#300. Review More

#300. Review More

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, 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 to...
#299. Perform More

#299. Perform More

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 “Hot...
#298. Just One Thing

#298. Just One Thing

At a music education symposium last week, I was asked a question that really gave me pause. Actually, it stopped me dead in my tracks. Ready? Here it is: “Dr. Boonshaft, if you could change one thing about yourself as a teacher, what would it be?” See why I was...
#296. Guided Listening

#296. Guided Listening

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

#295. Repeating Directions

I got into a routine, well, more like a rut. During rehearsals, after stopping to correct something. I would identify the problem spot, state what was troubling me, and what I wanted them to try. Then I would say something like: “Let’s go back to Letter G.” The rut...