#16. Write It and Say It

#16. Write It and Say It

by | Jan 9, 2017 | Boonshaft's Blog

Recent research tells us that we remember 10% of what we hear. We remember 20% of what we read. But, that if we read it and hear it, we don’t just remember the aggregate 30%, we remember 50% of it! How can we use this in our teaching? The next time we have a list of...
#15. They Will

#15. They Will

by | Dec 16, 2016 | Boonshaft's Blog

The wonderful old saying prescribes, “Act as if the quality you seek is already within you and it will be.” I think that wisdom holds just as true when it comes to how we interact with our students. I find that if I treat students as if they are acting the...
#14. Guided Listening

#14. Guided Listening

by | Dec 12, 2016 | Boonshaft's Blog

If I had a dollar for every time in a rehearsal I instructed an ensemble “to listen,” I would be writing this blog on my private island in the Caribbean. Sadly, most of those times were the equivalent of asking this extremely bald band director to grow...
#13. Believe

#13. Believe

by | Dec 5, 2016 | Boonshaft's Blog

As you walk into your classroom today, remember these words of Anatole France, “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” We can follow the advice of the remarkable sentiment: “To achieve all...
#12. Time To Teach

#12. Time To Teach

by | Nov 28, 2016 | Boonshaft's Blog

When I start to feel the weight of all that we have to teach our students, and the tiny amount of time we have to do it in, my pace starts to get faster and faster. Often the casualty of that haste is my doing less review, practice and reinforcement, all in an effort...
#11. Practice More

#11. Practice More

by | Nov 21, 2016 | Boonshaft's Blog

What got you hooked on music? Was it practicing scales in a practice room? If it was, you are a sick individual in need of professional help. It was performing music! Sadly, I don’t think our beginners perform enough. My hope is that as soon as beginners can play...