In 7th grade, attending a band clinic at Morehead State University, I made the definite decision that I wanted to be a band director. No one on either side of my family had been to college, so I was clueless in many aspects of what it would take.
My band director, James Copenhaver, pulled me aside one day to explain:
You want to be a band director. That means you’re going to need to go to college, but your family can’t pay for you to go (My parents were divorced and my polio-surviving mother was raising five children.)
Your grades are okay, but not good enough for academic scholarships. You’re not athletic, so that is out.
The best chance for you to get to college is to become good enough on that clarinet that by the time you graduate, a college will pay for you to come. You’ve got four years.
I was looking for something else and stumbled across this…. the narrative portion of a teacher eval on me about a year after they tried to pink-slip me. It was likely a scheduled observation and one of those times you find out what students think of you — because they can make it go really well or horribly wrong. Not sure why they insert the name so often. I find that distracting. Apparently, this was early as we were learning the piece, “Africa: Ceremony, Song, and Ritual”. I should point out that the artifacts passed around and the email read came from David’s summer studies in Ghana.
VIII. NARRATIVE (March 2007)
As I entered Mr. Gardner’s class, I immediately noticed the projector displaying announcements. Specifically, the following were scrolling: Leadership Truths, Characteristics of Quality, Birthdays, and the agenda for each day of the week. In addition, Mr. Gardner used the speakers in the band room to play audio of the African piece that has been the focus of instruction. When the bell rang, Mr. Gardner turned on the lights; students immediately became quiet. Mr. Gardner began to lead students in a warm-up activity. He used the projector during this time. Mr. Gardner’s band room is orderly and conducive to learning. During the last warm-up exercise, Mr. Gardner requested that a senior conduct. Next, Mr. Gardner assigned the following exercise: students were to submit five suggestions that could improve the African piece. He allowed students to make suggestions regarding his performance, as well. Next, Mr. Gardner shared some African artifacts with students. They passed the artifacts around the room while Mr. Gardner read aloud an email message from a study-abroad student in Africa. Students were very attentive during this time. Next, the band started performing the piece; this piece is relatively new to the students. Mr. Gardner balanced praise with constructive criticism. Mr. Gardner transitioned into a rhythm exercise. He allowed students to choose the object they were to use to demonstrate rhythm. Students enjoyed the exercise. Mr. Gardner uses modeling to support his direct instruction. It should be noted that when there are students talking during Mr. Gardner’s direct instruction, other students remind those who are talking to be quiet. Mr. Gardner led students again through the piece. At the end of the period, students were quiet and attentive during announcements. Mr. Gardner praised students as they left, and he reminded them to submit the “suggestion sheet.”
Other good points will be listed below.
1. Mr. Gardner’s class is engaging. Students enjoy the learning environment and are
clearly motivated by the instruction and varied strategies.
2. Mr. Gardner has a passion for teaching that translates into excitement for the students.
Almost every year that I taught, I had variations of the same conversation, usually during a spring semester, when a normal realization from some talented, top quality, mature bandsters are sadly realizing that some of their friends and the ensemble’s leaders are (or will be) gone…. During their band lives, they had tended to ‘hang out’ with those in upper grades.
This is a call for NEW leaders to step up.
If this note is speaking to you it is a compliment. As you think back during your earlier years, there were upper-level students who accepted you into their friend circles, right? Those became strong and meaningful relationships and you gained from their experience and insight – and from their friends.
Some of those friends have graduated or will before you do, and that saddens you. They are moving on and you’ll miss them. You look at those in younger classes who maybe don’t (yet) show the qualities you admired in your older friends.
Now it is YOUR TURN to be the mature mentor for those younger, including incoming newbies. You know what it takes, better than they. So my question for you is, what are you going to do about it?
Perhaps you feel a little inadequate like you’re not as ‘good’ as your mentors. You know what I think? I think you ARE. As you step into the leadership role, you know what I think? I think you CAN.
If this note seems like I’m writing it specifically to you, then you probably have already been a “step it up” kinda person. That’s one of the reasons you’ve been comfortable around those older. Now it is YOUR TURN to step into major leadership; to replace those who are leaving and to set the tone for those coming in and for those who are already looking up to you. NOW IT IS YOUR TURN! YOU’RE READY. BE A LEADER. BE A MENTOR. BE A FRIEND….and we’ll all be the better for it, including YOU!
Instructions from a Field Tech person explaining how to do a horns up.
One director started his band camp number (upper 30’s), but talked about it being “Day 1” for many members. The start of Band Camp is challenging because, in some ways, it is the hardest part of the season. At Band Camp, when the weather can be bright sunny and super hot, bandsters spend uncomfortable amounts of time learning how to stand up, stand still, hold a horn (the difference between playing position and “to the box”, for example), or when and how to do horns up/down. The questions are; When do you want to have your fun? Pay now or pay later?
Band Camp is usually hot. Hydration is vital. Fast and often water breaks.
Because they are in hot heat so much, marching ensembles must always have water with them.
One challenge at the beginning of Band Camp is to prevent “newbies” from quitting after the first hard, hot, long day of rehearsals.
I tried to have the following conversation with the band on the first rehearsal. On at least one year when I did not, someone quit after rehearsal #1 — so the conversation happened during rehearsal #2.
Veterans, some of you share with us what you think is one of the better parts of marching band? Why do you do this?
Answers might include:
bus rides to/from competitions (the longer the better)
competitions, watching other groups, the down time together, performing
football games
the reaction of the crowd – the thrill of the performance
friendships – band is family
Newbies, I want YOU to notice some things. Every veteran here has been through what you are about to begin. And they all came back. But also, note that all those things mentioned as the best parts of the band happen, mostly, in the Fall….long after Band Camp. And….did you notice that none of the veterans mentioned that camp is their favorite part of marching band? Do you know why?
Because band is hard. Band Camp is hard. Marching Band is hard work. The fun will come, but before the fun you have to pay the price. There is no shortcut. There is no cheap way.
We want to give you some fun times, even during band camp and the summer….but make no mistake, you can either have all your fun now (laugh, talk, put in minimum effort) and pay the price later (bad experiences / results in competition) … or you can pay the price now (hard work) and enjoy the results of your work when you hear the crowds and what the judges have to say.
The fun will come, but only after you pay the price. You’re going to hear from Seniors, Section Leaders, Drum Majors, Staff Members and Directors that you are not doing something right. Listen to them because they know what it is going to take.
For those of you coming from Middle School where you’ve been on the top of the heap, you’re now the Newbie. You need to learn and that can be hard and frustrating.
Do it anyway.
You’ll experience the best parts of marching band, but only after you get through band camp and the summer rehearsals. One day of camp is worth a week’s rehearsals… and by the time you go home at the end of the day you’re going to be exhausted, sweaty, stinky and sore.
Do it anyway.
Don’t go home after your first day and tell your parentals that you can’t do this. There are very few people who really cannot do this, and we can find a job for them too.
You CAN memorize drill, and music, and marching in step because you’re going to march and play every set and phrase hundreds, if not thousands, of times. That is the price.
I’m going to ask you to stay — and pay.
Stay — and play.
Stay — and work hard, and pay day will come.
And now….let’s go to work and get better than you were yesterday.
Freshman and Newbie Survival Guide
All first-year participants in Marching Band are Newbies. Consider the terms rookie, freshman, and newbie to be interchangeable. The following is an abbreviated marching band Freshman and Newbie Survival Guide.
The biggest challenge is for newbies to grasp the concept. Some come to us after being big, bossy 8th graders in Middle School…and now they are….rookies, with little to no marching band experience and at the bottom of the chain-of-command.
In some cases, there may be a freshman who is musically more proficient than an upperclassman, but the one thing freshmen and newbies don’t have is experience. You need to listen and learn and experience Marching Band.
Some advice for newbies to enhance their rookie year experience:
Be quiet and learn. Do not talk in rehearsals. Other than asking a question or asking for help, speaking should come from directors, staff, drum majors, seniors or section leaders. The upperclassmen with experience know what we expect and know what it takes. Newbies do not…yet. You will become experienced, but you are not there yet.
Respect your elders, including your upperclassmen. Marching Band does have a chain of command type of hierarchy and newbies are not at the top – yet.
Come to a drum major or director if you ever think someone is harassing or mistreating you, because that is absolutely forbidden. It just doesn’t happen here….and it won’t.
Never, EVER confront a director in rehearsal. We will make mistakes and perhaps even falsely accuse you of an error in rehearsal. The best thing you can do is cooperate at the moment and come talk to us during a break – or privately. If we are wrong, we will admit it and apologize to you publicly, if appropriate. Remember, though, that in a rehearsal, a director cannot lose an authority-questioning or disrespecting battle.
Don’t take it personally. We do a pretty good job, I think, of showing all band members that they are important to us and that we care about them individually. We want to hear about what is happening in their lives, including outside of band. It is okay to come to talk to us about boy/girlfriend issues, job situations, and even something where you want a sounding board in addition to or outside of home. BUT WHEN WE ARE IN REHEARSAL, think of yourself more like an important part of a big machine. The machine only functions properly if each and every part is working. If you are out of line, out of step, out of interval, out of horn position, are playing something incorrectly or not playing…..we WILL point that out to you because you affect the machine. A judge’s eye is always looking for something different, so the best thing is NOT to draw attention to yourself. If you ever think that we are ‘picking’ on you, please come say something. That is never the intent.
In my first summer of teaching, I was only 3-4 years older than the seniors in the band. Just before school started we spent a week at Camp Crescendo Band Camp. There were normally 6-10 bands in the camp any given week. Directors were responsible for ensuring all their students were in the proper dorms at the appointed time in the evening. When I would approach the girls’ dorm, they would tease me by calling me ‘dad’.
The ‘dad’ thing continued because they could tell it embarrassed me. It was not disrespectful, in fact, the opposite.
I was concerned that I’d get to school for the first week on the job on site and get called into the office because my students were calling me dad. But no, it seemed to be a “for band’s ears only” kind of thing.
This picture was taken at one of my first parades. With all the fun and games that we had, I do like to point out that they are all in step…..all….of….them.
Yes, I am in step….and so are they….. all of them.
It is Flag Day. Enjoy some quiet, patriotic music…. “America the Beautiful” played on one of the two (this is the 7000 pipes organ) chapel organs at Duke University. Both the organ and the pictures of the inside of the chapel are stunning. There is some crescendo toward the end, but it never opens up the power that is there. Be quiet for 7 minutes and enjoy.
UPDATE: Be sure to read the parent comments at the end of this article.
Over a decade after high school graduation, he told his parents he was bullied as a high school freshman, not telling them at the time because he feared they’d make a big deal of it.
He DID go to a teacher who ignored or brushed aside his emotional plea. In his valedictorian speech at graduation three years later, when he listed the “Top 10 Things I Learned in High School”, one of them was…..
“….that my head really does fit in a gym locker.”
Still no response. This was before all the more recent publicity of the terribly negative lifetime impact that bullying can have….but
…there is no excuse for inaction. EVER!
Fortunately, this story doesn’t end tragically…. but that doesn’t make it right.
For a short time during my earliest teen years, without concern about walking to and into his home, I studied piano with a single guy who lived a few blocks away. During high school freshman year, I took lessons with a college girl who came to our school and went with me into a sound-proofed practice room. Later in high school, I would travel weekly to an area band director’s home for instruction. Concerns about safety transparency and reputation never came up.
But times are different now. Priests, coaches, and teachers are convicted of having inappropriate relationships with children and students, creating a sensitive and suspicious society that dissuades good teachers and students from participating in the time-tested tradition of individualized instruction.
The concept of innocent until proven guilty does not apply. No one can afford even an accusation. A School of Performing Arts that provides private lessons for area children put windows in all the classroom doors, instituted a parental sign-in/out procedure, and has a staff member walk in on every lesson every time. Band directors schedule lessons in busy offices or in large ensemble rooms full of distractions. College students video lessons with middle/high school students, not only for critique but also for security.
One band director told me that
…you don’t have to be guilty….an accusation can destroy a reputation and/or cost your job. And unfortunately, even after proven innocent, the doubts, questions and hesitations can continue to damage a reputation that took decades to build. Teachers have to be soooo careful.
The very nature of individualized music instruction almost mandates that student and teacher be alone in a room with a closed door. How do we take the legitimate safety concerns that student, parent, and teacher share along with the teacher’s concern for reputation (and employment) and still provide specialized, accelerated training?
SAFETY is everyone’s concern even if from different perspectives. Be aware and be careful.
TEACHERS…
invite parents to sit in or be nearby during lessons.
My experience: When I teach 1-1 lessons in my home, parents can relax in my living room while I work with the student in the dining room. A 6th grader’s mother would bring a book and sit in the room.
leave a door open or at least ensure it is unlocked and/or has a window. Enable anyone to walk in on you. That delay while you get up to open the door from the inside can cause undue suspicion or concern (and increase interruption time).
schedule lessons when others are around. Avoid evenings or non-school days when teaching at school or make sure someone else is home if the student is coming to your home studio. Do everything reasonable to remove any question andensure both student and parent are comfortable. Keep in mind that teens are increasingly cautioned to beware of one-on-one situations with adults. Respect that.
My experience: When a mother requested I work with her student over holiday break, I scheduled it at school along with an appointment for another teacher to drop something off to me during the lesson time. I left the band room door opened and set up the chairs in clear view from the hallway so passing janitors could see and hear.
video or audio record the session. Make sure everyone knows. Place the camera so both teacher and student are visible, but NOT in a way that makes the student uncomfortable or could set you up for a different kind of complaint.
My experience: When I teach lessons via Skype, I ask that the camera be pointed so that I can see either fingers, embouchure or both, so I am usually looking at a profile view of the student’s top front. When girls start adjusting their clothes, there is some discomfort. Be aware, empathetic, and be careful. Explain your reasoning — or move the camera to remove the discomfort.
if you have a regular coaching schedule, post the schedule. If you have a website with a calendar, parents (and students) are better reminded and informed.
PARENTS…
check references. In addition to safety, you want to make sure you’re getting a good product (teacher). If the teacher is an outsider coming to the school, the school should have conducted a background check. Ask.
sit in or be in the area, at least periodically. Sitting in an adjacent room can provide reasonable privacy while often enabling you to hear your child play. They won’t do that for you at home, right? Bring a book.
for virtual lessons (via Skype, for example), be in the area. You don’t have to stand over the child’s shoulder, but listen in and even walk in a couple times….say hi to the teacher.
STUDENTS…
meet a new teacher for the first time with a parent and in public.
go with your gut.
if anything makes you uncomfortable, speak up or get out. Nearly 100% of the time, you are either mis-interpreting or the teacher is completely unaware and will respond and adjust. Don’t destroy an opportunity based on your misunderstanding a teacher’s oversight.
if a parent is dropping you off, have a cell phone to call if the teacher is not there, you finish early (or going over), or you otherwise need parental pick up.
My experience: It was during a storm and I was mid-lesson after school when the power went out. Emergency lighting came on, but not enough to continue.
if you are going to a lesson, tell your parents (or someone) when, where and for how long.
My experience: I’ve had an unnecessarily disgruntled parent when I scheduled some after school coaching with a student who never got around to communicating and mom didn’t know what was going on ’til the student didn’t get off the bus. My mistake was assuming the parent knew.
TRANSPARENCYhelps everyone.
Sometimes there is a drop off in parental involvement and in student/parent communication during high school. Teens want more responsibility and independence and both parent and teacher should strive to help them in those areas. Assumptions often cause problems, however, and most issues I’ve ever experienced in the triangular relationship with parent and student elevate because somebody “assumed”. Several years ago, I gave each of my business office employees a personalized, engraved magnet that said, simply:
Assume Nothing!
TEACHERS…provide a list of expectations and policies.
Payment. How much, how often and what happens when they don’t. Are materials (music) included?
Cancellations when you cancel, when student cancels, how much notice and what if there isn’t any?
Minimum requirements; lessons per month, practice time, materials such as tuners or metronome, a functioning instrument with adequate supplies (reeds, etc)…
Privacy. Don’t share student/parent contact info or details about what happens during lessons. That is why they are called “private” lessons.
Communication. Be easy to contact. Determine whether your communication is to be with the student or parent. Any written communication with the student should be copied to a parent, when possible, including texts, emails or other types of media messages.
REPUTATIONS are slow to build and quick to crumble.
Students and parents need to realize how important that is to the teacher, especially when their very livelihood depends on it. Younger or single teachers need to be hyper-aware, but no one is too old, fat, bald or ugly for legitimate concern and caution.
Without an element of TRUST, this simply cannot work. Hopefully, the teacher has ‘earned’ some trust from both the student and the parental. It is unfortunate that we hear via national news when trust has been abused. That is horrible. But it is also a very, VERY small percentage of people. My advice to all…. in a nutshell:
Another news story of a teacher caught up in a sexual situation with students. Sad and disturbing on multiple levels because at least two lives are damaged — forever changed. Students become hesitant to open up to and trust teachers. Parents become understandably hyper-sensitive and maybe over-protective.
Most teachers work so hard to build proper, trust-based relationships with students.
My intent was never to make students obey commands because I was the authority in the classroom. I wanted them to listen and want to follow my guidance because they TRUSTed that what I am saying was best for the ensemble collectively and for him/her individually. I didn’t want to be their ‘best bud’. I wanted to be a life-mentor, someone they will look back at 20 years from now with favorable memories of someone who helped them get through some of their high school hurdles.
Of course, there are several reasons for a student to hesitate to trust: 1) parents have broken trust between themselves and with their children — so the teen, wanting protection from future pain, erects a shield to keep people out, 2) friends break trust — so hurt teens conclude trust is risky and 3) teachers like the one in the news.
So who am I to expect students to trust ME? I get it. It makes me sad sometimes — when I sense that a student really needs to talk through something but is afraid to lower that shield. Or when I see one heading in a potentially negative life-impacting (but not physically dangerous) direction and regrettably conclude that, because it is none of my ‘business’, i.e. outside my teaching subject, that I need to stay in my space and not try to cross over into his/hers. I do understand.
As I started writing, I realized I’ve said variations of all this before. I used the search function on my blog, entered “trust” and found the following: …
In 7th grade, attending a band clinic at Morehead State University, I made the definite decision that I wanted to be a band director. No one on either side of my family had been to college, so I was clueless in many aspects of what it would take.
For a short time during my earliest teen years, without concern about walking to and into his home, I studied piano with a single guy who lived a few blocks away. During high school freshman year, I took lessons with a college girl who came to our school and went with me into a sound-proofed practice room. Later in high school, I would travel weekly to an area band director’s home for instruction. Concerns about safety transparency and reputation never came up.
