The Band Director's Book of Secrets

The start of each new school year welcomes graduates from music education programs across the country as they enter the work force after completing an undergraduate degree. These novice educators depart their undergraduate schools with confidence, ready to share the gift of music with the world. Prior to graduation, these students are heavily involved in searching for teaching positions. Then comes the exciting day when notification is received announcing the offer for that very first teaching position! The first year as a professional music educator begins with preparation for that first day with students. Then reality rears its ugly head and these new music educators begin to realize that they do not know what to do to get started. They have just been appointed the new Director of Bands...now what? This is when my phone begins to ring and the E-mails begin to poor in. I feel certain that many veteran music educators have a similar experience; young and/or new music educators seeking guidance and survival tips from veteran educators. New teachers mainly generate these phone calls and E-mails, but at times, veteran teachers beginning a new position in an unfamiliar setting seek guidance. This book is dedicated to the many educators who have chosen to teach music and are still seeking answers to countless questions. It is designed to help guide educators through strategies that contribute to the development and maintenance of a successful band program by addressing topics not easily found in other sources. Although band programs are the main focus of this book, there is information useful for all music teachers. Some of the topics covered in this book address strategies that are general in nature and can be useful for teachers of other academic subjects. Within the pages of this book, I have attempted to create an atmosphere similar to having a casual chat session between colleagues while seated in a coffee shop, seeking answers and solutions to the daily issues faced by music educators. The many calls I receive focus on the need for help with classroom and behavior management, band program administration, recruitment, instrument selection for beginners, music literature for young instrumentalists, scheduling, and countless other topics dealing with teaching strategies. The novice music educator soon discovers that the actual teaching of music to be the most enjoyable part of the day while realizing a disproportionate amount of time outside the classroom focuses on the non-musical aspects associated with their teaching position. The title of this book, “The Band Director’s Book of Secrets” is appropriate because the answers to many questions are already out there but are not always shared with the preservice music educator during undergraduate studies, almost as if these answers were secrets. The information presented in this book is gleaned from trial and error over the course of my 39-year teaching career, and information shared by colleagues who were so kind as to serve as my mentors. After 34 years serving as a director of bands, and five years as a college professor, I am still learning new ways to help students realize their full musical potential. This is one of the many wonderful aspects of being a music educator- no two days, two, years, or two students are the same, and there is no end to learning new ways to approach challenges. It is my hope that the information shared in the following chapters will inspire dialogue between colleagues as they share experiences and strategies, seeking ways to better serve the needs of the students in their charge. Serving students as their music educator is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling career choices one can have...but don’t tell anybody...because it’s a secret!