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Episode 5: September - Survive or Thrive? · The Unconducted Curriculum

• Chris: Okay, so it's September. Welcome to September. So, tina: Woohoo Yay. Chris: you know, August is about getting started, but September is when reality arrives. we have the excitement of a new school year in August, and that begins to wear off in September. students are now understanding what the year actually demands. Directors begin seeing the gaps between their summer plans and what the reality of things are. the calendar starts really filling up. We've got marching band, football games, competitions, concert band. we're getting beginners rolling, hopefully at this point on instruments. We've got parents checking in, asking questions. We've got administration that we're dealing with, and all of those things are competing for our attention. So, it just makes things a little bit more challenging. School's in full session. Students are not just at band camp. they're dealing with everything, school, work, home, other activities that they're dealing with. so this is kind of when reality starts to set in. so Tina, tell us what makes September such a different month for a band director at the middle school level tina: Well, I think they start to get a little comfortable and if you have systems in place, and they start to get a more comfortable in this setting and they, want to talk out or, they're excited to be there, but you have to calm them down a little bit or whatever on that aspect. it's just a time that you want them to feel so accepted in where they are, because they're they can sometimes is this the right place for me? especially beginners, so it has to have, that flow that's going on all the time. When they walk in the room, it's the same. when they leave, it's the same. It's just it ha all the processes and systems are in place to make that feel comfortable for the students. So they don't feel overwhelmed or that this is not a safe place and that the students all know, their classes' names. And it's just very supportive. And you know, like with beginners, hopefully we're at least playing on mouthpieces or partial instruments or however you're doing that with your process with beginners, but they're confident with making those lovely first sounds. And they're confident that it's okay that it sounds like that and they're taking direction and everybody's shuffling for everyone for making those sounds, no matter what they are. So I and I I think the advanced kids, they are they're they're trying to get in the process of, okay, we're we're gonna do warmups, then we're gonna go to this song and we're gonna do that, that they know that's happening and that there are some pass-offs that are starting to happen with them also. Just some basic easy ones of just counting, lines that they can pass off or a scale or a half a scale, whatever band level they're in, that that process is starting and that you're encouraging that. so it's individual things they're doing. So they feel really important as an individual and the team of playing together is great. Also sectionals. Hopefully sectionals are started with your band kids coming in, however you want to set that up. it could be just all woodwinds on one morning before school and all brass one afternoon, or if you can do each instrument, to get started on that, that You know, they're they get excited about that, but they have to wanna be there and wanna go. So it's a big motivational thing too. Chris: Yeah, and I know like for me and schools that I've been mentoring in and already been in, this school year, at the middle school level, everybody's working on music for that first pep rally, and some of those are this week. I've I've tina: Yes. Chris: got a school that I think tomorrow is their first pep rally. And so, just being ready for those things this quickly into the school year with your tina: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris: with your middle school kids, you know, which Half of those kiddos were beginners last year. And so all of that is new for them, you know. tina: Right. Yeah. Chris: And so that can be a little bit stressful trying to get that first pep rally put together, you tina: Yep. Chris: know. tina: Yeah. And I have a couple tricks for that. I always had about four songs that were like 32 measures, maybe a little bit longer that we did every year. Like a Chris: Mm-hmm. Yeah. tina: lowrider or we will rock you. Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: Seven Nations Army, which you only do 16 measures of it and you repeat it like three times. You don't have to play the whole song. It's middle school, it's a shout. But you Chris: Right. Yeah. Yeah. tina: do it every year, so then your eighth graders literally can help. Teach the seventh graders and encourage those seventh graders to come before school because we always had band hall time that they could practice sitting in the band hall and they would help and we would ask the eighth graders, go sit with a seventh grader, go, teach them this. Go go encourage them. So when that Pep-rally came on or up, or they do a last-minute thing, hey, can you play for this? and it's the third day of school. You have something already in place. We do I always did learn a few new songs, but they were short. Like I said. And 'cause it's they do the kids don't want to play a full length song all the time either. So, you just they're it's great. Chris: Well, no, and it's tina: Shout shouts are great. Chris: it's not necessary for sure. I mean, even at the high school level, when we did our pep rallies, we would play one feature tune basically, and then we tina: Yes. Mm-hmm. Chris: would play something for the dance team. tina: Mm. Chris: but everything else was just drum cadence, little short things, those types of things just because you tina: Yes. Mm-hmm. Chris: it's not all about the band, it's It's all the tina: Right. Chris: different organizations showing off and doing their thing. and I think that that's that's fine. That's that's what we need to be doing, tina: it is. Chris: and for those kiddos, even even the seventh grader, and I've been in, I've I've seen some schools that, well, this first pep-rally we're just gonna let our top band perform, or this first pep-rally tina: Mm. Chris: is just gonna be the eighth graders. I'm not a big fan of that. Because you're already starting to divide the the kids and should and tell tina: I'm not either. Yeah. Yes. Chris: the seventh graders that they're not, or the non-versity band that they're not worthy of playing at a pep rally. When, I think it's planning. It's planning ahead of time tina: It is. Chris: and being able to play a few short things. Everybody's going to work on their fight song, tina: Yes. Chris: but tina: But also like passing that music out in May, I always had a take-home folder that I would give every future seventh and eighth grader. and the the eighth goes already have mine. Will you get a fresh copy? I mean, and you can add a couple new tunes. And we did have like a school song fight slash fight song, and add it in there. But also, like with the fight song at middle school level, make sure you have a third part. it doesn't have to be all first and second have a third part and if you go to a school they don't have it write one seriously you know so just write Chris: Right one. Absolutely. tina: one and hand that goes to your seventh graders and you split your first and seconds with your eighth graders and then you can still move it around once school starts but yeah I mean it just Chris: Getting them all involved. tina: yes and also gives them something in the summer to work and they'll enjoy it because they want to play that stuff so that even getting that going it really helps Chris: Well, and we had I know a lot of middle schools will have a little summer camp, you know, or a pre school starting up camp. We had one with our tina: Yes, yes. Mm-hmm. Chris: middle school. I think it was three days, and it was tina: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris: right around the time band camp started or something like that with the high school. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: but that's your time to kind of introduce those things if you haven't already tina: Yes. Chris: and get those kids, learning that stuff and that that tina: Yep. Chris: makes it fun. if we're if we're having tina: Yes. Chris: that summer camp and we're just focusing on fundamentals, that's not the most fun tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: thing in the world, you know. tina: No, and I think you can do a little bit of all of what you're saying. Yeah. Chris: You have to do all of it, yeah. tina: And especially if you have the means to be able to hire a few more people to help that, you Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: know, you could start split up into smaller groups and then, go to the big group, but always end with something fun. We always had themes. Like we had Hawaiian Day where everybody would dress up Hawaiian and I'd I'd go order some the cheap, like colorful lays. We'd pass that out. And then like we had Like the snow cone truck come on Hawaiian Day, that the kids and parents could purchase that and the second day maybe twin day. Yes, that high school, yeah. Yes. But it's just shorter. Yeah. Yeah. It gets them excited. Chris: Yep. It's a lot of the same things that we do during high school camp. You know, it's just doing it at the middle school level. It's shorter, it's less involved, but you know, it's the same it's the same attitude. You're trying to get them tina: Right. Chris: involved and excited and ready for the school year and all those types of things and anticipating what's coming up and not just, getting caught off guard. tina: Right. Chris: and then kind of going back to the beginning band side of things. what September looks like. we start to see, and I see this in in different places, and I saw it in my own program from time to time, where you may get that beginning band student that starts to decide in September that they're bad at band before they've even had a chance to really learn anything. tina: Right. Chris: what kind of strategies do you have for those kiddos, that may be getting frustrated early or are struggling. tina: Right. I think, Chris: But how do we tina: in class, being encouraging in everything you're doing and and also like are they taking things home? Are they doing, like their homework or their practice at home to try to encourage them to do some of that? And and if they give you excuses that they can't, invite them in the mornings and literally have some of your eighth graders, sit with them. And they don't have Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: to play the same instrument, something to encourage them. to belong. Because a lot of times it's those kids that really don't talk to anyone. and also I would try to get a a connection with them a little bit more, if I could say it that way, you know, maybe compliment them a little bit more about their clothes or talk to about our do Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: you play soccer or do you whatever? To make them feel accepted. I really talk to those seventh and eighth graders as they get into the advanced bands, that this is your team, and we can't have a strong team without strong beginners and making them feel a part of the team. They're not going to play in your band, but they are your band. we're all the whatever school band. that always helped a bunch. Also, I'd call home some and asked if, because sometimes the buses didn't allow them to be able to get a little bit early, but said, hey, can you bring them up a couple morning, And that works. but I mean I think a a lot about it is also even just complimenting them in class. man, you're sitting up so so straight. Everybody, Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: let's copy them. that also will give them that feeling of belonging in Chris: Right. tina: what they're doing. Chris: Well, and I think too, like, and there's different situations. Your situation, you had six, seventh, and eight on on your campus. And tina: Right. Chris: so you could have those eighth graders helping those sixth graders. In my situation, tina: Yes. Chris: sixth grade was on their own campus and weren't with our seventh and eighth graders. So yeah, tina: yeah. I've had that before. Yeah. Chris: so we didn't have that kind of mentoring possibilities with tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: older kids. so for us it was, a lot of positive reinforcement. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: not starting the year off with chair tests. You know, we're gonna have we're gonna have, tina: gosh, no, no. No. Chris: some assessments and different things and we're tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: gonna do some individual stuff to working work with individual students and see tina: No. Chris: where they're at. But if you start off, in that first six weeks and you're starting your chair test, students are gonna learn real tina: No. Chris: quickly. Who's the best and who's the worst and that causes some problems. And I'm not saying don't ever do chair tests. I just don't think tina: Well mm hmm. Right. Well Chris: it needs to happen in the first semester, you know. tina: And I also think it's your community that you're in. Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: there was a school I was at that always would do a little bit of chair test with beginners kind of late in the year, maybe April. Chris: Yeah. Yeah. tina: And they would know, and I'd even say, okay, everyone just made a hundred, but could you tell me who had the best sound? So who would be first? Can Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: you tell me who had, the best rhythm or the best whatever? And they could tell you. And I could say, but everyone in here just made a hundred because you played really well, so that can help on the start of like chair test and rankings and things like that. But I was in a Chris: Yeah, yeah. tina: community where We did it and I was doing it a little bit too intensely with beginners towards the end. And I was having kids that were third and fourth chairs out of my beginners quit because they weren't first chairs. And their parents Chris: Mm-hmm. Right. tina: were like, Well, they'll never be first chair. They don't need to be a part of this. That's when I had Chris: Right. tina: to rethink what I was doing. The chair orders aren't that. Chris: Yeah, you gotta know your community. tina: Yes, but also Chris: Yeah. tina: that that's not the main thing. And also the kids need to know I can still three Chris: Mm mm. tina: people can make a hundred and make first chair, but I'm gonna go by the most mature sound. Do you sound like a seventh grader or an eighth grader and you're a beginner? You Chris: Yeah. tina: it can you have to really kind of learn the situation of what you're Chris: Yes. tina: doing and how you're doing it. And it's not, if you have eight of one instrument, eight doesn't mean you're awful. So Chris: Yeah. No. And for me, with my beginners, later in my career when the technology started, we didn't do a lot of individual in class playing during that first semester. I used cause, you know, earlier in my career, Fridays would be assessment day, And we would do a lot of down the rows and things like that. And and there's value in that because you need to get kids used to playing in front of others by themselves and all those kinds of things. But I was kind of seeing some of the same things where kids would start, pigeonhoeing themselves. Well, I'm I'm tina: Yes. Chris: always fifth or sixth or seventh. So I'm just that's where I'm at, And it's like they tina: Right. Right. Chris: wouldn't try. And so I started using Fridays as just another teaching day. And at the end of Friday, I would assign them a line to go home over the weekend and video that was their assessment and tina: Right. Yes. Chris: turn it in on Google Classroom. And so that for me worked in a couple of ways. Number tina: Hmm? Chris: one, it forced them to take their horn home on the weekend. tina: Right. Chris: Number two, they had to record over the weekend for their test, for the week. But it wasn't something all the other kids were seeing. It was something that they could practice on and record a hundred times if they wanted to. And the funny thing about it is the kids thought that was cheating. You know, they tina: I know. Chris: think it's cheating because they're like, well, you know, yeah, I'm like, and I'm like secretly saying, you can record a thousand times. I don't care. You know, you're practicing. You're practicing. You know, and then on Monday, tina: No, but we know it's them getting better and better and better. Do it. That's right. That means you played it a thousand times. Yes. Yes. Mm-hmm. Chris: I would tell them their grade. I would give them back a little sheet that was a a rubric tina: Mm-hmm. Yep. Chris: sheet that had all my markings on it and my notes with a grade. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: And that would be how we would communicate those things. And that way it wasn't, public knowledge to everybody. And I didn't I would mix chairs up, but it would be based on behavior for the week and not on how they were playing. You know, so all of those things. Yeah. Foot foot tap, posture, all the things. Mm-hmm. tina: Or whoever sat up the straightest or whoever consistently pat their foot, feet. Yeah. Well, one trick about, yeah, all that. One trick I would do with beginners, well, I do it with the older kids too, but beginners was on Friday, it we might have learned something new. and for instance, I'm gonna say like crossing the break for clarinets, because it was always a fun thing. We we never talked about it being difficult. We never, you know, all that, but it was like whoever can play G-A-B. Two times in a row without squeaking on Monday, you're gonna get candy or you're gonna get whatever. And I'm gonna take volunteers. And so some would come and they're all ready for it because they practiced all weekend for it. And some would go, I didn't. I was like, well, next time you can. And then, like it could be okay on Thursday if you can do it. But doing little things like that, or even if they can put play line, 14 in the book. We all know what line that is if you did essential elements for years. But if you Chris: Mm. tina: can do that one non-stop with the metronome and give them a specific tempo, you know, Chris: Tempo, yeah. tina: yeah, that they practice with at home, but that gives them a goal over the weekend to practice. And that kind of stuff can start now in September. it's like even if it's just holding the note out on a mouthpiece or whatever for that Chris: Right. Right. tina: eight counts. Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: in tune and still and all of that, whatever you want to, define it, and say, who can do it Monday? and then you eventually get everyone to play it. And if there's one person that didn't volunteer in the week, then you can just try to encourage them to play with somebody else. That's another thing. If there's always a few kids that won't play by themselves, and that's okay. Say, hey, your friend right there, would you like them to play along with you? Can they? I mean, what does it really matter if someone else plays? You can hear both kiddos, and Chris: Yes, yeah. tina: until they can play. Cause that's one thing. It's like don't make them feel bad about that. Encourage duets, encourage trios, Chris: Yep. tina: in beginner world. And that that will then eventually end up being them raising their hand and saying, I I want to play by myself, you know? So that also happens in September. Get them used to going down the row and playing or playing together. Chris: Yep. Well, and I did tina: All of that. Chris: I did a lot of duets and trios with my tina: Yes. Chris: when I was teaching double reads beginners, you tina: so fun. Yep. Chris: know, because that's a small class. tina: Yes. Chris: sometimes I might have three three obos and two bassoons, you know, tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: and so I and I would typically play bassoon because I was much better at that than obo, in class, tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: and we would just go around and and assign trios, and tina: Uhhuh. Chris: and play. Trios or duets, and things like that. And they loved it, they didn't think that they were playing by themselves tina: Yes. Uhhuh. Mm. No. Chris: because I was playing with them or another student was playing with them, or two of us were playing with them. But it was always something where they had at least a measure or two by themselves in that trio, tina: Right. Chris: and that really helped a lot getting them past that point of, or that getting comfortable with playing by themselves. So a lot of good ideas there. tina: Right. And also you can take, yeah, you can take a line out of the book because you could have with the do it, one person playing the first four measures, then the next person playing measure five through eight. And then when they repeat, they both play together. there's a lot of little tricks like that. And also with having, Chris: Yeah, also with tina: kids can be on FaceTime with each other and I'd encourage that for them to practice that way. Chris: Well then let's kind of, go into the the high school side of things. We've talked tina: Yes. Chris: a lot about the middle school and beginner side of things, but at the high school, September really is the honeymoon is over, especially for tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: the younger kids. I mean, students are getting tired, motivation begins to decline. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: Some students are thriving, but others are starting to really struggle with things. Academic concerns begin. tina: Yeah. yeah. Chris: As directors, we get those three week reports and we s see on that tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: first one that, a third of our band is failing a class. tina: Right. Chris: and we're just all of a sudden. If that's the first time that you check student grades, then shame on you. You know, it's gotta be tina: Mm-hmm. No. Oops. Yeah. Or have a system in place. Chris: Yeah, it's gotta be a weekly thing. For me it was a weekly thing, and it was tina: Yes. Mm-hmm. Chris: easy to do. I just ran a report, and go through and check those grades, and have those conversations with kiddos. But then we also started at that three week point when those that first grade report came out, 'cause that's when we had the real ammunition to instill it, was we started what we called Taco Tuesday tutorials. And so tina: Mm-hmm. Love that. Chris: our leaders would would do tutorials after school, we would have a a director, we would, switch out week to week on who was going to be in the room monitoring things. But four to five o'clock on Tuesdays after school, the local taco casa donated to tacos. I would just call them and say, tina: That's awesome. Chris: you know, I've got 25 kids that are going to be there today, including my leaders, or I've got, you know, whatever. And they would send, you know, a pan of tacos over, one for every kid, and we'd have a bottle of water for them. And we just called it Taco Tuesday tutorials. And it was super successful. I mean, we tina: Yeah. Chris: might have one, two, max of three kids out of 160-piece ban, not be eligible at the end of that first six weeks. And, tina: That's great. Chris: and that was after having we could have 30, 40, 50 kids on that list at the three week point. but I already would know because at the end of that first week, I'd start checking grades. Second week. Every tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: Friday I'm checking grades, so you've you've got that that kind of sneaks in and that's a that's a student concern and it's a director concern, you know. And you have to have your leaders set in place. tina: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And you have to have your leaders set in place Chris: Yes. tina: and what their strong points are. And they'll come out and say, I can do math or I'll do whatever. They love that. Yes. Chris: Yeah. yeah. And that was something we just we discussed in in leadership camp. write down for me what your strong subjects are, what you're willing to work on or or tutor kids tina: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Chris: on. And so by that when we had that first tutorial, I mean it was already, if you're on if you're struggling tina: Right. Chris: in algebra, you go to this table. If you're struggling in history, you go to this table, you know. tina: Yes. Yep. Chris: And we might have two or three or four leaders at that table helping tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: you know, four, five, six kids. It was great. It makes a huge difference, you know. tina: it does make a huge difference. You just have to have that ready to go. And if you don't Chris: You do. tina: right now, meet with your leaders. Get it going. You could you could have it in Chris: Meet with your readers. Yeah, it's easy to set up. It's easy to set up. tina: the band hall, you could have it in the cafeteria, just somewhere where it's it's set up. Chris: Yep. and then you also have, we talked about, beginner level, maybe some of the kids are starting to wonder if they're tina: Yeah. Chris: good enough to be to do this. And then then high school level, start kids are starting to question, why am I here? does this take too much time? do I want to invest this much time in marching band? Those types of things. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: and so you may heart start having some behavioral things start to happen that weren't happening during that honeymoon period. tina: Right. Chris: Period, of August, but now we're in September and and we're starting to see some behavior things that are happening. so those are some of the tina: Well and they've already had their f first football game. So they've had their first yeah, and performance Chris: They've already had their first football game. Yeah. tina: and and they had so much fun, in the stands and Chris: Yeah. tina: performing and then it comes the next week and they're like, Well, what do I do now? Chris: maybe it's the first home game or it's the first away game. I mean, there's always something tina: Right. Chris: that you can kind of focus on and and this is what's different and this is what we're adding to our show this week, and this is you know tina: Mm-hmm, yes. Chris: what's going on, but but you have to communicate those things. tina: Right. Chris: You know, directors we're starting to get overwhelmed with workload, you know. tina: Yep. All levels can do that, yeah. Chris: All levels can do that. Yeah. And and but at the high school level, I mean, September was when it really started to hit in because I mean, third weekend of September, here's our first drumline contest. And then we've tina: Right. Chris: got our first marching band. I mean, and it's just coming tina: Yeah. Chris: and it just goes nonstop, you know? And tina: Right. Chris: you've got homecoming. And for us that was homecoming parade. And then we also had a a a festival in town on a Saturday that was like the third Saturday. And we had a parade for that. And those were always tina: Well Chris: kind of back to back, like a Saturday parade followed by a Monday night parade. You know, and tina: Wow, yeah. Chris: it was just like you've got all these things that are going on and managing your time. you're starting to feel that contest pressure starting to get there, and and it's like, do we have enough sets on the field? And it's a still a hundred and ten degrees, and it's like all these these things and tina: Yes, all of that. Chris: that causes stress, And some of these are, you know, Texas specific challenges with the heat. tina: Right. Chris: but we all have other challenges, whether or not we're balancing band with school, athletics, jobs, other activities. in some ways, and we always have kids that are involved in football, volleyball, cheerleading, whatever, that are we're competing with during summer band. But tina: I know, yes. Yeah. Drill team, yeah. Yeah. Chris: when school starts, that gets even worse. Now you got cross country you're dealing with, and you've got academic things and you've got jobs and I mean it's just i it it starts to snowball and everybody gets tired and everybody gets frustrated, you know. So tina: Right. But it's having that your calendar for yourself. the director has to make sure that they know what's coming next, obviously, but prepared for it, you know, with the students, but also like mentally and making sure you're getting enough rest when you can and eating a good diet, all of that. And also talking to people. Chris: Yeah. tina: I know that like with you and I, we would talk all the time. just to help support us through things like, my goodness, this happened. So what do you do with this and whatever? But having Chris: things like, my goodness, this happened. So what do you do with this? tina: that especially when September hits, because it's it's starting to happen. Chris: when September hits. Yeah. It's starting to happen. It's starting to happen and it's not going to slow down for a while. Does it slow down? No, not really. Not not really. You know, we always say, tina: No. does it slow down? Come on. Come on, Chris. I don't think it does. Chris: people are always like marching band's so busy. And I'm like, you know, spring is almost worse in a lot of ways. tina: Yeah. Chris: And I know, for us mid-September through mid-November was a contest every weekend, I think. tina: Right. Chris: and it's like you have drumline contests and then you you go to that, early pre UIL contest, maybe the last weekend of September, and then you have two more the first couple of weeks of October, and then you have UIL and then you have area. You tina: Mm-hmm. Yes, you do. Area. Chris: know, and then that next weekend we wouldn't have a contest because we would be getting ready to go to state on Monday or whatever. You tina: Right. Chris: know, and so that was a weekend that we were not gonna go do another contest. You know, we needed some tina: No, Chris: time to tina: no. Chris: To to get gather our thoughts and prepare and all the things. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: But then as soon as state margin contest is over, then what do we have that following weekend? Lone Star Drumline Contest. it's like here's another drumline contest, tina: No, you're right. Yeah. Chris: and it's just like and then what happens? That's not all region. Well, that's what I'm saying. Yeah. And then let's tina: But then also let's add all region. Chris: add that Thanksgiving break. And then what do you got after that? you got all region, you know. tina: Ugh region, yeah. Chris: And and somewhere in there you're throwing in region jazz, and that's usually in mid September. tina: yep. Chris: and so it's just like tina: And wait, do we have a concert coming up too? Like a a stage concert? Chris: somewhere in there. Well in our middle school, but always have a Halloween concert, and that was usually like right at area marching contest or like the tina: a fall concert. Mm-hmm. Yep. Chris: the week before state contest or something in that in that, that time tina: Mm-hmm. Yep. Chris: frame. And so there's there's that side of things, and it's just like I mean, things can really get out of hand if you let them. So, are we Asking students to perform at their highest level when they're physically and mentally at their lowest. And are we expecting ourselves, to perform at that level too? when we're drained, so just kind tina: Right. Right. Chris: of talking about some ways to mitigate that problem and help. for me, we have to balance urgency, the urgency to get ready for contests, the urgency of all the things that are going on with some empathy. tina: Yes. Chris: we have to make sure that we're taking care of our students. Because if they're sick, if they're out, if they're not functioning, if they can't keep up with their grades, if they can't tina: Right. Or they get hurt. Yeah. Yes. Chris: do all those things, then what are we doing? Right? I mean, like we're we're kind of shooting ourselves in the foot. And I I tina: And I think that's a good time to even have like staff meetings about like Chris: Yeah. tina: what's going on with the students. What are you seeing? who Chris: Right. tina: who needs help extra help? Who needs whatever? That to to meet at least once a week, about that with the staff. Chris: Yeah. Yeah. And and you know, I was in a I was in a school Monday mentoring all day. And Monday during lunch is their staff meeting, you know. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: And so the middle school directors come over and everybody meets during lunch period and it's about a 45 minute period. And I was able to sit in on that because I was there on Monday, and it's just a lot of that good communication that you need to have, and who needs this, who needs that. I've got to go to a doctor's appointment coming up. I'm gonna need somebody to cover this, just all the things, But on the on the student side of things, you know, having that empathy, we have to have efficient rehearsals that dismiss on time. You know, tina: Yes. Chris: if we're holding kids over 15, 20 minutes, what's wrong with our process that we're not tina: Right. Chris: getting things done in the time that we need to do that? and we have to be respectful of that. not only for the students, but the parents that are sitting there waiting for their kids, tina: Yeah. Well, and know, on the marching field, there's so many things to put up too. Chris: There is. tina: You know, so you have to really take that in consideration too. because they need to get home. They have homework to do, they have other things Chris: And for us they need to get home. They have homework to do. They do. tina: to do, And so really being mindful of that, even if you didn't get as far as you had planned to get in a marching rehearsal, you have to just make yourself go. This is the stopping point. And then Chris: Right. You you just have to cut it loose and yeah. And then and you do have an eight hour time limit anyway, tina: Readjust for the next one. Chris: And a lot of people don't understand that that that's not just the time that you're rehearsing, but that's the time that you're getting prepared, moving to the rehearsal field and moving back tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: away from the rehearsal field and all the things that go along with that. and for us, like Monday night rehearsals were at our stadium, which was across town. So we'd load up the semis with everything, band dads. We had a great bandad organization tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: that did all the loading and unloading for us. and they would have things ready to go when rehearsals start, unloaded and everything. But at the end of our our Monday night rehearsal, we'd go from six to eight thirty. Well, eight o'clock, front ensemble, start loading, because it's gonna take them a half an hour tina: Take Chris: to get that truck loaded. tina: it is, yeah. Chris: You know, and then they still had to go back to the high school and make sure that everything was put away properly after the bandads unloaded it. so you've gotta have that that empathy and and be respectful of time. we talked about, offering those peer-led academic tutorials already. that's that's tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: having, that system in place for your students. use your class time wisely and and try to vary it from the marching band regiment. You know, tina: Yes. Chris: switch things up a little bit. Maybe you're working on region band music one day or you're giving them opportunities to work on that themselves while you're walking around the room and and listening and helping. for us Fridays was stand tune day 'cause if we were fixing to give you a pep rally tina: Hm. Chris: in a football game that night. So we would run through our stand tunes. We wouldn't practice them during the week, but on Friday we would gr run through just so they're fresh in tina: Right. Chris: our minds and everybody knows what's going on. So we'd vary things. Directors have to communicate effectively, having that Google Doc, that shared Google Doc that you have, tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: that you can just everybody can type into and communicate that way when things get fast and furious, weekly staff meetings if possible. And then like you said earlier, self care is critical. tina: Yes. Chris: and I I I'll preach about this now because I was horrible at this when I was teaching and I paid the price for it. and now I'm I'm a much healthier person. I eat much healthier, try to have a consistent bedtime, exercise three to four times a week, all the different things. If I had done that during my career, I think I would have I I may still be teaching full time. You know, I mean I don't know. tina: Well and I think well and the hardest thing I think for high school band directors is eating. I'm not trying Chris: It is. tina: to you know, but I mean there may be a lunchtime during the school day where you can eat, even eating with the kids and you can try to make sure that your meals are pretty healthy. But it's after school to have a healthy snack, have fruit or whatever. But then sometimes band directors just get in, they don't eat dinner. Chris: But then sometimes baby just get in, they don't eat dinner for they're eating out whatever concessions to end. tina: Or they're eating out whatever the concession stand has that they're offering or the snacks the kids are getting out of game. So then you're leaving a game and you're starving and you're going to fast food, like What's at 10, 11 o'clock at night, and that's your dinner. So you it just plan some meals that you're bringing, you know, on game days and all of that that you're you're eating, you know, we keep telling the kids to eat healthy. We have to do it too. And we have to Chris: Getting out of game. So then you're leaving a game and you're starving and you're going to fast food, like water burger at ten, eleven o'clock at night, and that's your dinner. So you it just plan some meals that you're bringing. Yep. You know, on game days and all of that that you're you're eating, you know, we keep telling the kids to eat healthy. But we we have to set the example. But we have to hydrate too on on the water breaks. And not we remind each other. tina: And we have to hydrate too. On on the water breaks, we remind each other at McKinney, we're like, drink. We're like, yeah. You know, because we start talking and brainstorming Chris: we're like drink we're like yeah you know because we start talking and tina: and what can we do better instead of drinking. But we're all like, cheers, we're drinking. Chris: Yeah. tina: You know, we're we have to hydrate. Chris: Well, and you know, we were real big on that too, and about making sure that our kids weren't bringing energy drinks to rehearsals and things like that, monsters and Red Bulls and all that kind of stuff, which are so popular. And I've never drank one of those in my life. but I know tons of people who do, and I've been in programs where I'll see, them preaching to the students water only. tina: They're drinking, yeah. Chris: No energy drinks, band camp, blah, blah, blah, all this stuff. And then as soon as lunch hits, they're in there drinking a monster. And the kids are seeing this, and I'm like, you can't drink any coffee. You can't, yeah. But you can't you can't preach that tina: I don't drink any coffee. Chris: and then go behind and do it. it's like that's number one, it's not healthy for you either. You may think I'm an adult, I know what I can handle. It's not. tina: Well if you can get right as mm-mm No you can't do all that. Mm-mm Right Right and if you can as part of their uniform or whatever kind of kit you that Chris: You know, but number two, it's just a bad example if you're preaching it to to do it, Well and if you can as part of their uniform whatever kind of kit tina: they have to you know, purchase have the big water jugs that are all one color, whatever they put their Chris: Yeah. tina: names on the bottom of it with Sharpie. And we always do a water check where they have to shake it, that we know that it's full Chris: And we always do a water chip when they have to shake it and know that it's full. tina: of water, and also having filling stations of coolers that they can use during rehearsal. But yep, they're not allowed to bring anything Chris: Yes. During rehearsal and during football games all the time. tina: out but that. That's it. That's it. Nothing else is allowed. Chris: Yeah, that's it. That's it. That's right. That's right. That's right. tina: So that helps with some of that. So yeah, but making sure you're doing what the kids are doing to stay healthy is very, very important. Chris: yeah, but making sure you're doing what the kids are doing to technology is very, very. And then, you know, one other aspect I think that that helps in September when some of these issues may start developing is tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: developing or giving ownership in ways to your students. how do we get students to take ownership in their program instead of simply following instructions? tina: Right. Chris: And a lot of times, you know, our leaders will have ownership because they have specific duties and roles that they're they're filling. But what about the general population of our band? tina: one thing is that the band hall is a safe and friendly place, you know, and that they can go in there, Chris: They can go in there. tina: to study, like we talked about the tutorial programs you can create, or ask for help and even hang out a little bit when it's not rehearsal time. I think that's very important. Yes. Chris: Well, yeah, and we and very important. We talked about that last week a lot too in in the building that culture, but that's kind of number one on my list is providing a safe space to where they feel like they can be themselves. tina: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Chris: but other ways that we can kind of give them ownership is asking students what do they want from the band program? I got to the point where I would start with my classes handing out a a sheet at the beginning of the year. For every student, what are your goals this year as far as band goes? What would you like to see us do? What would you like to do individually? You know, tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: all those types of things. And I would read them because I wanted to know their thoughts on where they were at. and then have student developed goals with director guidance. And we do that a lot with our leadership team, but do we include the band in on some of those things that are appropriate for them to be included tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: in? tina: Yep. Chris: You know. and then one thing that I really liked doing was providing non-leaders the opportunity to serve or use their individual talents. So maybe decorating the band hall, decorating it at Halloween, decorating it at Christmas. tina: yeah. Yes. Chris: some kids really like to organize things. They're like Monica Geller and their little, label printer and all the things, and they just want to get in there and organize. tina: Yes. Yeah, no, it's true. Chris: Let them do those things. Having a social committee, you've got kids that really like to plan. social gatherings for the band. I would have kids that like to be a concert greeter or an usher, and greet greet families tina: Right. Yeah. Chris: at the door, hand out programs, things like that. tina: And I know with middle school there's a lot of opportunities for that. Chris: Mm-hmm. tina: and one way that I would do it is I would have like a sign up genius. night? Are they gonna come help like you said like do the library? Like if I needed help like the library stuff for the music stuff. and any parent things you could do, you could use sign up genius and it's it works really well, but it gets more kids involved. Chris: And any parent things you could do if you sign up genius. And it's it works really well, but it gets more kids involved. It does. And and for us, I mean, we use that with our invitational marching contest that we hosted. Yeah. tina: yeah. Chris: You know, and I had to have so many workers, parent-wise, we did it, but also student-wise, because there would be places where I would want students to work, like the water stations and tina: Yes. Yes. Chris: just different places like that. And I would send that out and be first come, first serve. And some of those things like water station would be the first to go because kids loved being tina: no, you would think no, yeah. Chris: Yeah, but they loved to be able to sit there and talk to all the other bands as they came by and get their their water and wish them good luck and you know, all the different things tina: yeah, I know what you're talking about now. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Chris: to where they were socializing with those other kids. and that was another tina: love yeah. Chris: way that we we created ownership was letting, I mean, kid almost every kid in our program. throughout the the twelve tina: Could sign up to help. Chris: twelve hour day of a prelims finals contest would be able to to you know work in the concession stand, whatever. tina: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, also Sign Up Genius was so easy to organize and you could just go look and see. It are all the time, are all of the slots filled, and you know, all of that. And yeah. Chris: Right build and you know, all of that. tina: Well, and one thing I do that I just thought about is, you know, we're talking about like making everyone feel a part of it and that they have a purpose. But in high school band, I Chris: And that they have a purpose. But in high school bands tina: think you really need to make sure that drumline. Chris: Make sure that drum line tina: Front Ensemble, ColorGuard, and the wind players are one team. And and they get to practice Chris: And the win players are one team. Yeah, absolutely. And and they give tina: separate and come together. And so that's a separation, but we're all one team. You as a director have to make sure that they're interacting and Chris: Mm-hmm. And so that's a separation, but we're all one team. Yeah. You as a director have to make sure that they're interacting and tina: having friends that are not just in that. And I know nowadays with ColorGuard. The majority of color guard students are not band students anymore. Yeah. I mean, there's still a couple Chris: Or non band kids, yeah. Yeah. tina: so you have to make sure they're introduced and they're, with everything. And when you're doing any block or anything, they're part of it. Even starting in summer band. They're doing all the exercises, all the everything that we're doing. And then there is a time to separate and then we come back together. But that belonging needs to be there. Chris: Mm-hmm. know, with everything and and they're doing any walk or anything. They're part of it. Even starting in summer band. Yeah. They're doing all the exercises, all the everything that we're doing. Yeah. And then there is time to separate. And then we come together. Right. That belonging. It is, And you know, like with us, marching band season, we didn't have any band kids in Color Guard. Winter guard season, we would have tina: Yes. Chris: three, four, five kids that would want to be in in Winter Guard, which was great. they can do both things at that time. tina: yeah. Hmm. Okay. Right. Mm-hmm. Chris: but then we would also have band kids that would sign up to go along they were the ones who pulled out the floor at the contests and different things and do all that stuff and help, tina: yeah, yeah. Yeah. Chris: and just kind of mingle in in that sense. And tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: those things are great. you've got to, like you said, intermix those different groups. tina: Yes, yes. Chris: same thing with drumline contests. at times tina: Yes. Chris: we would bring wind soloists that were important to the thing, you know, for a marching band. Yeah, it tina: yes, we're doing that's becoming way more popular now. I love that. Chris: is. It is. And of course your drum majors are there, but then we would also have other kids come as helpers to move equipment and all the things and just kind of tina: Yes. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris: bringing all those those groups together. And our kids were great. I mean It was a s it was a small town atmosphere, so they all knew each other anyway, a little bit different from maybe a a large school where they come from different areas or different middle schools, and they don't always intermix all the time. But, just giving those things, giving those those those students who are, the the non leaders that don't have a title of a leader ways to to be involved and and a couple of more that I had written down, you know, each band class we would have librarians, and tina: Yes. Chris: and they were the ones who were in were gonna pass out the music. If something was being passed out that day, they were the ones who were gonna do it, And they took pride in making sure that that was done well. And and you know, a lot of them would be coming after school, are we passing out anything tomorrow? Is there anything I need to help get organized? things like that. social media teams, that's a big thing these days and having kids, For me, they weren't allowed to post, but they were allowed to take pictures. They'd send me pictures tina: But they could send you pictures, yeah. Right. Chris: and they would send me other things, that we could post. tina: Right. Chris: And then choosing some kids or having some kids be beginning band mentors. We had some students at the high school whose parents were teachers at our sixth grade campus. And so they would go over there after school, anyway. And they would be able to go down and and kind of mentor and help help some of the sixth graders. So, there's just a lot of different ways. You gotta get creative sometimes and think outside the box, but there's ways to to develop that ownership in your students. tina: One thing I did at my last school I taught at Prosper was and it was very successful. There were about one per instrument high school that we're trying out for our region. and they were allowed to come over and play for like the advanced band classes. They got permission to miss school. but Chris: Yeah. They got permission to miss school. tina: they got they had permission to do that. And Chris: Right. but they got they had permission to do that and tina: We wouldn't do it all in one day. It would kind Chris: we wouldn't do it all in one day. tina: of just go across like the whole week, having like two kids each day. Chris: Yeah, each day. tina: my gosh. Those seventh and eighth graders were like watch and go, you know, in amazement. And also they would talk about being in band and being in marching band and what they liked about their instrument. And like if they're an oboe player, like what does the oboe player do? and some play saxophones, some maybe mallets or whatever it is. But that was Chris: Like watch and go, you know, in amazement. And also they would talk about being in band and being in marching band and what they liked about their instrument. And like if they're an oboe player, like what does the oboe player Right. Some play sacrophones, some maybe mallets or whatever it is. But that was huge for those high school kids to be get picked or volunteer to go over to that campus. So it it made a horrible difference. tina: huge for those high school kids to be get picked or volunteered to go over to that campus. So it it made a world of difference. Chris: Absolutely. Absolutely. So kind of the common thread here tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: is middle school students are asking, Do I belong here? You tina: Right. Chris: know, especially our beginners, maybe some our seventh graders still. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: high school students are asking, is it worth it? You know, the time, all of the things that go along with it. tina: Mm. And you yeah. Right. Chris: The director's job is to help both groups answer yes. That's kind of where that's that's that's that's our job. And hopefully tina: Yes, I agree. And also that you're looking and that you could see the ones that are thinking and not answering that question how we would want them to. And yeah, so we always Chris: and that you could see the ones that are thinking and not answering that question how we would want them to answer. Right, exactly. tina: have to have our eyes open to ready to to do that and be ready for that and have a plan. Chris: Yep, absolutely. So kind of getting into the next section, September reveals the culture you actually have, not the culture you thought you had. So sometimes tina: Yeah, I agree. Chris: things in August are just great and everybody's excited, like we talked about already, but then September those realities come in and it starts to reveal tina: Yeah. Chris: what you actually have as a culture. Okay. so here's some some questions maybe to ask yourself. And I'm going to put these questions in our freebies folder on the website, mclellanbandconsulting.com And if you go to our pet podcast page, which is a drop-down tab underneath the unconducted curriculum tab, then you'll be able to download these questions. And there's a few other things on this this page. But here's some some student leadership questions to ask yourself. in September, are are leaders still modeling the expectations? tina: Right. Chris: I mean that's a big one. Check in with your leaders and be be observant. You know, because tina: It is because sometimes yes, yes. Chris: they have they have a life too, and they're still tina: Right. Chris: students, they're still teenagers. They're going to have moments where they're gonna break down, So check in on that. Are they still modeling expectations? Are section leaders teaching or are they criticizing? And do they still enjoy it? Yeah, do they still enjoy it? Because those younger kids. tina: Right. And do they still enjoy it? Because those younger kids have to see that they love being leaders and that the pressure is Chris: Right. And that the pressure is tina: not appearing to be too high. Chris: Yeah, and we've all seen kids who maybe they start off great in in summer band when they're teaching fundamentals, but then we're getting tina: Mm. Chris: into drill and we're getting into competition season. Are they still teaching? Are they still approaching things from a patient standpoint or are they starting to be more critical and and not, giving any positive feedback as well? Are tina: Right. Chris: upperclassmen welcoming younger students still, or are we starting to divide into our clicks? tina: Mm. Yes, that's a huge one. It is. And it's also like when I was saying, like that color guard feels separated, but also it could be you could have this group of flutes or whatever. but making sure and also there could be some kids that need some extra help with marching and the coordination of it and that there are students helping them positively. Chris: You know, that might happen at this time of the year. Yeah. It is. And it's also like when I was saying, like the color guard feels separated. But also it could be you could have this group of flukes or whatever. but making sure and also there could be some kids that need some extra help with marching. Right. And the coordination of it and that there are students helping them positively. Well, and we that you bring that up, we did a thing tina: Mm. Chris: called marching college. And Marching College was every week we had seven and a half hours of after school or before school ensemble rehearsal. The other half hour that we had, and some some weeks it was seven, but the other half hour to an hour that we had was dedicated towards student-led sectionals or marching college. And our drum majors would lead marching college and we would identify students discreetly that were struggling with marching in time or certain technique or slides or whatever. And we would say instead of going to your instrumentals sectional this week, you're going to go to marching college. And that helped a ton too. tina: I like that. Mm-hmm. Chris: because the drum majors that gave them something where they were still teaching once summer band was over, and they love tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: doing that and being able to do that. And it helped the kids tremendously. so that's another that's another thing where you can, do some adjustments to to get everybody involved. and then, you know, I kind of think about you were talking about well we're talking about kind of those clicks happening in September, right? And I it I tina: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris: don't I always think back to the movie, Remember the Titans. remember the Titans. So tina: remember the Titans. Yeah, we we talk about that. Mm hmm. It's great. Yes. Chris: Yeah, we they have this yeah, they have this big breakthrough when they go to s their football camp. And then they come back to school and school gets started, and then we have all this division because of race and everything else. And tina: Mm-hmm, right. Chris: all those guys who who connected, white, black, whatever, during football camp now feel like they have to choose sides and go back to their cliques, And there's a few brave ones who are still the ones who choose. To stay a team, a stay a family instead tina: Right. Chris: of, going back to that temptation. So I always kind of think about that. That's September. It is September. It's totally September. tina: But that's like September. It is. Yeah. It is. Mm-hmm. Chris: And I think we all see these things. And it's it's recognizing tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: that and revisiting that with our leaders and our upperclassmen that we still need to be welcoming to those younger students. We still need to include them in what we're doing. Yes, you can have time where you go with your friends and you know, you do your thing. tina: Right. But they need to be included too. Mm-hmm. Chris: Yeah, and and but when we're in band and when we're in a band event and things like that, please continue to include them in what what's going on. and are student leaders helping to create solutions or are they amplifying problems? So those tina: Right. yeah. Chris: are a few questions you can ask yourself about your student leaders as far as your behavior in general. Are students misbehaving because expectations aren't clear? Do they understand what the expectations are? And I always like to go back and I tell student teachers this all the time and young directors that I'm mentoring. Instead of telling them what the expectations are over and over again, ask them what the expectations are. I mean it's easy tina: Yes. No, it's true. Chris: that it's easy to say, you know, you you shouldn't be talking right now. But it's much stronger to say, what should you be doing right now? What what are the expectations right now? And make them tell you because then it's much stronger. They understand it they're gonna tell you you know. tina: And when it's small things, you also can compliment their neighbor on what they're doing really well. I mean, even like in middle school, like, man, you're both Chris: neighbor on what they're doing really well. Absolutely. Absolutely. tina: feet fly on the floor and look at your foot. It's really padding great in time. Y'all all look, you know, and try Chris: Right. tina: to encourage everyone else around, you know, Chris: Yes. tina: because I mean that's not a behavior issue, but it kind of is, you know, that they're all we all Chris: Yeah. tina: look alike and we all do the same thing. You know, we'll mm-hmm. Chris: And some students, you know, are just kind of belligerent about little things like that, about tapping their foot, you know, because tina: Yes, yes. Chris: it's not comfortable or they don't want to do it or whatever. That is a behavior thing, you know. So yeah. So compliment the kids around them. Compliment the kids around them and ask them. Yeah, and and ask them what should you be doing right now. tina: Right, right. It is. So yeah. So compliment the kids around them to encourage a hundred percent to look like that. Yeah, and yeah, and ask them. Because if they're still not doing what what should you be doing to match what everyone else is doing? I've done that before too. And like, Chris: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep, absolutely. tina: you really want me to pat my foot? Yeah, that's that I'd love for you to do that. That's what we're all doing. Yeah. Chris: are expectations clear, are consequences consistent? tina: Uh-huh. Chris: You know, are we enforcing our our own expectations with consequences? Or are we ignoring things because we don't have the energy right now or the time to deal with tina: Right. Chris: it? And then are directors correcting correcting symptoms? instead of causes. So are we correcting the symptoms or are we correcting the causes? And we need to be looking at what's tina: Right. Chris: causing this issue and trying to correct that instead of just on the backside, correcting what's happened. And then from an engagement standpoint, are students emotionally connected to the program? And that kind of goes back to having that ownership and that buy-in and all the things that we talked about there. tina: Hm, right. Chris: but also You know, are they connected emotionally? Do they have a friend group? Do are they included tina: Right. Chris: in things? We've all seen band kids and we've all had them in our programs that are kind of the the you got one or two kids who just don't really have any friends in there, tina: Right. Chris: and they're just real shy, or maybe they're a little awkward at this age, or whatever the case may be, are we including them? Are we making those attempts or are we just letting them do that? You know? tina: Hm. Yeah. Chris: Do they understand why their work matters? do they understand what what we're working towards, what their goals are and why we're doing this to meet their goals? Do they tina: Right. Chris: understand why their work matters other than just from a musical standpoint? what are we teaching them? What are they developing? And are we celebrating progress? That's that's the biggest one in that engagement thing. we've gone we've talked to about positive reinforcement to where probably blue on the face already in this podcast. But if we're not celebrating progress, then things are going to tina: Right. Yeah. Chris: get real real frustrating and real tiring real quick. And, tina: Right. Chris: this morning I was working with a a student teacher and he was doing a fantastic job. but one of the things that we were talking about was don't spend this much time working on One exercise or one measure of music, because you're not going to get perfection in one day. Are they making progress? Did you make progress? You know, you want to make sure that you understand that is more important than perfection on a daily basis. We're always striving for for perfection. That's really something that's un unattainable. You tina: Attainable right. Chris: know, but are we making progress? And if we are, are we celebrating that progress? Make the get them to understand. It is. It's it's shuffling for each other. It's that we got all the way know, Seven Nation Army and all the seventh graders it. That's you know, that and you're celebrating tina: Yeah. Right. And in middle school it is. It's just shuffling for each other. It's that we got all the way through, Seven Nation Army and all the seventh graders played it. that's just, that and you're celebrating that everyone's playing because we're always like, What's the worst thing you can do? It's not play. You've got to try and you've got to play. And Chris: Right. You gotta try. You gotta try. Yeah. tina: so that everyone even repeats that what's the worst thing you can do? Not play. You know, and then shuffle. Did everybody play? And they all raise their hand. We're like, that's a celebration right there. that everyone's brave enough to do that. And the same with beginners. Same thing. Did we did we all reach it to line or or like I like to do pass offs by colors, like the red section for like scale Olympics or if you do karate or whatever. The whole clarinet class made it through the color red. Chris: Yeah. Yeah. You know, and then shuffle. Did everybody play? And they all raise their hand. We're like, that's a celebration right here. Yeah. but everyone's brave enough to do that. And the same with beginners, same thing. Did we did we all reach it to line or or like I like to do pass off by colors, like the red section for like scale Olympics or if you do karate or whatever? The whole clarinet class made it for the color red. You're like, Everybody made it, but you know, you may have kids that have already done two more colors. tina: You're like, everybody made it. Yay. But you may have kids that have already gone two more colors. But when the whole class does it, you celebrate it. So you have to have those celebrations, little, big, whatever. Chris: Flask does it. Celebrate it. Absolutely. You have to have those celebrations. Little, big, whatever. Yep. So they love tina: And they love it. Chris: it. What happens when students stop doing something because the director told them to and start doing it because they believe it matters? tina: Just becomes important to them. Chris: It becomes important to them, that's when the culture starts tina: Yeah. Yes. Chris: to really grow and become something that's going to be successful. And that's really the ultimate goal here. Are they doing tina: It's meaningful to them. Yes it is. Chris: it because it they believe it matters and it's important to them? Or are they doing it because you're telling them to? And that's a hard question to ask ourselves. Yeah. It's their band. it's their band. Yeah. tina: Right. It's their band. It is, but it's their band. What do they want to achieve with their band individually Chris: Yeah. tina: and the team? You know, but you're you're exactly right. Chris: Well, and it you know, and I everybody at this point probably already un understands if he's listened to previous episodes. I'm a big fan of the Ted Lasso thing, you know. yeah. tina: Right. yeah. Chris: But he says that, you know, it's the same it's it's your it's your team, it's your band. We're just we're just borrowing it for a little while. We're just guiding it for a little while, But that's their band and they have tina: It is. Chris: to believe that what they do matters. and we've all been in programs or been around programs tina: Yeah. Chris: where students are compliant. Yeah. They're compliant, but they're not really hundred percent. They're not giving a hundred percent or kabada in. Yeah. And tina: them. Yeah. But they're not given a hundred percent or totally bought in. No. And they just they need to know, you know, like do the students know what they're doing well? What needs to improve? Just ask them those questions. are you proud of being part of this? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Chris: Yeah. What needs to improve? Right. Ask those questions. Yeah. know, are you proud of being this? Yeah. What makes you proud about our band? Yeah. You know, ask them what makes rehearsals frustrating for you. is it one more time, one more time, one more time, Or is it something else? tina: Mm-hmm. And what what can we do? Yeah. Yeah. and what can we as directors, yeah, that we can do differently, or the leaders, or you know, but have them involved. Even if you stop someone in the hallway, one of the students, and they're not a leader and say, Hey, how are we doing? You would you like to see differently? You know, what what Chris: Yeah. What would you like to see differently? Right. tina: what could help you or what are you seeing? and that just that will just open up so much for them to know, well, that band director cares about me enough to know my opinion. So anything that little, but it's so big. Chris: Opinion. So anything that little, but it's so big. Right. So let's get into this some practical strategies. we've talked tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: a lot about, our thoughts on things, but how can we make this into some practical strategies? Well, first, I think we have to have a balance between correction tina: Yes. Chris: and celebration. tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: we can't just always be celebrating because nothing's going to improve, but we can't always be Correcting and not celebrating. tina: Right. Chris: because then your your atmosphere and your energy and your your culture is not gonna be what you want it to be. We also have to balance urgency with patience. And sometimes that's hard. that's hard. That's hard. That's hard. We have to slow ourselves down, you know. tina: Yes. that's hard. It is. Especially, yes, like for me, I'm so driven and want to move fast and I want to be, you know, as perfect and as accurate as we can put be. And if there's mistakes made, that's okay, but let's just do it again. And you know, for me, it's that patience of backing up and going, okay, hold on. I need to slow down my talking. I need to reword what I'm doing. Chris: as we can put there's mistakes made that's okay but let's just do it again and you know for me it's that patience of backing up and going I need to slow down my yeah I need to reword what I'm doing. Yeah tina: And ask different Chris: and tina: people to do what I'm asking to do or different groups. So I have to take myself all the time about that. And then, but when I do it, like you know, I keep saying the whole pivot, like from friends, but you know, it's like I have to take myself and I have to pivot a little bit Chris: And then but when I do it like you know, I keep saying the whole pivot like from friends, but it's like I have to take myself and I have to pivot tina: for all levels of learners. and it just helps. It makes everyone feel more comfortable, you get more done, but you Chris: Yes. and it just helps. It makes everyone feel more comfortable when you get more tina: know. Chris: done. But you know, urgent, urgent, urgent can lose people. tina: Urgent, urgent, urgent can lose people. Chris: Yeah, it can. And I mean there was a point in my career where I put a sticky note on my podium that said, Slow down. Yes, I've done that before. You know, just take a breath. Just slow down, take a breath. tina: Yes, I've done that before too. Take a breath. Yeah. Chris: You know what you want to do, you know what needs to be done. But they may not understand that in the same way that you do. tina: Okay, well I have a funny when I first got an Apple Watch a long time ago. Do you remember how it would tell you to take a breath? What would it do? It would make me did you have that Chris: It would make me you tina: on your watch? It would just tell you to breathe. It told you to breathe. Chris: Breathe. Breathe. tina: I wanted to take that thing off during a rehearsal and like throw it across the room. Because it kept going. Breathe, breathe, breathe. And I kept going. You know, because you would do this to stop it, you know, back then, especially when Chris: Yeah. tina: they first came out. Don't tell me to breathe. I am breathing. But but the watch was right. I needed to slow down. Yes. Chris: Right, right, right. I needed the slow thing on we do, you know, and and and it's you know, we have a good friend, mutual friend, Doug Foolwood, and tina: Yeah. Chris: he's posted on on social media many times his Apple Watch says, just a few more steps today, you know, or whatever. and he's just like, ain't gonna happen. I'm done, all that kind of stuff. And it's like tina: gosh, one. No. Or if you're doing mar marching band and you're not on the tower, you're like it's Chris: Right. tina: telling you stop taking t steps. that's funny. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Chris: Yeah, yeah, exactly. But yeah, it's important. I mean, it's important to slow down. Urgency and patience have to be balanced. because otherwise if if all we're showing is urgency, what is that showing our kids? tina: Yeah. Right. Chris: That they're not prepared, that we're not where we need to be, you know, and and tina: No, it's true. Chris: so we have to to balance that. And the third thing under the balance category, I think, is standards and our relationships. if all we are there for is to meet a standard and we're not developing those relationships and we're not concerned about the student as a person, then we're gonna have a a an issue. That's not gonna be the culture we want, that's not gonna produce the results that we're looking for. and on the other side, if if all you're there to do is have fun and, be the kid's favorite teacher and you don't have any standards, well, you're gonna have the opposite, you know, you're gonna have the proposite problem. tina: Right, very much so. Chris: So those things all have to be balanced. And so I think that that's something that we have to think about. So correction and celebration, urgency and patience, standards and relationships. tina: Yeah. That's really good. Chris: So kind of finishing some things out here. let's kind of get into what we call the September reset. tina: Mm-hmm. Yes. Some things to ask yourself. Chris: So the September Yeah. So things to ask yourself. So Tina, I'll let you start off with this. and just kind of tell us what is the September reset exercise? I I think basically tina: I I think it's basically telling yourself, what do I need to start doing? am I creating unnecessary stress or confusion? is what Chris: Mm-hmm. is tina: I am presenting staying with the culture and making everything work that we need to have working and the systems Chris: Yeah. tina: in place. so it's a comfortable environment that they walk into the band hall every day and it's all the procedures are the same and how we sit, how we you know hold our instruments, all of that. How it when we put away our instruments and that they're confident that we're gonna let them go with enough time that they have to be able to put up or clear the marching field or anything like that. Chris: And it's all the procedures are the same and how we sit, how we you know hold our instruments, all of that. How when we put away our instruments and that they're confident that we're gonna let them go with enough time that they have to be able to put up or clear the mortgage field or anything like that. Yeah. that. Yeah, and you know, I'm gonna put this in the resources, the free the freebies as well. and and some things to ask yourself. And and so Tina's tina: Mm-hmm. Chris: talked about this, but let's kind of put it into some bullet points. So what should we what do we need to start doing? Okay. That's the first one is start. Ask yourself, what do we need to start doing? The next one is stop. What is creating unnecessary stress or confusion? We need to stop that. We need to first analyze it, figure it out, but then we need to stop doing those things. What do we need to continue? That's the third one is continue. What is working? And we want to and we want to protect that, you know. tina: Yeah, what's working. I think that's a great one. Yes. Chris: the fourth one is clarify what expectations are students misunderstanding. So we need to clarify those things. The fifth one is connect. Which students need a personal conversation right now? Are we connecting with all of our students? And the sixth one is culture. With others. Are they connecting with others? Yeah. Yeah. tina: Then are they connecting but are they connecting with others? Yes. That too. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris: All of that connect. Okay. And then the sixth one is culture check. And ask yourself this question: if nothing changed from today until November, would I be happy with where this program is headed? And that's a question that I ask myself a lot. if nothing changed between now and where whenever, would I be happy with where we're headed? Or do I need to go back and start, stop, continue, clarify, connect? so kind of Asking yourselves, this is a good time of the year to to kind of evaluate those things, ask yourselves those questions. And the most important question to me, and this is at any point in the year, but it's this is kind of the first point in the year where I might ask myself this is what is one thing I can change this week that would make the biggest difference in our culture or our program? constantly evaluating what you're doing is something that I think we all need to do. And not just falling into the same old same old. If it's not broke, don't fix it kind of mentality. tina: The one big one of that one. Right. Yeah. Chris: Well, if it's not broke, don't fix it is your mentality. There's a lot of things that are probably broke that you're just not realizing, you know. So tina: Mm mm. Right. Right. But one thing we didn't talk about is if you have a staff. One thing is is also that within your staff, are they feeling that it's a team with your staff? And are you helping each other? and do you feel like, if you're an assistant to an advanced band that they're helping enough or that you're, saying, hey, what's your input on this? That you're all just Chris: Are you helping each know, and do you feel know, if you're an assistant an an advanced band help they're helping enough or that know say, Hey, what's your input on this? That you're tina: a team willing to work with each other and enjoying it. Chris: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So let's just recap this episode a little bit. September isn't simply another month on the calendar. tina: Yeah, yeah. Chris: It's the point where expectations become real, culture becomes visible, student engagement becomes clearer, leadership gets tested, and directors begin feeling the weight of the year. tina: Well, if September is showing you the truth about your band program, are you willing to listen or are you too busy? That's huge. Mm-hmm. Chris: And that's that's the big question, right? Like, are you willing to listen? Are you willing to take the time to evaluate, listen to what's happening in your band program, and then change something if necessary? Or are you so busy with all the things that we've talked about September presents us that you don't take time to notice or have time in air quotes to change something, right? And so tina: Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris: I think that that's the the bottom line to all of this, right? And slow down a little tina: Yeah, we have to slow down a little bit. Chris: bit. Yeah, and that's the thing. Slow down. That can mean so many different things. Yes, it can. You know you have to slow tina: Yes it can, but still you have to slow down and take a look. Chris: You do, you do. So final thought, September isn't about proving how good your band can be. It's about establishing the culture that will turn determine how good your band can become. Right. again we're also focused on contests that are approaching, at least by the end of September. And we're we're wanting to be the best we can be right now, but it's the first full month of the school year. so we need to focus on establishing the culture and the processes that will determine how good we can become. during the school year, but not necessarily tina: Yeah. Right. Chris: right now. tina: Yeah, you have, just like in middle school, you have a concert here or a pep rally or starting to get sectionals going, all those little things, that are they going well? And if if they are, Chris: Right. tina: you know, then your whole school year is gonna go better. Chris: Yep, that's that's the thing. You're setting the tone right now. I mean, hopefully tina: For the entire year. Chris: that's been set the way you wanted in in August. But it's gotta be as things add on, you have to keep it going and you have tina: as things add on, you have to keep it going. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chris: to reinforce it, and that's what September is all about is consistency tina: It really is. Chris: and establishing those processes that are gonna make your group successful. So here's tina: Yes. Chris: the call to action. We're going to invite you guys to reflect on your current band culture. Talk with your students about how things are going from their perspective. Identify one area this week that needs attention. Follow us, the Unconducted Curriculum Podcast, for future episodes. And please share with other directors. tina: Please. Chris: we've gotten so many good comments and some constructive criticism on things that we're doing and how maybe that can be more structured and appealing to everybody and and we're really working hard to do that. And if you guys can help spread the word, we would appreciate it. And let us know, you know, if this is something that's helpful to you you know, you can reply to us on social media or email us or whatever. tina: Mm. Chris: but we'd like to tina: Yeah. Chris: know if what we're doing is having an impact on your programs. Tina, any final thoughts? tina: like you said, reaching out to us even to ask us questions or for help or for anything or to explain anything more that we're talking about, we'd love to help. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes, we are. Chris: reaching out to us even to ask us questions or for help or for anything or to explain anything more that we're talking about. Absolutely. We both we both love to do that. We're both mentoring in school districts in our retired life. And I also work with student teachers for a couple of universities, and we have over sixty years of combined experience. And so anything that you are struggling with Feel free to reach out. We we love to help and we just want to see directors and band programs continue to flourish So tina: And the directors to keep loving what they're doing Chris: absolutely. Always keep the big picture in mind because tina: Yeah. Chris: it's easy to get bogged down by the little things. tina: It really is.