Teaching a Brand New Drum Major The first and most important thing is to teach the drum major how to sound a roll off, usually in conjunction with the drummers. Here’s a decent example of a roll-off. Have your drummers learn a cadence. When the drum major wants the band to play, he/she will blow …
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+ 6 More Tips #1 Get To Know The Secretaries and Custodians I taught high school for 13 years. We had an outstanding secretary named Joyce. We became friends. Even after she retired and moved away, I went to visit her and her husband. She set the tone for the entire school culture with her …
Read more “You’re Not Going To Reach Every Student Every Time”
Have you ever noticed that the flutes are often the best behaved students in the band while the drummers…well, you know! YOU can do a few simple things to turn this around. It’s not that flutes are better than percussionists. The saxes are the absolute best section. Podium The podium FEELS safe, but it can …
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I know exactly how to fail at work life balance. I burned out – TWICE!!!! It happened at my first teaching job about 6-7 years in. I was determined not to let it happen again. It happened at my 2nd teaching job about 11–12 years in. I was determined not to let it happen again. …
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I’m NOT against Christmas – I promise Those who know me well know I have a strong faith in Jesus Christ, and Christmas is an important holiday in that faith, but I quit doing Christmas concerts decades ago. So much is happening in December already! Everybody seems to be putting on a performance. Every school …
It was about 5 years after the passing of my father-in law (Frank Brummet), managing his funeral and dealing with his estate when we finally felt strong enough, emotionally, to begin the long process of going through his lifetime collection of poetry, short stories and memoirs. You see, he gave us the rights to his …
The Big Lie One of the biggest lies we’ve told students – not on purpose – is that practice makes perfect. Not true! Perfect practice makes perfect! But most students don’t know how to practice. Early in my career I often had students fill out impressive practice logs with 10 hours a week of practice. …
Read more “Practice Tips – Plus THE BIG LIE About Practicing”
I once had a colleague who was my feeder for the high school band. He made a statement that bothered me some. He stated, “I don’t worry too much about posture and tone. I’m focusing on getting the kids to have fun and enjoy band and figure you will fix those things when they reach …
Read more “Good Tone – The Number 1 Thing You Should Focus On”
No single method of discipline will work for every student in every situation. Each student is different and may need a different approach. And the student who always does what they’re supposed to but is having a bad day will require a different approach than a student who never does what they’re supposed to. It’s …
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Establish AND Practice Routines and Procedures The time you invest early in the school year in processes and procedures will pay HUGE dividends throughout the year! Teachers often tell me, “I just don’t have time to spend on procedures.” I understand that we all want to perform the best that we can at concerts, and …
Julie trying out a trumpet Music is a language onto its own, but it requires a master translator to bring it to the masses. In my 26 years as a teacher, I have had the opportunity to observe a lot of teachers. Julie Harrison is the absolute best! I had an opportunity to work with …
Read more “Unveiling Genius: The Best Music Teacher- Her Hidden Talent”
As humans, we lean towards the easy but that’s not always what we are called to do. Everybody has a purpose, a reason for being on this earth. One person described life as being composed of two critical moments… In case you are not familiar with his story, here are a few highlights about Moses. …
In 1989, I was in the Army Band and received orders to be reassigned to Japan. I was so excited – and so was my lovely bride. We enjoy experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, and having our minds expanded by different ways people do things around the world. In the days leading up to …
I saw this posted recently. I don’t know if it’s a true story, but it definitely sounds like how Yogi would explain jazz. Interviewer: Can you explain jazz? Yogi: I can’t, but I will. 90% of all jazz is half improvisation. The other half is the part people play while others are playing something they …
When it comes to musical instruments, the saxophone stands apart as a true masterpiece. With its unparalleled ability to evoke emotion, its versatile sound range, and its captivating blend of elegance and energy, the saxophone has rightfully earned its place as one of the most beloved and revered instruments in the world of music. Recently …
Believe it or not, 36+ years in the music field and I almost didn’t join band in 6th grade! Maybe I didn’t know the benefits, or maybe I was just too young to care. Learning a musical instrument offers a wide range of benefits that extend beyond simply acquiring a new skill. The most important …
I’m a band teacher and belong to several social media sites where other members can post questions, express struggles, and share resources. It’s great most of the time, but I have noticed a disturbing trend where, when responding to a member’s difficult situation – instead of posting helpful advice – members post responses like this: …
A few years ago the mantra “It’s not enough to not be racist. You should be anti-racist,” cropped up. Whether you agree with the exact phrasing or not, there is truth to it. I’ll come back to that in a minute. I grew up with a dad who was abusive. We had to escape him. …
Do you have an idea for a book or article? Many people dream of writing a book, but they don’t ever start.Starting is probably the most important thing to do! Get started writing a book.. Follow these steps: Set a goal Don’t worry about editing or proofreading If you follow these steps, you will be …
I was driving and stopped to get gas and a drink at a local store when I heard a loud exclamation… “ Hey everybody – that’s my orchestra teacher.” I didn’t recognize the young lady the exclamation came from, but upon further inquiry, I found out she was a student of mine from 4-5 years …
Whenever I travel through St. Louis, I absolutely love staying at a particular Airbnb that is built up in the trees. Not only is it peaceful and feels like a retreat, but it also reminds me of my dream as a child to build a treehouse for my mom. I have absolutely zero skills at …
You walk into a concert hall and are bombarded with crying babies, cell phones ringing, people talking on their cell phones, people playing games, cat calls to band members, and doors opening and closing in the back. It’s frustrating. It’s disrespectful. Proper concert behavior can and should be taught to the audience and the band …
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Ever since I was in middle school, I have been very fond of old westerns (I guess they weren’t that old when I was in middle school). Much to the chagrin of my teachers, I completed many homework assignments and school projects while watching reruns of Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and Alias Smith and Jones. I have …
I spent 1986-1996 in the Army Band. It was a great learning experience for me. I got to spend three of those years in Japan, serving my country as a saxophonist touring Japan. After a while, I knew army life was not for me. I knew I needed a change. My wife and I discussed …
The story I shared at The Story Project a couple of years ago. It aired on KRCC in Colorado Springs. This is my recording of that public airing so forgive the poor sound quality. I share funny stories of growing up Italian, including: How garlic permeates everything when you’re Italian Why I speak SO LOUDLY …
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You’re going to be gone from school, there are no music subs (or sometimes no subs at all), and you don’t want to leave the students with a written assignment. What do you do? Try the Student Led Rehearsal. I wish I had originally came up with this idea, but like much of what we …
I am proud to be 50% Italian, 40% German, and the rest a hodgepodge of other nationalities that make me the terrific person I am, but ultimately I’m 100% American! My mom – a full blooded Italian Neapolitan (someone from Naples, Italy) – came to America in 1965 to marry an American and enjoy her …
Do you remember the old Four Seasons song Big Girls Don’t Cry? Well they DO cry, and so do boys! I grew up in the era where MOST of the men in my life would tell me to “Stop Crying”. “Men don’t cry,” they would lament. They were wrong! I don’t hold anything against those …
I had a wonderful 9th grade social studies teacher. She taught us how to think. I attended a school that had kids from all over the world! We had white kids, black kids, Filipino kids, Vietnamese kids, Hispanic kids – and those are just the ones I can remember. When it came time to study …
From 2nd through 7th grades, I was bullied by other boys. Mom felt it was always wrong to fight. She would quote Jesus’ admonition to turn the other cheek. Later I realized that verse describes a time when someone insults you. Even Jesus overturned the moneychanger’s tables, and sometimes boys have to defend themselves. One …
Read more “I Was Bullied Throughout School, but in 6th Grade I Became a Bully”