It’s 90 degrees with a 20+mph head wind. I’ve settled into a cadence and, with my head down, keep turning the cranks. Sweat is pouring off of me while the Kansas sun remains relentless. My tour bicycle is weighed down with everything I’ll need for my 3,200+ mile jaunt across the country, from the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles to the Annapolis Pier outside Washington, D.C. I’ve packed as light as I can, based on prior experience, but I refuse to weigh the total rig – I just don’t need the head-game. Besides, adding at least 20 pounds of water to get through the Mojave Desert would only add to whatever “weightweenie” worries I might already have. Still, it’s thinking of the “why” that drives me. The “why” relates to two things in education that are taken for granted. I believe them to be the two most endangered things in schools today: instrumental music education and teacher emotional wellness. But how did I end up on this bike? What’s that got to do with those two endangered things? Well, sometimes you just have to do something out of the ordinary, something totally unrelated, in order to draw attention to the matter at hand. That’s how I found myself doing this: “Biking for Band”. B4B is a solo, self-contained bicycle ride across the USA, following the old Route 66 from Santa Monica Pier to Joplin, Missouri, then snaking across the Midwest and Eastern USA via St. Louis, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and finally the Annapolis Pier. This 3K+ mile route will encompass over 100,000 feet of climbing, riding through the smoke-filled areas of California, then through the Mojave Desert and the rest of the Southwest currently in a brutal heatwave. I’ll ride through mountains, plains, and deserts on highways, byways, county roads, dirt roads and rails-to-trails with no group support, nor sag vehicle. Just me, thinking of you. All this to bring a different style of grassroots awareness to whomever may listen and, hopefully, opportunities to connect with students and teachers along the way. But riding a bike across the USA?

Absolutely. I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors. I’ve raced bicycles and competed in triathlons, was heavily involved in martial arts, enjoy running, climbed to Mt. Everest base camp, summited Kilimanjaro, was charged by black rhinos in Zambia and a mother moose in Alaska, slapped by an eagle in the Aleutian Islands, and tracked mountain gorillas in Rwanda. I tend to run towards the fire rather than away. Strangely, it was always musical opportunities that provided avenues to these adventures, and given the opportunity, I took advantage. Riding across the country, however, is different. I had wanted to do it for some time, but because of the time commitment, it seemed incredibly self-serving. I mean, c’mon, potentially 2-3 months? But then, something clicked. Post-covid has seen a shocking rise in both the number of instrumental music programs cut as well as a mass teacher exodus. When I’ve been in schools or working with honor groups, I often hear the concern of “what may be coming”. Levels of anxiety and depression, as well as spikes in suicide ideation and attempts have now permeated our student culture, but no-one seems to talk about the similar things happening to our teachers. People choose to believe the “we’ve always had music and teachers, so we always will” theory. However, truth is we won’t. We’re losing both at exponential rates. It’s tough to track these trends, too, as there are no records kept of the number of music programs eliminated, nor the number of teachers leaving the profession regardless of subject matter. To make matters worse, there is a noticeable lower number of individuals wishing to enter the teaching profession.

But, what to do? My answer is: Theodore Roosevelt. It was our 26th president who said: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”. Well, I have a bike, I have extensive teaching and musical experiences, and I have an opportunity to bring a message to everyone I come in contact with in 13 states, as well as via social media, newspapers, radio and television. If I can garner enough support, I will make this happen. You see, at the end of the day, it’s not simply about music – what I believe to be the most crucial and irreplaceable subject in school – it’s about all students, their future, and what their educational opportunities can provide. It’s about supporting all teachers in all subjects, who help students craft themselves and discover what they can accomplish by doing so. Finally, if you didn’t catch it: It’s about you. And I’m so glad you’re right there behind me, every pedal stroke, pushing me forward. You are the engine, music is the fuel, the future is the road and together we’re head down, sweating against the heat and wind, moving forward.