"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." When Benjamin Franklin stated those remarkable words, he encapsulated one of the gold standards of...

Before class or rehearsal one day, write the following anonymous quote on the board: "Don't wait until you've reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of yourself...

In my previous blog, I discussed a specific way to use a video recording to help assess your conducting. Here’s another terrific technique. Video yourself conducting a piece from...

I'm sure we have all wondered what our students see when they are watching us. Certainly, our viewing video recordings of our rehearsals can help provide insights into what they...

The next time you have a student or an entire ensemble continually stumble on one note when playing a run or fast passage, try this. Have them hold that "bad" note. Then have...

I love to tell stories, use metaphors, or make analogies in rehearsals. I've always felt it was a great way to connect with students, to describe an image of something we're...

I've long suggested that when our students are coming in for the start of rehearsals, we should have music playing by the finest of that type of ensemble for our students to...

Many years ago, I was speaking with a band director who posed a great question to me. He said, "I am so careful to teach correct posture and playing position to my beginners. I...

Stasis, the notion of things just staying the same, can be comforting. We usually embrace the idea that “what has always happened will happen again.” When going to our favorite...