Prize Shirt

This last week we have hosted a Band Camp for my students.  The purpose was to begin learning the "football" music for the Fall and to get the cobwebs off of our instruments before school begins in a few weeks.  We have had a great week with over 30 kids committing to come up to school for 3 hours and play their instrument rather than sit at home and play video games.  I'm really proud of them for being so dedicated.  As an incentive I told them that if they come to all 5 days they would get a prize for their effort.  I did not tell them at all what it would be.

So, I thought all summer, "What would be cool to a middle schooler that is affordable?"  My wonderful wife had a great idea that turned out to be amazing.  We will give them a shirt that looks like this:

With our great Tshirt companies offering affordable prices on shirts, it turned out to be a great thing that the kids will love.  I can then use these as incentives for the entire year.  Make District Band - get a shirt, Pass off all your scales - get a shirt, Earn "Good Discipline Points" - get a shirt, etc., etc., etc...

AND when they wear it on spirit shirt days at school and someone asks why they recieved the "Prize Shirt" they can tell what accomplishment they did to earn it.  I think it will be a really positive thing for the band this year!

I'm even to going need to earn my "Prize Shirt" this year by accomplishing something big - yet to be determined.

"You've got to come hear this..."

I was thinking and dreaming today about what it would be like to have a band at a certain place where I could call my friends and supervisors to invite them to my rehearsal and say, "You've got to come hear this..." because the band is sounding and performing at such a high level. I've not had that so far in my career, but of course would love to experience that and I think I can have that at my current school in the coming years. I would love to have comments from anyone of you that has experienced that with a group.

But then the other side of me makes me ask, "Is it truly about that?" "Is that a worthy goal?" "Am I looking at it wrong?". (I so quickly doubt myself so much.) I wonder if I am setting myself up for failure or if I can hang on to those dreams until I achieve them.

I am excited about the potential that I have coming in the next year. It really challenges me to be even better to make sure each day is productive. Maybe that's why I'm thinking about this even while on summer vacation? Go figure...

End of School Reflections

The end of every school year is an interesting time for me. I find myself genuinely excited to close a chapter and take a break. But at the same time I miss the rigor of doing what I really love best...teaching kids to appreciate music in their lives.

This year has especially been tough because I was at a new school. Sometimes learning "the ropes" about my new school got in the way of the ability to do my best teaching. So I look forward to next year and starting again. This time feeling more comfortable in my surroundings.

But at the same time how sweet is it that I am blessed with the chance to take a break to plan and grow as an educator. This summer I want to attend some workshops that my district has provided. I want to plan my bands webpage more fully and take time to make it great. I get a real chance to plan well the approach I will use to accomplish our goals as a band for next year.

Personally, I want to finish at least one composition of the 4-5 that I have started right now. There are some books I'd like to take in. I have new friends that I would love to play golf with or just go to that great burger joint that my friend Ben tells me about.

Most importantly, I get the chance to play with my boys and spend quality time with my wife before the craziness begins again in August.

What are your goals for summer break? I'd love to hear them.

-waxler

Band Clinic/Concerts

Today, I was at a District Band Clinic that ends with a concert later this afternoon. For those of you that are not sure what that means, I'll explain...

I blogged before about how music students audition for the prize of a place in a District or Region Band. Well, the prize includes a day of rehearsing with students from other schools under the direction of a guest conductor. This culminates in a Concert performance for parents and the community after only 12 hours of rehearsing. Picture an All-Star Game of the sport of your choice.

This is great for the students. But what good is it for the Band Directors who have taught these students?...

We as directors are given a tremendous opportunity to not only network with other directors, but to literally go to school for a day and learn from the guest conductor as well. The guest conductors are considered Master Teachers in the Music World and display some of the highest levels of teaching models. It is priceless to watch another director work with a group and pick up new tools of teaching to use with my students. I have begun to have a notebook with me when I come to take notes and reminders of the things I should take back to my classroom (I have a horrible memory). And it's free... with no registration or convention fees.

I, as a director, cannot wait until these days in the school year when I can sit down or stand in a hall with fellow directors in the area and brainstorm. After years of teaching, I am not afraid to bounce ideas off of others to test and see if they are really great ideas or just stupid ideas that I should change or forget all together. It is a pride issue when I risk the chance (and often it is the case) that my idea is truly off-base and I am embarrassed to have spoken. However, I have most often discovered that my colleagues are forgiving and willing to help me find a solution to my issue. Sometimes, I will even come to the conversation having a full knowledge and be able to help someone with an issue they are struggling with. Still further, is the chance to make connections and schedule with fellow directors from another school a time when they can come and work with my students during class time. These conversations are such an encouragement for me as I go back to my classroom the next Monday to work at improving my students. We cannot be the best teachers we can be by ourselves. We may be very intelligent. We may have loads of experience. We may even have 5 degrees to our name. But, the world of teaching music is changing almost daily and the only real way to keep up is collaboration and communication with others who may have different contacts with the music world than we have.

The Band Clinic/Concert experience is a microcosm of the best in Music Education. Students work hard like athletes for 12 hours. Teachers go to school to improve their teaching. Friends and colleagues are given an open opportunity to network and brainstorm for the betterment of the students who are not even at the event.

Because, after all, it really is all about improving student's lives in the end... Right!!

Music!!

Whenever I have taught a General Music Class I have always begun with the same question: "What is Music?" When I have asked this question, my students usually answer with nothing more than blank stares and the sound of crickets. Granted they are usually not music students and are simply in the class because nothing else was available, but I hope the wheels begin to turn for them with that question.  I also hope that it serves as a background for the discussions that we have over the course of the semester. 

Dictionary.com's first definition of MUSIC says it is "an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony and color."  I love this definition because it opens up so many discussion points and I think it boils down four years of university education in one succinct sentence.  I especially love that "color" is a part of this discussion about sound.

Beyond the dictionary definition, though, it must be noted that music is a very emotional and personal thing as well.  You may enjoy listening to Speed Metal Rock music while your close friend cannot tolerate the noise and prefers to listen to Mexican Tejano instead.  Personal preference is inherently emotional and many people have rather strong feelings about others' preferences concerning music choice.  At this point, I could easily begin my own rant about my personal likes and dislikes of the music that comes on my radio or in the various stores I walk into or the car that drives by my apartment or that pulls up next to me at the stop light, but that is not what this is really all about.  Maybe another day...

So, after an inspirational talk with my wife (my biggest fan), I am going to focus on my views of music (music education, music composition, and the music heard on the radio) as I see it.  After 13 years of teaching music and many more years of listening to and analyzing the music around me, these are my thoughts for all to read.  I plan to discuss music that I have discovered and music that I have written.

I hope that you gain some knowledge and inspiration from my musings on this subject.  I'd also like you to be entertained as well.  If there is something you would like me to discuss specifically or if there is something you would like to share yourself, feel free to share via comment.

-waxler

Band Concerts and Tipping Points - How Great is Our God

This morning I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't sleep. I do that sometimes when there is a lot on my mind. Today just happens to be the morning after my band's Winter Concert. (I wish we could call it a "Christmas" Concert, but that's another blog.) You would think that I would have gotten a lot off my mind and could rest, but that is not the case.

So, I think to myself (while lying in bed) that I have options here:
1. I could just lie here and think about upcoming events (and how I'm going to deal with them as well) along with other random thoughts that creep in (again, another blog).
2. I could go running in 28 degree weather to run off some energy (how stupid would that be).
3. OR.... I could blog.....

Our concert was really a great success and that is saying a lot considering all that we go through to put it together.

Disclaimer: I don't normally write about school in my blog because that can get me in trouble if I say the wrong thing. But this is a good thing and what is truly on my mind, so here goes....

You see, we have a particular schedule at our school that does not allow for my 7th and 8th grade band students to have a class together during the day. This schedule works well for academic classes and allows teachers to plan together for better student success. I agree with that. It just makes it difficult to keep the band as a whole (and all fine arts) performing at the same high standards as other schools. So we have to hold a Rehearsal every Tuesday Afternoon for an hour so they get time to practice with each other, challenge each other among their sections and just generally mingle with each other (to create an atmosphere of kinship that leads to high school band in the future). Holding these rehearsals is quite a challenge with all of the events that students are involved in at school (especially intelligent and well rounded band students). But many of our students this year have done a really good job of getting to rehearsal each Tuesday. It is also becoming evident that many of our students are choosing to become musicians and focus on band as opposed to athletics ... or just nothing (as is often the case). We are moving toward a "Tipping Point" in our band program.

Malcolm Gladwell describes a moment when some thing or idea becomes popular and well known seemingly over night or all at once. This moment he calls the "Tipping Point". When I read his book it was interesting to see how I have been running band programs in a certain way as to obtain this point when band becomes a really popular and important part of the school environment. Gladwell notes that change happens slowly over time but will climax at a certain unpredictable moment when, without realizing it, people just have to be a part of some thing because it is cool to do so. (He relates it much like a Sickness Epidemic moves across a people group or how a certain shoe becomes popular to wear).

I would take it one step further and realize that this unpredictable moment is ultimately controlled by a Sovereign God who is in control of the whole universe. This relates to me in that He loves His children and wants what is best for me. He has given me talents and intelligence to understand how things work and how I should go about each day to Glorify Him in every decision and action that I make. In learning about "Tipping Points" I learn that Malcolm Gladwell has again proven that we serve a Mysterious God that reveals Himself in a myriad of ways. Some may say that the changes that occur in this process are a result of man having grand ideas and the patience to work the problem out. I say, who gave man those ideas and that patience. I know I don't think of a lot of brilliant things on my own but rather get most of them from the truths found in Scripture as I read them from the Bible. And the patience thing is still working on me after 12 years of teaching band.

No... any success that we have in our band program (like our Concert last night) is because God blessed the efforts and rose up within our students the ability to perform well under pressure. They don't get to practice the music with all of the parts together except every once in a while, yet they performed last night as if they had worked each day as a unit together. That is a blessing from God that I cannot make happen on my own.

How Great is Our God

-waxler

Running a 5K Race

I recently ran a 5K race. (If you're reading this, then you probably already know that since you are a friend of mine.) I ran the race because of a few important reasons:

1. My doctor told me that I needed to lose weight after discovering that I was at the beginning of the "Morbidly Obese" section of the weight chart.
2. I thought this would be a great motivation to do something that would cause my weight to drop and be more healthy.
3. I've always wanted to run an "official" race with a number on my chest and official time clock at the end. When I see those races on TV I think, "That must feel great to run across the finish line and have accomplished that."
4. I turn 35 on Nov. 25 and figured it was about time I did something like that.

At the end of this summer, a friend told me about a "Couch to 5K" program that let you ease into the long-distance run at a slow pace. It really is a good program that is manageable and not too stressful (and works) if you make the time to run for about 30 minutes a few times a week. There is even an App for iPhone that helps you keep the timing as you run. SHOCK!!! So, I thought about all the reasons from above and started the program in August. Unfortunately, at the same time, I kicked the hearth in our apartment and apparently (according to the X-Ray) broke a small bone in my foot and had to wait 3-4 weeks before really starting the program. And keep up my motivation while beginning to teach school.

So, after some healing I began the program again. You are supposed to run 3 times per week and build up to longer runs as you go. My "days between runs" were actually more like "10 days between runs", but I got them in. (At least the first 4 weeks of it).

I was a little frustrated the day of that I had not finished the program, but, I had set a goal (and paid $20 for the entry) so we were going to go running on Nov. 21.

The morning was early but really great with Lissa being so supportive and getting up with me and planning ahead for the boys to be woken up on the first Saturday of Thanksgiving Break. We drove toward Richardson and were doing great until I took the Dallas North Tollway instead of waiting until the North Central Expressway. Ten minutes later, we were $1 (in change) poorer from the two toll booths we HAD to go through and back on the The George Bush Turnpike for another 5 miles to get to the right "Expressway" and found our way to the place of the race. We had no idea where the festivities would begin, but soon found the arch of balloons and heard the noise of the crowd. The pre-race was interesting as the kids got to bounce in a bounce house and I had all of the anticipation of "what have I gotten myself into".

I read somewhere that your first race you should begin at the back of the pack so as not to be run over by the more "experienced" racers. So, I started near the back and walked right up to the starting line so I could save as much energy for the actual timed portion of the race. I saw Lissa and the boys there and jumped across the starting line only to be told to "STOP" because the camera was messing up and she was not videoing my start. In hindsight, that's pretty funny.

So, I took off running (well more of a jog that was surprisingly faster than alot of people). I had decided I would try to run for 5 minute intervals and walk for 1-2 minute intervals alternating. I made the first 5 minute, but after that it was whatever I could muster up the strength to do depending on whether it was up hill or down hill. The website noted that the course was "flat with an occasional incline". It was not the Texas Hill Country, but it definitely was not flat. I walked most of the uphills and jogged the downhills. That seemed easier at the time.

The other runners were quite nice and considerate as we went along. I didn't feel bad when older people passed me by. I figured they had actually done this before and was kind of glad they were there still doing this sort of thing. And, I knew that if worst came to worse I could pass them easily. One lady did inspire me a few times when as I was just walking and she would trot past me. I would think, "Uh-uhh" and begin to jog again. (I did beat her to the finish line.) I learned that when you are by yourself you should wear your iPod to keep your brain distracted as you run. That may have helped me shave 3-4 minutes off my time in the end if I would have done it, but then I couldn't have "soaked up the experience" as I was able to do without it.

I planned ahead and jogged the entire last 1/4 of a mile or so so that I could come across the line running. It really was lots of fun to come across with the crowd cheering on. That's the part that makes me want to do it again, actually. Also, I saw a picture of a friend coming across the finish line of a marathon that he had run. I thought at the time what a great feeling and sense of accomplishment that must have been for him. I by no means think that my little 5K compares to his marathon, except that this same friend told me that his first race was also a 5K. I don't really think I'll end up at a marathon some day, but you never know.

Today I got an email with a picture of myself going across the finish line. I also found out that I finished 42 out of 46 in my age class and 454 overall with a time of 41:10. This is just the beginning I know. I am already looking for the next one that I can run.

If there is a moral to this it is that you should set goals and follow through. Even if you aren't able to finish all the parts, do what you can and enjoy the challenge. For my 35th birthday I ran my first 5K race and lost a little weight along the way.

But there is still a long way to go......