Boonshaft’s Blog
#77. Why Did It Fall?
As Bernard Baruch so perfectly put it, “Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” Getting our students to wonder and question “why” something is...
#76. What Tiny Changes Can Do!
Before your next rehearsal, try a few things that will make all the difference in the world. Simply slide the first chair in the second row over so that...
#75. Overwhelming versus Manageable?
One of the hardest aspects of being a teacher is remembering the difficulty of first learning something that now comes so easily to us. Something that we...
#74. In Honor Of Greatness
On October 28, 2018 the world lost a great treasure with the passing of Richard Gill, Australia’s world-renowned conductor, teacher, and advocate for...
#73. The First Time
Before your next rehearsal, write this wonderful old saying on the board: “Why is it that there is never enough time to do things right the first time…but...
#72. Irrigation
On those days that I become frustrated, and heaven knows they come as sure as kids who will forget to bring their instruments, or that a fire drill will...
#71. Biography
The word biography is often defined as an account of someone's life written by someone else. For us as teachers, our biography, in great measure, will be...
#70. 5 Minutes
At your next rehearsal, try saying nothing but positive things for 5 minutes straight. It sounds easy, but once you try it, you realize just how hard it...
#69. Challenge Them With The Easiest Piece You Can
I spent a week not too long ago working with a remarkable band. A truly remarkable band. They were performing an extremely difficult program so incredibly well. But I found them...