If the President would simply issue the following proclamation, I would support him forever… “Let it be known that from this day forward, all marching band competitions shall be held on Fridays. All students involved in the competition shall be exempt from homework given or due that day. In addition, students not involved shall remain …
Read more “With one proclamation, the President would have my unending support”
The 2016 marching band season was the best to date. Our scores were some of the highest we had ever achieved. Our show was the most difficult we had ever attempted. My students were the most committed they had ever been (with lots of room for improvement). As my students attained higher and higher scores, …
Read more “I’m Glad My Marching Band Didn’t Make it to State”
New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time! Most of the resolutions don’t last beyond the end of January. They are bound to fail. Resolutions are often not thought out, have no action steps and are rarely written down. They often lack specificity. Here are just a few examples of how to make goals better… …
Remember Nancy Reagan’s theme from the 1980s to Just Say No to drugs? She was made fun of, but it is an effective strategy. You may not struggle with drugs, but I bet you do struggle with saying no! Many people miss out on the great things in life because they are doing so many …
Read more “Just Say No! (So You Can Say Yes). It’s Life-Changing!”
Teens Today Get a Bad Rap Teens today get a bad rap, one that they don’t deserve. They are accused of many things and often all lumped into the same category rather than looked at as individuals. I work with teens daily. I have faith in teens! Three Myths About Teens 1. Teens are lazy …
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When I turned 18 – way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and brontosaurus burgers were just 25 cents – aka 1984 – I proudly proclaimed to anyone who would listen – and most didn’t – “I’m a man now.” (By the way, that sentence is a homage to my 12th grade English teacher, who …
By Summer Stevens Reprinted with permission from GES. Link to the article online HERE. From Tolerance to Forced Approval There is an intentional attempt to indoctrinate your children to the LGBTQ lifestyle, and your church is likely doing nothing about it. This indoctrination is evident in obvious ways, such as in the mandatory teaching of …
Make Use of “Sponge Time“ I’m not talking about Sponge Bob, but about time you already have but maybe don’t know you have. Just like a sponge easily absorbs extra water, if you really look, you will see “extra time” all around you. We all get the same 24 hours in a day. Many teens …
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Way way back in 1984, my 5 foot tall mom was able to predict the success of my marriage with this little known Italian secret! Does your marriage pass the test? Today, I share this secret worldwide so you can start using it yourself. Get more funny stories in my book about growing up Italian, …
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I hear Christians lamenting all the time about two Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s that “removed prayer from schools”. Those decisions did not remove prayer from schools, but removed state-sponsored prayer from public schools, and frankly I’m glad they did! Christians have always been for the underdog, for the downtrodden, for those whose rights …
We are constantly hearing all the “woe is me” about our colleges and the cost to attend! Some of those problems are our own doing, but college is still affordable! My Story I wanted to go to college for as far back as I can remember. My mom didn’t have any money saved up for …
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I wasn’t always this way! People look at me – 57, getting better looking each year, married to my high school sweetheart, parent of four, grandparent of 10 (and counting), successful band teacher, author, speaker, musician – and they think “Wow, James is so confident and sure of himself. Life has been good to him. …
Read more “I Wasn’t Always This Way – Once was a Sad Boy, now a Joyful Man”
Choosing Quality Band Literature Here are a few things I have learned about selecting music for wind band… Ability Level of the Ensemble You Direct: A piece of music may be the greatest creation ever made, but if it is too difficult for the students to play, they will become discouraged. I often made the …
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In 1998, I started my first teaching job with passion, dedication, love and joy. I gave my all to my students, but I neglected myself and – I’m ashamed to say – at times my family. I became extremely burned out. When I left that school for another in 2005, I promised myself I would …
Read more “Are you burned out? Take this easy test. Make changes.”
11 Ways To Lose (and Keep) A Band Student Nobody wants to lose a band student. Sometimes it’s inevitable – you get a student who doesn’t want to work at all for example. Other times it may be our own fault. Here are 11 ways to lose a band student for sure (and 11 ways to …
Dealing with a family member who has had a stroke is very difficult. There are so many things to attend to, not to mention wondering if your family member will even survive! My mom had a stroke in May of 2016. At first we thought she was going to die. When she made it through …
Have you ever had a teacher say or do something that had a huge impact on you for your entire life? I have had many of these opportunities. Some teachers affect you in a negative way. I’ve had my share of those. Most of my teachers had huge, positive impacts on my life. My seventh …
In a few short days, I celebrate 34 years of marriage with my best friend Susan. My own 5 foot tall mom was able to predict the success of this marriage with this little known secret for success way back in 1984 when I first started dating Susan. Today, I share this secret worldwide so …
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And don’t forget to be thankful for all the blessings in your life. YOU are a blessing in mine. YOU make my life rich. I love you. James hosts The Music Ed Podcast and also shares an inspirational keynote in which he uses his 100+ year old saxophone to talk about how – even though our lives …
Read more “7 (Fun) Rules for Losing Weight and Staying Healthy”
I spent 1986-1996 as part of the Army band in Virginia, Japan, and Colorado. During that time we usually performed more than 200 times a year and often participated in high-profile events that included the media. I can’t tell you the number of wonderful events I was a part of that were featured on the …
4 Tips to Help you be a Better Band Director using the Acronym BAND. There are four key areas that – if you focus on these and make them a priority – they can help you be a better band director. None of them have anything to do with music, but the word “BAND” does …
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My Italian mom told me so many stories of her father – how she struggled to keep up with his long legs while he walked with purpose, how proud she was of him providing for her family, and especially how he told Bible stories to his 9 kids, making them come alive with his story-telling …
Read more “What If She Had Not Decided To Be My Grandmother”
If I can write a book, anyone can do it. I’ve had the honor of writing six. I’m working on number seven right now. Here are ten steps to follow… I created a course that takes you step by step through this process. Find it HERE. James is a retired teacher, now motivational speaker. He …
I once had a friend who was very overweight and had diabetes. We were hanging out and he ordered a double sugar, extra fat, triple whipped cream something or other from the coffee chain. When I expressed surprise that he was able to drink that, he showed me his insulin pump attached to his hip …
Several years ago, the school community I was a part of suffered a terrible tragedy! A mom and three of her kids died in a highway accident. The dad was not on this trip and survived. Two of the kids were in the same class that I taught. It was a small class of about …
There are three types of people in the world: The Sheep, The Sheepdogs and The Wolves. Most people are sheep. They live a somewhat normal life…they go to work, do what they’re told, pay their taxes, raise their families, watch tv, hang out on weekends. For the most part not creating any waves. Most of …
Read more “The Sheep, The Sheepdogs and the Wolves. Which one are you?”
Many people set their aim on becoming famous, thinking that’s the path to earning money as a musician. It’s not. There are famous people who make money, but there are many musicians you probably have never heard of who make $75,000 a year or more plugging away in their local community. I have a friend …
Did you know that the ancient Hebrew language does not have a word for coincidence? I “found” my first teaching job by “coincidence”. (in quotes because I don’t believe in that word) I was performing full time and wanted to give teaching a try. I would not have sought out a full time teaching job, …