The secretary. The custodian. The counselor. These people in your building play an often behind-the-scenes, yet vitally important, role in your program’s success. Of these three, however, the counselor is often the most underutilized.
Music Ed Mentor Podcast #021: Elementary Music for Secondary Teachers
Be honest: you had a dream job in mind when you graduated with your music education degree. Maybe you had your heart set on leading a major national marching program as a head director.
Band-master or Band-mentor?
A few years ago I was a composer-in-residence at a university. While there I worked with many of the students, as well as with outlying teachers.
What If Students Programmed Your Next Concert?
Imagine a conversation like this in your classroom:
Director: Today I propose to do something for you that none of your other teachers will ever do.
Traveling with School Music Groups
Traveling with school music groups has a multitude of benefits – both musical and non-musical. Many times the nonmusical benefits far outweigh the musical benefits.
Engaging Students after the Spring Concert – and Every Day
Are we playing today? What are we going to do for the rest of the year? Why do we still have class? What is the purpose of class after the spring concert?
Music Ed Mentor Podcast #020: Parent Booster Groups
I’m a huge fan of parent booster groups. They can really help promote your program, make fundraising easier, and engage your community. Joining me to talk about booster groups this week is Ryan Crabtree, president-elect of the Colorado Bandmasters Association.
The Director’s Guide to Recruitment + Instrument Selection
As a band or orchestra director, few tasks are more important than recruiting new students. To help ensure the longevity of your music program, we’ve compiled recruitment and instrument selection advice from top educators across the country.
Improve Your Large Ensemble with Chamber Ensembles
Imagine a perfect world. Imagine a world where your students bring greatly improved attitude, sound, rhythm, confidence, and listening skills to your rehearsal. Sounds great, right?
Antidotes for Performance Anxiety
In a recent TMEA convention, I asked;“How many of you have ever felt nervous while performing?” You can see the reaction above. So I asked,“Nobody?”
That got a laugh.