#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...