First Week: well that was fun?!

Man I was excited this week to finally get back in the classroom with the kids. I still am actually. The week has been full of work. I've only gone in at night to work 8 times now in the past 3 years-ish. Three of the 8 were this week and honestly I have so much to do I oughta go back in tonight. But bag that. It's a friday night and the mood is right for sitting at home doing nothing but dishes and cutting some herbs from my garden.
We have a new principal who is a great guy. I was one of the teachers who interviewed him and I think he's doing great things. He requires more work though, like teachers submitting lesson plans with standards attached and he's supposedly going to compare the standards taught with the ones on the state test to make sure we're preparing them. He's demanding and strict compared to what we had before, and I welcome that with open arms.
Right now I'm running a 5th grade band of 27, a 6th grade band of 24, a Middle School band of 26 and a High School band of 25 plus a guitar ensemble of 14. Not too bad for a K-12 district of only 300 kids.
I know the kids are not yet adjusted to sitting and behaving in a school setting. I'm not either. Yet despite the added work load from the new bossman, despite the excessive talking. I'm genuinely happy to be back in the room. I'm feeling the stress, but I really feel like I was made for this.
Ohhhh so story: This girl. Lets call her Suzie Que. Ok, so Suzie takes summer lessons from me at school every year. She's a flutist and honestly pretty decent considering all the social, emotional, and intellectual barriers she has. Ok so her mom calls and says that Suzie got mad and bent her flute. I was all like 'whats that even mean' but mom apologized and swore up and down they'd make it right. I gave them the addresses of the shops I approve and they supposedly got it all fixed. I'm not sure what "bent" really meant, but they were fixing it right. So today she's getting her flute out and I was like, wow I should look at that sometime. So after class I got it from her. The following is a photo I just took of the flute AFTER FIXING.

Close up of the scarring

To be honest, the repair guy I love could've probably done a better repair job, it's still kinda folded up there. But seriously, what did this girl do? There is also a pretty good ding on the plate so I think she like whacked the headjoint against a counter or something while it was in the body because the barrel part is great and the scarring from it being folded is right outside the barrel. Below is my fantastic artist's rending...

Perfect rendition of the flute headjoint

So yah, that was fun...

It's one of those 1960's or 70's Artley 18-0's. (1969 according to a quick serial number search) Basically made out of steel. These old Artley student models ain't pretty but still.

Anyway. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Pre-semester thoughts

I've spent a significant amount of time pondering the sociological influences on traditions in my little town.
See there is no extracurricular sport or activity which experiences success thus far in the school district. At least not since the '70s. Three years ago our athletics had a winning-less year across all sports.
The problem with no success is that is brings a complacency, an attitude of "it ain't gonna work anyways."
I read in a music ed journal about motivation a few months ago an article by Frank Kick (http://www.kickitin.com) about motivation. We had a special band officer's meeting to discuss the cycle of work-success-fun and my HS band camp was a whole different world of attitude this year. They worked hard and accomplished a massive amount in two days. It was an emotional high for me to finally have some success and we shared a lot of fun times...
Then I had two kids show up for the MS band camp. It was a massive snap back to reality.
I'm not tired of the students and certainly not the peer teachers and administration. I love them dearly.
I'd just love to not lose so many to scheduling problems and activity conflicts and...
These kids are good kids and like many at small schools, they're stretched so thin with all the demands we put on them.

School starts next thursday. We'll see how things go. I'm excited to see them again and not be doing janitorial work :)

When someone invents the ability to pick up a school district and move it closer to family please let me know.

BTW- My little one is 2 years old today! Happy Birthday Lyds!!! te amo

You've got to ac-cent-chu-ate the positive

So I was reading old blogs and felt the need to expound on the positives that have happened and are continuing to. I hope my last blog didn't come across as the angry ramblings of a disillusioned man.
Rather, it has been a very positive experience thus far. I'd like to publicly share the positive nature of my experience teaching here thus far.

1. Support staff: Our front office secretary has been a life saver countless times. She is a big help professionally. Our custodians are both big supporters of the program and willingly go out of their way to help me. 
2. Student "D": This kid makes it all worth while. Last spring I caught her on facebook at school and saw she had the band's picture as her cover photo. I think she is the first "band kid" this school has experienced in years. She plays a pretty mean flute, takes on challenges, etc. She also happens to be our primary babysitter for lyds.
3. Admin: I have 2 wonderful admins (3 soon but I barely know the new guy). Both are incredibly supportive and helpful. I'd go as far as to say I'm friends with my superintendent. They both are the most kind and helpful supervisors I've ever seen. They haven't always said yes, but they've always found a way to make things a more positive experience for the kids. They've helped me add a pops concert, a guitar and percussion class, a low brass trip to TUBAChristmas, a televised holiday concert, a...
4. Young leaders: I have a handful of incoming freshman this year who are going to be great leaders very soon. Including a group of 4 who did several MS honor bands together and are constantly challenging amongst themselves to be better musicians. They're a great asset.
5. The School Board: These guys have been wonderful. They've fought in my behalf on financial and logistical issues and without their support I wouldn't have made it this long. 
6. My wonderful "assistant": while Karin holds no official title and receives no pay, she is right there with me. First in and last out and working the whole time. She has missed fewer pep bands than most students and has always been helpful. Until recently some of my kiddos actually thought she was a paid assistant band director. She even sub-conducted once (long story).
7. The peer teachers: I mostly work with the four 5th and 6th grade teachers who have been incredibly supportive and will accommodate anything if it is at all possible. 

8. 

   me at Tuba Christmas 2012

   
   
   
   

   

   HS Band fall 2012

   

   Drum Majors 2013 and myself
   
   

Learning the blues and keeping my head on straight.

so... ya, long time no blog eh.
Spring '12: got the HS band enrollment up to 21. Darn freakin' proud of it too. Thing is these kids have such a tradition of mediocrity it astounded me (still does). We have almost no success as a school in any athletics or activities. The school prides themselves on academics, which is probably a great thing. I left that spring hopeful. I felt like, although it would take a while, i was set up for something great.

Then this 2012-2013 year happened. I started out HS band with 27 kiddos, MS Band with 46, and my full 5th and 6th bands (elementary band is required here, straight up no lies. they have no option and haven't for a decade or more so almost no one complains). Then they changed my schedule. I ended up teaching 5th and 6th grade together in one 30 minute class. 59 beginners (ok the 6th graders had a year under their belts) in a 26'x40' class plus instruments. If the 13 drummers weren't going to kill me the rest would. It was disastrous. I know this isn't really standardized in music buy our AYP ground to a halt like a reed hitting my off-white cinder block walls. Seriously, we got no where. I eventually (after christmas break) convinced the classroom teachers to take the kids and have 5th grade on Mondays and Wednesdays and 6th grade on Tues/Thurs. I figured a twice-a-week effective class is better than a 4x-weekly chaos. I was right, but the damage had been done. See, in May 2012 my 5th graders completed Standard of Excellence Book 1 with time to spare. They could all play you know, like 1-year experienced students. By May 2013 the class, as a whole, was maybe 1/3 of the way through the book. 
The scheduling fiasco spread elsewhere. They split my MS band into a 7th and 8th grade band because "46 students is too many in one section" (uuuuhhhh... but the elementary... whatever mate). It wasn't as brutal as the elementary switch though. My MSers are the core of my pep band and the 7th graders end up flying on the coat tails of the 8th graders to get through the football season, not having them together except on friday nights made a lot of 7th graders get that whole deer-in-the-headlights "ohhhhh, this is how it's supposed to sound" look for the first few weeks. They eventually caught on. 
The HS did well though. I took 6 kids to a big college-hosted honor band and had a smattering of others also. My student leadership occasionally requested more responsibilities and were generally awesome. In late April things got weird. Several of my core leaders, both elected and not, began to show up late and put in less effort. Our district music competition (the biggest deal in our year) got snowed out in late April. During our spring elections at the end of the month for next years officers a lot of my strong leaders didn't accept nominations and I started to get scared. Next thing I know I get preregistration numbers in for the fall and I wanted to cry. 
Typically, in my few years here, my 8th grade to 9th grade retention has been 85-90%. I lost one senior (early and sadly do to family drama, long story) and had 19 8th graders so i figured 26-1=25 plus say 15 incoming freshman = 40 kids. A 40 kid band in a school of 70 student ain't bad at all! Well preregistration was at 21. An actual loss. I was terrified. The school board and admins made it clear they wanted to see the program grow when I started and they've been nothing but supportive thus far. I was afraid of their judgments I guess. 
I quickly compiled my lists and tracked down the not-enrolled. 
      1 had  a legitimate unavoidable schedule problem, great leader, good player, a loss
      9 had "class conflicts" that were avoidable, but even after explaining how to still take everything they wanted, refused to be in band
      2 had "class conflicts" and after going through the schedule were able to re-enroll
      2 dropped band for a second study hall or TA spot
      2 more (students B and C)... 
            Student A had a fake conflict (avoidable). Student B, who is very much romantically involved with A, won't be in band without her. Student C is best friends with B and... Thing is all 3 are multiple honor band participants, all 3 are very popular and influential around school and, with last names like theirs, even around town. I was really hoping A or C would be band president. C was already working on this next fall's all-state material.

My wife tried to keep me calm. It hurt though. Those close to me kept saying not to take it personal, but how else should I take it. My HS group had already planned a marching show for the fall, we already had experienced so much forward momentum. I expected the momentum to slow, but sliding backwards hurt. More than the numbers it hurt to lose 7 of the 9 students who attended honor bands and have 3 of my 5 band officers quit. Brutal, man. Brutal.

My new leaders are mostly young. But very involved (3 sport athletes, etc) and have already shown they can't dedicate the same level of dedication. My new band president is an on-again off-again behavioral problem...

My new MS group for the fall is only 21 students in both 7th and 8th grades. I only brought up 5 new 7th graders. Who can blame them, they had a horrible 6th grade band experience. I didn't get to see them in the 4th quarter at all and before that the schedule was a bust.

A job opened up, ideal location and size, I applied. No interview or anything. Fail.

My goal for this next year is to relax and have fun. Maybe I pushed to hard, maybe my very-goal oriented strategies from last year drove away the kids who wanted more fun, less heavy work. My relax and have fun goal is as much a curricular theme as a coping skill. I've got to relax and not take these bumps as personally. 

Welcome to the Gesundheit Institute for Musical Developement

This is a portion of my new film, Patch Adams: Band Director
note: this is not a portion of my new film. I lied. It's a slightly altered portion of the real Patch Adams movie. Duhr. Enjoy


"Sir, Would you define practice for me?"
"Yes, practice would be defined as the care of a student seeking musical attention."
"Everyone who comes to the rehearsal is a student, yes. And every person who comes to the rehearsal is also a teacher."
"I'm sorry?"
"Every person who comes to the rehearsal is in need of some form of physical, mental, or musical help. They're students. But also every person who comes to the rehearsal is in charge of taking care of someone else... that makes them teachers. I use that term broadly, but is not a teacher someone who helps someone else? When did the term 'teacher' get treated with such reverence... At what point in history did a teacher become more than a trusted and learned friend who visited and taught the learning..."
"What if one of your concerts had failed?"
"What's wrong with failing sir? What are we so mortally afraid of? Why can't we treat failure with a certain amount of humanity and dignity and decency and, God forbid, maybe even humor? Failure isn't the enemy gentlemen. If we are going to fight a disease why don't we fight one of the most terrible diseases of all: Indifference. Now I've sat in your schools and heard you lecture of transference and professional distance. Transference is inevitable sir. Every human being has an impact on another. Why don't we want that in a student/teacher relationship?... A teacher's mission is not just to prevent failure, but also to improve the quality of life. Thats why when you teach a student you win, you lose. You teach a person, I guarantee you, you win, no matter what the outcome... Don't let them anesthetize you. Don't let them numb you out to the miracle of music... Always live in awe of the glorious mechanisms of the musical body. Let that be the focus of your classroom and not a quest for grades which give no idea of what kind of people they will become. Start your communicating skills now. Sing with strangers. Sing with your friends. Sing to wrong numbers. Sing to everyone. And cultivate musical friendships with those amazing people at your back.... Sir, want to be a teacher with all my heart. I wanted to become a teacher so I could serve others and because of that I lose everything and gain everything. I've shared the lives of students and staff at the school. I've laughed with them. I've cried with them. This is what I want to do with my life. And as God is my witness... I will still become the best damn teacher the world has ever seen. You can't keep my from learning. You can't keep me from studying."
"Is that all?"
"I hope not sir."




NOTE: I have had the distinct pleasure this semester of not only seeing the interpersonal and humanistic growth of many students, but (and the wording of this is crucial) as a side effect of the personal growth I have been blessed to experience a musical miracle of growth also. While the homesickness and loneliness of living in the backwoods just south of the Middle in the county of Nowhere makes me long for civilization and old friends. I wouldn't trade this for the world. My students are not yet the best musicians in the world, but most of them now care. They have something they live and breath for. We are few, but not indifferent or lazy. I thank my God for the chance to be here and do what I do with my amazing wife and daughter by my side. While I am not truly friends with my students I am enjoying them and I love them. Radical as that may be in the industrialized mechanism of modern teaching. 
S.D.G.

Pulling the Lion's Tooth

Today I pulled a few rotten teeth from the mouth of the Lion.
The Lion bit me in anger so I hit it with 7 detentions.


I don't know what it is with this place. I give homework. Like a worksheet or something ONCE a semester. This time I gave them 4 pages of worksheets with the answers on top in a reading section and the questions below. I gave them 3 days of class time to finish. Today was the two week anniversary of the assignment's due date and I had 33 not turned in by class time.

Last spring I gave 2 days of class time for a one-pager and had 13 not turn it in at all. They took zeros.
In talking with teachers around here it seems like these kids just simply don't do their homework. Ever. Our modern society demands that we don't accept zeros in schools. I'm lucky that my superintendent says they can't NOT do the work, but I can give them a zero if it takes way too long.

This is BULLS###

My parents would have found the biggest stick and beat the living daylight out of me if I had just blatantly refused to do homework. You just didn't not do your homework.
ITS FREAKING HOMEWORK.

I nagged to get a bunch more done and turned in by the end of the day and had reduced my naughty list to 7. Impressive nagging skills come from my mother's side. Five of the seven say they aren't going to do it. Ever. No matter what.
So they'll finish it in detention or suspension, whichever comes first.

See detention is a problem around here. Kid's don't take it seriously. Teachers almost never do it because the students don't show up for detentions. Teachers have to create verbal contact with parents to carry out a detention so parents can arrange for transportation. So detentions are often several days after the event which earned the detention.

Again, bullfeces.

You don't NOT show up for a detention. And if my kid got a detention and had to miss the bus that would be fine. Walk your delinquent butt home.

For each detention you skip you get two more. Get more than 5 detentions stacked up and you get an in school suspension. Statistically (according to my administration) about 80% of detentions end up in ISS.

They will do their homework. Someday either now, or in detention/suspension. But it will happen.

"In my day" we didn't even think of not doing homework, or not showing up for detention...

I hope this is a cultural thing around here and not a social construct of the current generation.


Because if my children.... so help me God there will not be a stick big enough...

Self-induced misery and the gurus who got me here

I recently had a discussion with my sister about the nearly predictable lull in teaching careers. Usually somewhere around year 5 most teachers second-guess their career choice.
Now I am no where near year 5, nor am I second-guessing my career.


I should probably rephrase myself and clarify that I feel myself entering a plateau. And not the picturesque plateaus... Let me explain this metaphorically. Here you see a beautiful plateau, an area that reminds me a lot of my years in the Mojave. It isn't perfect, but there is a sense of awe and an omnipresent sense of peace. I've been in that world, nothing was perfect... but it has felt just right to be teaching were I am.







What you don't see is that this plateau is in an area called Hamm, Ethiopia. More popularly known for this type of image. I am starting to notice what is behind the serene...






Now, before anyone gets all up in this metaphor. NO I do not live in a war zone and haven't since I left the San Bernardino area. But the thrill of each day is wearing a little to comfortable. It's feeling more like a routine and less like a dream come true.


Some of my sense of mediocrity has come from the lack of spice. We've been doing the same gosh darn things for a while now. I remember many times as a band student when I swore if I had to play X again someone was going to get a lead pipe jabbed in their face. I'm feeling that as a director. I keep finding things to fix and stuff but I'm kind of in the zone in a bad way.
Another part of this comes from personal struggles. I don't know if my emotional or financial life is worse right now. Neither one is particularly stable. This week started on a downer. A 7th grade student of mine OD'd on methanphetamines and was life-flighted our over the weekend. The kid is still not doing well. I wish I could say I didn't see it coming. The kids parents are worse.  One of my seniors is pregnant and got kicked out of her house and is still MIA. It is amazing how much your students affect you.


So lately I've been thinking on those people that I call my gurus. Two directors I grew up with who specifically inspired me to be who all I am. I think about how they coped and survived. I wonder how they became so impressively successful in my eyes. I admire them. P and Z are their names.


P was the first man to inspire me to play music. I completely and totally loathed my elementary music directors and suffered their torture with the singular goal of getting to 7th grade and playing for P. Needless to say he passed on tragically the summer before my 7th grade year. But I'll never forget his excitement and the way my older sisters adored the man.
His replacement, Z, was my director for the next 12.5 years in various settings. He was the only educator to ever give me a detention. But he also taught through thick and thin. I remember the pain the band felt when two of our own died in car crashes, and the support he gave my sister and I through our own excruciating childhood.


I don't know the answers yet.


But I do know I see flashes in the eyes of the kids I teach. I saw them today for the first time in weeks. I cannot describe what these flashes are, some awkward combination of hope, joy, passion, excitement,... But when I see them I don't doubt why I teach. Even when I feel stuck in a rut.


So, yah. Been kinda in the dumps lately.
Wishing I could move my school and all my students closer to civilization.
Wishing I could be a better father, husband, and educator.


But this is right. It just feels like where I need to be for a while. Even though at times it sucks.
Completely.

Crunch Time, Decisions, Manatees, and the Ironic cause of Exhaustion

I feel like I'm waterboarding kids and getting paid for it... Yet no one complains about the work.
I have marched my students, especially the Middle School band, so persistently that I'm noticing deltoid enhancement in a few <100lb 7th grade trumpet players. Either the 4 foot 4 kid is taking steroids or we've worked hard.
But it shows. None of these kids had ever marched before and during first few weeks when we marched in the confines of the track I found it nearly unbearably embarrassing. But we worked and worked both on our music and our marching and miracles began to appear.
Friday September 30 the MS Band marched in the homecoming parade while the HS kids did their thing. They rocked it. No it wasn't perfect but I felt such overwhelming joy at the skills they had developed and were showing off. You know that one trombone player in every band that can't play work crud and doesn't understand the whole left-right-left-right concept of marching: ya that kid, anyway HE DID IT!!! They got sloppy in their playing after the 5th time through in the parade but we had already passed the main crowd. I was incredibly proud.


That night at the football game the HS band joined us and to say the least they were not focused on doing well. I knew as we got ready in the band room that they weren't ready to do the game. I had students just up and leave the pep band, several got in a fight in the parking lot. Most of the bad behavior was the HS students. The MS kids did their best, but they mostly have 2nd parts to the pep band stuff. To say it shortly: they sucked, badly. Both in behavior and music.
My AD caught me in the 2nd quarter and asked why the band didn't sound as good as it had at previous games and if I would come give a statement to the sheriff on my kids who had been ticketed... All I can say was lack of focus. They know their expectations and have done fine in the past, but by then I had already sent 4 kids home because they couldn't demonstrate appropriate behavior. We called off pep band at halftime (usually they get the 3rd quarter off and come back for the end) and went in to the school where I gave a speech where I nearly screamed and cried in the same sentence. I felt a really odd combination of anger/embarrassment/disappointment. My superintendent and I talk a lot and he says that band directors, more than most teachers, are so vested in the ensemble that when the kids make bad decisions we feel like we failed, when really the kids just made dumb decisions.
Now we face the last 10 days of work prior to our big marching competition. Crunch Time. They've shaped it up again, just homecoming night was a fail. My MS band has out-worked and out-marched the HS, but the HS still can play better. Hopefully it'll average out come Saturday Oct. 15th.


We have had repeated issues with a lack of instruments. My HS Band has 18, MS has 29, 6th has 26, and 5th has 22. Thats what, 85 band kids in a district with 300 students K-12. Massive growth. But maybe a dozen of the students own their own instruments. About 87% qualify for free lunch so we provide their instruments. I ran out long time ago and we're a little too creative in sharing and doubling. I've invested in a lot of disinfectant spray for mouthpieces and the admin, against my recommendation, purchased a few $99 chinese flutes/clarinets that are JUNK. But whatev'. So logically I've been applying for grants, haven't succeeded yet, but I'm not quitting. Thus my big decision... the board and admin have asked me to prepare a proposal of sorts on the standing requirement for all 5-6th graders to be in band. My current inclination is to remove that requirement. I'd rather have a beginning band of 10-15 kids who give a flying crap about band than deal with the circus of 8 drummers who refused to play anything but drums because they didn't want to be in band in the first place. Still facing that decision though.


I do have a lovely mentor that the district assigned to me. They try to give you a mentor from a similar subject, but the choir teacher doesn't give off that mentor vibe. So my mentor is the MS Science teacher. Random, I know. But she is great. She's observed me a time or two and I've always left our meetings a little more prepared and motivated. She stinks at spelling and emailed me once by saying that I was her manatee. I find it funny. Manatee, he he he.


Finally, today I nearly was late to school. My 1st period class was in the room when I arrived literally with one minute to spare. I was embarrassed. But here is the thing. My nightly routine is this:
     8pm-ish Put Lydia and myself to bed
     11pm Quiet, feed, change and put Lydia back to bed then myself
     5am Quiet feed change and put Lydia back to bed and clean up the house and get ready for work. I don't go back to sleep.
Last night Lydia slept through. She didn't wake at 5, or 6, or 7. I woke up in a panic at 7:50 wondering if  my kid was dead. She was happily asleep, but I was late for work. I re-hit the internal PANIC switch and clambored my way to school. Apparently my child is no longer a natural alarm clock. I think it is ironic that I had a full nights sleep but because of no breakfast, no prep time, etc I feel brutally exhausted. Epic fail.
And thats the story from Franklin where all the women and strong, the men are harvesting, and the children... don't get me started on the children.

I know, I know, Its been a while...

School blew into session hiding in the dust left behind by the birth of my first child and moving to a new home. Someday soon I'll breathe again.

Lydia was born August 10th after a long day. Karin survived hours of labor only to receive a last minute c-section. But all went well. We went home on the 13th and found that my gracious mother-in-law had done most of the unpacking. A blessing considering we had been in the new home about 4 days. That next monday, the 15th, I went to school and began it all again.

This semester has been a blast. I'm working and seeing the beginning signs of improvement in the program. I doubled the high school band, added about 5 to middle school, and had both 5th and 6th grade bands up and running with instruments within 2 weeks of school starting. I have some quirks that make my own life harder though:
First, I do everything in my power to help students learn to practice. I re-do the 5th and 6th grade practice sheets every tuesday to correspond with that week's lessons. It takes a lot more planning and curriculum-wide vision, but the practice sheets are designed to help them through the practicing process and push them toward the mutual goals we set the first week of school.
Secondly, I'm a blue. I'm a relationship oriented teacher and my personality tends toward creativity and not organization. I've known for quite a while, and set goals and plans in place, that I would struggle with organization, structure, and discipline. My paranoia over such has led to a multitude of file folders and lists and schedules.... My school does not require me to turn in lesson plans, but I do them in a short hand form to keep myself in track. I struggle with disciplining students and have a few class clowns who abuse that, especially in the 6th and 7th grade. I struggle with the immediacy factor in discipline because for minor-medium type infractions, such as disturbing class by talking, I have them write their name on a sheet along with an acknowledgment of their misbehavior and loss of a point in their daily grade. I don't think they get it. The daily grade goes in the grade book at 10pts a week or 2 per class. This is the majority of their grade and I have at least a dozen kids with F's and D's in band because they repeatedly disturb class in minor ways. This week I am going to begin making some phone calls, its still early and grades will change a lot. But I'm nearing exhaustion in my attempts to create a learning environment. Oddly enough, the 5th, 8th, and High School bands have the same grading system and have lost very few points and behave fine. There is something about 6th and 7th grade.
Add on to that the fact that I do not have enough instruments. I am using everything the school owns except a nearly destroyed baritone, a nearly destroyed horn, a bari sax, a junker bassoon, and a marching snare or two without heads or harnesses.  I have students sharing horns and cleaning them each class. The school decided, against my best advice, to order a few no-name brand flutes and clarinets which won't be here for at least another month.
So I've applied for a few grants. Please let something work...
OK gotta go.

A Summer and Young Adulthood "Auld Lang Syne"

I haven't blogged in a while. Don't interpret that as nothing happening though.


This week I finished the summer lessons I offered. My students were inconsistent in actually showing up, but I did teach some 34 private lessons. While many students are well-intentioned this one-on-one setting solidified my opinion that way too many students are significantly behind where they should be. A combination of community values, lackadaisical goals and standards, combined with a student population who are expected to work on the family farm or ranch after school has led to poor musicianship.
I do not claim to (yet) be a guru in my field. I am the peon hired on by the pawns. Yet, for example, I believe (as the teacher's edition states) that Standard of Excellence Book 1 should be completed by the end the first year. If my curriculum, as set up with my administration, works as intended then this years 5th graders will pass the 6th graders in January or February. 


My classroom is slowly coming together. My Wenger Music Storage System cabinets are not yet in due to a local severe lack in masonry bits to drill the bolt holes in the wall. It is also due to our Driver's Ed class happening in my room for the past two weeks. Limited access has slowed my work tremendously, so I've been working from home a lot. However, working from home means my files don't automatically update to the server like they do at school. Thus when I returned my laptop to my room on tuesday and found it MIA on thursday morning I was frustrated beyond belief. Turns out some Driver's Ed hooligan stole my school computer from the classroom. It was returned after the superintendent and sheriff participated in what was probably a frustrating extra-lesson in the class. But the laptop appears to have been wiped clean. I haven't backed up very recently, it's been at least 2-3 weeks. So this is an epic loss. The only shenanigins pulled on my laptop were deleting everything I had and downloading a bunch of pictures, mostly of that Disney actress "Victoria." LAME!!!


My wife is in her 40th week of pregnancy and is as miserable as can be in this wretched heat. Any day would be nice!!!! Ok, not completely. Last saturday our landlord showed up, he lives in Arizona so this was big. Short version: They sold our house. It's been on and off the market for about 7 years so we didn't expect it to sell quite that quickly. But we've also done an inordinate amount of work and the place looks significantly better. However now we have to be out by August 24th. I took this job in March so I wouldn't have to move, start a new job, and have a kid all at the same time. However, in the next 3 weeks I will move, start my true first year of teaching, have my first child born, and redo at least 2 weeks of work because some kid was an idiot.


When I get stressed their are two physiological symptoms or signs of my stress. One is a slight tremor on the lower half of my left eye. No one can see it but I feel it kind of shaking. Doctors tell me it is a sign of exhaustion. The other symptom is more of a habit. I tend to run my fingers into my hair from the front, causing the foward part of my hair to stand on end. It looks really classy?!?! 


On monday, prior to the theft, I was able to check my PowerTeacher and see who actually registered for band. The HS Band is at 15 students, up from 8 when I arrived. The MS Band is actually about the same as last year (20ish). However, there are almost 10 students in MS who took lessons this summer but don't show up as being registered. I am hoping that was a mistake or an oversight and that they will change their schedule to be in band. 
I know it isn't really about the numbers. I fight between thinking about numbers-based program improvement and quality-based improvement. My superiors want numbers so I can't ignore that job stipulation, but if the band sucks.... I took a handful of students up to the UNK Sounds of Summer flag and drumline camp and, honestly, I was embarrassed at my students, not their behavior at the camp, but their musicianship and work ethic were atrocious. 


The honeymoon stage of this job is nearing it's end. I feel like trying to make the band grow is like kicking against the pricks. While in front of the students I find myself feeling hopefull, excited, and I feel like we make progress. But at night, while I'm packing up to move, searching for a home, or trying to make up lost work on my computer it is then I realize that:
I'm an adult now, a soon-to-be parent.
That my parents were right about a lot of things but that they aren't perfect.
That my ideal band is unattainable.
That I will always be poor.


Yet I wouldn't trade this for the world!!!! 

Band Camps and other Opportunities

I've taken a break from painting the school for the past 10 days or so to go to a convention, host my own band camp, and take my students to a few other camps.
I spent three days at the New World Inn in Columbus, NE for the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association  Summer workshop/conference (hereafter called NSBA). I have been to NSBA conventions and workshops for 4 years now and things really "clicked" this time. I guess having a little teaching under your belt changes perspective. I always learned a little at NSBA, but this time I was devouring the information. I have soo many ideas and new tools to use when my classroom opens up in just a few weeks. I can't imagine that the NSBA was that much better this year, it must be me who has changed. I felt really refreshed and rejuvenated for teaching.
On Tuesday I hosted my own band camp. I'm told it's been 7-10 years since they had a summer band camp. It was only a 9-4 event on just the one day, but I felt we got a lot done. NSBA definitely helped. I had roughly 23 students show up, which isn't great, but the parent volunteers said that was significantly more than would've come in previous years. Here is my short review...
Biggest successes:
1. Making marching less tedious with activities, games and goals.
2. Setting a standard for those who didn't come to camp.
3. Really building unity and getting to know the kids.
Biggest flaws:
1. Forgetting a camera. The local paper would've loved pictures and so would have I.
2. Trying to plan too much myself. I should rely more on the band parents and community.
3. Communicating the need to wear tennis shoes for marching not flip-flops.

Overall I consider it a success.

At NSBA the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) gave a training on how to appropriately use facebook (and other social media) for teachers of band programs. I created a separate professional profile and a band page for the kids to "like."  I feel kind of weird having my students befriend my blank professional profile despite the fact that I have already had an increase in parent-teacher communication with this tool.

Several of my kids are now at a drumline/flagget camp at UNK in Kearney. I'm going back up tonight to see their final performance and drive them back into Franklin.

Their performance abilities are still, um, below average. But their work ethics and attitudes have improved amazingly.

Summer School Vol. 2

I miss my band!

Ok, now that I have that out of the way.

I've been working as much as possible to prepare for the fall. These students have nearly no experience, especially with marching. I'm researching mottos, chants, and anything fun and motivational. I've spent hours and hours reading through games and motivational teaching methods. I've also been teaching summer lessons to a few kids. Hopefully this all works out to be helpful.

This weekend I have spoken to a few parents about the program. They say the kids enjoy me teaching, but that they aren't really excited because they are starting to realize that the success we've discussed won't come without hard work.

I've thought a lot about doing a lesson on a motto. Pius always said in unison "With one, as one, for one" at the end of rehearsals. The meanings of this are somewhat specific given the catholic school environment. But I'm thinking that might also work in the public schools, but I need to decide on how I'd like to approach the meaning of the statement.

I also know a school that says "Every note, every step, every member, every time." 

I don't know what to do. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I specifically want a motto/chant that they can literally say together to promote unity and hard work. Those of you who read this. Let me know what you have done in the past please.

I am also going to run an idea by my leadership in the fall: I'd like to let the local and very active Chamber of Commerce know that we could put together something for business openings or community activities.

I'm also planning a community pep band for football season, maybe homecoming, maybe not. I can't help but invite community members to play a piece or two at the christmas concert. There are TONS of adults around here who have told me they still have that trumpflutsaxinet laying around and would love to play again.

Ugh. I want school to start again.

Summer School

This summer I am not teaching, but I have several band camps, my own band camp, lessons, and a job painting for the school. Plus the garden and the seemingly endless honey-do list.
So I was walking home from school the other day and feeling helpless about getting the program where I'd like it. It just seems so far off in the future.
Then it hit me. My band is off balance, but it is actually bottom heavy. I have between 95% and 100% retention for the fall. Finally, although the HS band is tough, the MS band often has that certain glint in their eyes that lets me know they're "getting it." They read the movements of my baton and react, albeit reactive acting. I have a band. That long-term goal to actually have a band room and students to teach.
I'm pretty lucky.
I dropped a student off at the Nebraska Masonic All-Star Marching Band Camp at UNL and ran into a number of classmates from college. The conversation went something like this:

Classmate: What are you doing here?
Me: I brought one of my kids to camp.
Classmate: Isn't your baby due in August? She's a little young for band camp!
Me: No, a student of mine.
Classmate: Oh, so you have a studio now.
Me: No, I'm a band director now. I got the BME remember.
Classmate: Whoa, wait. You're like a teacher? But you just graduated.
Me: Yep, in Franklin. It's like an hour south of Kearney.
Classmate: How is the band.
Me: Well....blah blah blah etc.

It's so cool to be counted among the band teachers. I just hope I am a good one.

End of year movement

I haven't technically been here a year. But the end of this school year means massive changes to the music rooms. 

For several years now the "Choir room" has been used as storage and office space, because one teacher taught all the music classes in the band room. Next fall, with band and choir separate we cannot use the same room. Plus there is to be some re-carpeting and painting in the band room this summer. My students and I have logged many hours cleaning and moving out everything so that they can re-carpet and paint. When the carpet is done they will install my Wegner sheet music storage unit, build me a bunch more shelving units, and then i will do instrument inventory and sheet music inventory as I move it all back into the band room. I really have my work cut out for me this summer.

This is the band room right now. There are a few personal instruments to be taken home today.

There are also a few items which will be taken to the trash and a nice cabinet 

that will be sold at a school surplus auction next week. I pulled the screen down to hide the HIDEOUS white board, which is being replaced this summer also. In addition they're building me some more shelving units like the ones seen because the program is growing.

This is now the Northwest corner of the choir room. Stacked in that pile are 8 horns, 7 trombones,

11 trumpets, 5 alto saxes, 1 tenor sax, 2 bari saxes, 5 baritones, 3 tubas, lots of drums, and a Piano.

I tried to stack it out of the way as much as possible. 

But the poor choir teacher has me invading her space. 

The Southwest corner of the choir room. Containing marching snares, and trumpets, clarinets, 

bass clarinets, lots of drum stands. The robes and uniforms have been taken to the cleaners.

The filing cabinets will be replaced by the Wegner Music Storage units which are in 

the gigantic cardboard boxes. The only thing in this picture staying in the choir room

for next year is the overhead projector.

For now all I have left to do is move 67 music stands and 54 chairs into the choir room, move the surplus to the bus barn for auction, and throw away the broken stuff. 

Hopefully I can get it all back together before the July 12th band camp. Ugh. 

Lanky, Mouthy, Tripping-over-your-own-feet Marching Techniques

So I'm finishing the year with marching basics. We went out to the field today and subdivided the marching step (1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a, etc). The slow motion of dividing up the step helped the high school tremendously. The middle school made massive and impressive improvements.
The 6th grades couldn't walk straight if their life depended on it. They were trying sooo hard for the first 20 minutes but the awkwardness of pubescent youth was whooping them. They were literally tripping over their own feet. After the initial rough time they began to feel helpless and mouthy. I then stopped the marching and did a number of energy-sucking stretching and dancing activities until the smiles returned. We did march a little at the end and they did better.
I forgot how clumsy they are at that age.

Limited Instrumentation

I have spent probably 20 hours this past week beginning a seemingly doomed search for music.

My students really need exposed to classics: the Whitacres, dello Joios, Reeds, Swearingens, Fillmores, Jacobs, Holsts, and Grundmans. They have played way too many Mike Storys and Paul Murthas. Not that Story and Murtha aren't good enough arrangers. But these student's haven't played anything older than maybe 15 years.

The biggest challenge is the limited instrumentation. My high school band in the fall will have doubled and will be more or less 5 clarinets, a bass clarinet, 2 altos, a bari, 2 trumpets, a horn, a trombone, a tuba, and 2 percussionists. Something in the central Nebraska water makes flute undesirable. So I look and look and look. I've found a number of "limited instrumentation" resources with JWPepper and most recently apromusic.com. Nevertheless, these are mostly grade 1-2 works. My high school band could handle a 2-3.5 and be more successful. But most everything requires a flute.

So, I'm thinking about having a successful 8th grade flute step up and help. Which, as i understand, would even be acceptable in District Music Contest.
I'm also still trying to find something that fits my instrumentation without bringing middle schoolers into the mix.

On the bright side. I've doubled the band program in High School and the Middle school is looking at 140% growth in the fall. Not a single 6th grader is quitting and only 2 or 3 are quitting before entering 9th grade. So recruitment seems to be successful.

Concert Night

I've only done a few concerts here as a new director but I'm pleased with my band's improvement. They aren't perfect or anything but progress is progress.
The two things I've noticed most so far:
First, directors who stay calm have an amazing power. Directors who literally sweat out every detail in a stressful manner will drive the kids to performance anxiety. I'm proud to say I'm very comfortable in the performance because I work my heine off to have everything prepared in advance.
Second, smiles from the podium are super powerful. The kids both light up and focus more when they glance up and see the smile of confidence. I remember my college director giving me this amazing smile of confidence in a concert several years ago and now I'm noticing it working on my students.
I'm pleased with my kids.
Not necessarily with others though.

Friday's Stink

I had some pretty intense and interactive lessons today in band about world musics. We focused on the Gamelan. They went great. However, despite only being here for the second half of the second semester I've found an odd connection with the seniors. I have 2 graduating band seniors, both of whom are going in to music education at Midwestern universities. It was surprisingly bitter-sweet class when suddenly, after signing their check-out sheets, I realized I would not get to teach them again. Maybe I'm still really young in the world of teaching. But when you have so few students and you give them your all... parting words are bitter.
It was harder than I thought.

Attitudes

Its funny how much my students complain before and after class, but during class they visually demonstrate interest and participate in the lesson to the fullest degree. It almost seems that students, especially those in middle school, feel they cannot verbalize liking anything for fear of peer judgement.
Most of my students seem to enjoy the effort I put into teaching. I have not yet done a stereotypical band rehearsal where you come in, warm up, and straight up rehearse the music. I always have something, a new listening activity, a new worksheet, a mini music history presentation, new stretches and movements, and occasionally I even perform for my students.
They smile, they laugh, the commit themselves, they work hard, and improve daily. Yet they pretty much all act like they are "too cool" to be in band. Students are a unique species. I love it.

Marching 101

Today I introduced my MS and HS bands to marching basics. I had a list of 8 drill commands and combined it with work on posture and carriage.
Apparently they were taught previously to walk to a beat and not actually march. I'm not going to ask for high steppers or anything, but I have a sneaky suspicion these kids can't keep a beat in their feet. I'm going to incorporate foot movements into lessons for the rest of the year.
Next fall I will need to remind myself to pace lessons and involve less tedious tasks in rehearsal. I found myself wondering today if the strictness of a marching band was going to drive the students away. Several blatantly stated they hate marching and it showed in more than just their attitudes. How do I get my students to enjoy marching band? I feel like results are the best motivator, but they haven't seen positive results and won't in the near future. What can I do in the meantime?