Three Levels of Listening

Every music educator has a drum that they beat day in and day out. Not the literal drum, as many of us are simply not gifted in the percussive arts. (If you’re like me, hopefully you’ve avoided having your inadequacies…

Technology + Student + You = Win

Technology is here to stay. It is not going to go away, nor is it going to become less complex or invasive in the near future. Our students are going to continue to text just like past generations passed notes.…

Design: More Than Notes and Dots

Welcome to late December. Throughout most of the United States, competitive marching band is done or is winding down. Football is entering the middle stages of play-offs, and many a sousaphone are shuttling off for a good post-season cleaning. It’s…

Next Year’s Freshmen

The scariest moment for any director is the day the class requests for the following year arrive. It’s a make-or-break moment, when you see how many new performers will be matriculating up to replace the seasoned veterans that are on…

Choosing Concert Band Music

The months of November and December are two of my absolute favorites as a band director. Aside from the obvious excitement of finishing out marching band and football, there’s the added benefit of selecting concert music for the Spring semester…