#248. Listen

#248. Listen

In the past, I have written about the necessity of us making the use of the word “listen” actionable. Simply instructing a group to “listen” is of little help. Telling them what to listen for is arguably far more enlightening and illuminating. Likewise, our use of the...
#247. I’ll Do It Later (Maybe)

#247. I’ll Do It Later (Maybe)

When students fail to do an assignment on time, or accomplish a task as scheduled, I have often wondered why. Are they lazy or are they procrastinating? I think there is a tendency to lump those two things together, when in fact they are quite different. It turns out...
#246. Happiness

#246. Happiness

If we were to write down all the things we want our students to sense in our classrooms and rehearsal halls, I think happiness would certainly be on that incredibly long list. But have you ever considered the notion of happiness? I mean really thought about what it...
#245. Is It Empty?

#245. Is It Empty?

One night, while channel surfing on the television, I stumbled upon a show where they were visiting a farm. They panned from one bucolic scene of pastures and fields of thriving crops to the next. Then the commentator started interviewing the farmer as they both stood...
#244. Involve The Whole School

#244. Involve The Whole School

The more we can include other subject areas in our performances, the more we solidify our importance in the school as a whole. How about finding a piece that features authentic African drumming, and instead of just having the band perform it, you enlist the talents of...
#243. Integral To The Community

#243. Integral To The Community

We must overtly prove that our music program is an integral, indispensable, and important part of the community. Whether that is by performing for the PTA, the Lion’s Club, at the start of a School Board Meeting, or for a local children’s hospital or...