do?” No one had ever asked me that, and frankly, it had me stumped. My first inclination was to answer with the standard and safe answer: “I do it for the children.” But anyone who has been to one of my workshops knows that I am anything but standard and safe. So I answered her question with the truth, as uncomfortable as it may be. I told her that "I teach for me."

And as long as we’re at it, I should tell you that kids are not why I became a teacher. I didn’t do it to change the world or shape the future, or any of that tree-hugging liberal stuff. Like I said, I don’t teach for the children. So why do I teach?

I do it for selfish reasons; I teach for me!

I know this doesn’t make for an emotive or evocative ad campaign. It also isn’t likely to be the banner headline on the American Educators’ Association convention, although I think it should be. I would also suspect that you aren’t likely to find “I teach for me!” greeting cards or bumper stickers during Teacher Appreciation Week. But for me, it is my truth.
Teachers are one of the few professional groups that have turned going to work into a badge of honor. Some walk the halls of our schools and the aisles of our community grocery stores carrying the weight of self-imposed martyrdom. They act as if their jobs and their professional lives are such a burden, but as martyrs, they willingly carry it so that others’ loads may be lighter.

Not me! I enjoy teaching. I enjoy going to work in a place where I am challenged on a creative and an analytical level. I like being in a place where I have control and can see the fruits of my labor. I like working with young, energetic people who like to laugh. I like teenagers. I like being the decision-maker and the person who gets to make the call. I enjoy the fact that I work with kids and adults, and yes, if I am to be completely honest, my ego doesn’t exactly mind being the center of attention for four hours a day.

For you it may be different. For you it may be “all about the kids.” But for me, it’s not.

Call me a selfish pig. Call me a jackass! Call me immature! Call me what you want, but I teach because I like to giggle. I teach because I get to do what I want, when I want and how I want to do it. I teach because I get a “do over” every time I walk into a room. I teach because I get to avoid spending large amounts of time with grumpy grownups. I teach because I hate Excel spreadsheets and terms like “360-degree analysis”. I teach because I dislike memos and the some of the people who write them. I teach because my cubicle is 10,000 square feet and I get a standing ovation more often than not. I teach for a paycheck, health insurance, and retirement. I teach for me!

Why is it so hard to admit that? Why do educators go to such great pains to paint themselves and this profession in a light that is less than flattering? Why are we so embarrassed to say that we chose our profession because it brings us joy AND it just so happens to serve a greater calling?

I am not ashamed that I’m happy. I am not embarrassed that I like my job. I am not a martyr and you need not pity me. I chose this work and I enjoy it. I’m happy, and your pity would be better spent on someone who doesn’t get to do what they want to do and that's not me.

I teach because I enjoy it. I teach because it’s what I want to do. I teach because it makes me feel good. I recognize that the byproduct is that I do it for children, but I do it for of me.
I teach for me.

Anyone want to buy that bumper sticker?
 
Have a great week and stay warm!
 Interesting Image

Static Electricity gone wrong

Have you ever walked into a room that was filled with static electricity? You can almost feel the energy in the air and in everything you touch. It truly is an “electric” atmosphere.

Thanks to Wikipedia, I now know that static electricity happens when the outer layer of an atom (the positive layer) gets rubbed off. This incidental contact creates an imbalanced atom and leaves it negatively charged.

For instance, when you come in from the cold and remove your hat, the proton is transferred from your hair to your hat, thus leaving your hair with a negative static charge. When two objects with the same negative charge come into contact with one another, they try and repel each other with force. Hence, the shock you feel. Think of it as two negative attitudes looking for a fight.

Music rooms all over our country are experiencing this phenomenon on a grand scale. Whether it is the long nights and short days, the passing of Christmas, or the onslaught of the new semester, the result is the same. Our rehearsal halls are filled students charged up with negative energy. The result? Negative people looking to get as far away from each other as possible.

This could not come at a worse time. With registration right around the corner, the last thing we want to do is shock and repel people. We want to attract and retain them. But in order to do this, we have to turn the negative energy into positive energy.

Perhaps tomorrow you might teach a little less and smile a little more. Perhaps you might break through the cold with some warmth. Perhaps you might look a little harder for reasons to laugh and look the other way at the things that frustrate you.  Perhaps you might scream triumphantly for the right notes and save the wrong ones for tomorrow. Perhaps tomorrow’s one and only goal is to remove the static electricity from the room.

After all, losing electricity is way better than losing a student.

Have a “positive” day tomorrow.