The Best Laid Plans

 When the school year started, I had the best of intentions in sharing my experiences of navigating this school year. And then the school year happened. And my blogging didn't. So here are the Cliff's notes of what has happened since my Week 2 post back in September:

• We went back to school. And it was probably my least favorite teaching experience ever. No instruments. 90-120 minute classes. No technology for students. No books to utilize. No group work (understandably!). Kids in and out for quarantine. Me desperately song and dancing my way through those looooong classes trying to find ways to engage kids. Any time I wasn't at school I was researching movie music and trying to find ways to create a curriculum about it. All that plus the constant worry of getting sick and/or bringing it home to my family...I can't ever remember being so stressed as a teacher.
• While we were in school I wore an N95 mask, a colorful mask overtop, a face shield, and scrubs to save wear and tear on my good school clothes. I also put a big tape line down on the floor to force myself to keep my distance from my students, which I hated but was necessary. The second I came home, all my clothes went into a Rubbermaid tub and I went right to the shower. 
• Gotta say that I didn't hate wearing scrubs though. No worrying about what to wear, super comfy, TONS of pockets!
• Being F2F only lasted about a month before our community numbers rose so high so rapidly that we ended up being back to our remote set up. It was a weird feeling to be so relieved but also so guilty at my relief because it meant things were awful for others. 
• We've been remote since late November. We've used our band time to play instruments, but the number of cameras on has dwindled down to single digits in several classes. I have no idea what most of my kids are doing during our class time. Teaching blank boxes might be safer, but it's depressing and getting harder to stay "On."
• Our first ever Virtual Concert premiered last week! I am so proud of what our kids have accomplished. I was also a little proud of myself for literally learning video editing on the fly to put it together. It was crazy tedious and I don't even want to think of the hours spent on what amounted to an eight minute concert. It was wonderful to hear my kids "playing together" again. The first time I got the audio to line up on a chorale my 7th graders were playing, I burst into tears.

All of that brings us to today. We got the word this week that we're going to start back F2F soon and I'd be lying if that doesn't bring mixed feelings in a big way. Michigan's numbers are back closer to where we were in the fall, but the new variants of the virus are turning out to be even more highly contagious, especially among kids. I get my first vaccine in a couple of days, but my second one won't be until a couple weeks after we're back. And I got lucky because most of my friends and family who are eligible for this round of vaccinations still haven't been able to make appointments due to lack of availability.

And vaccinating teachers is great, BUT THERE ARE STILL KIDS IN THE BUILDING WHO CAN GET SICK TOO! We have NO idea what the long term impacts of this virus will be on kids. And kids who get sick can spread it to family and friends. If the UK is any indication, things may get significantly worse before they get better. 

Our new schedule helps me feel a little better. Classes will be shorter and students will no longer eat lunch in the building which means no more time spent unmasked. Our band PPE came in too which means we can play. Colleagues in other parts of the country have been playing while following safety measures, but again, the more highly contagious variants make me really nervous. What if all our steps aren't enough?

But again, I'd be lying if there's not a little part of me excited make music. By the time we're back at it, it will have been 11 months since the last time we played together. But that excitement feels selfish with all the risks that are out there right now, especially when we are so close to getting the necessary number of people vaccinated and trials for kids have started too. I've been back and forth between anticipation and anxiety more than I can say over the last week. 

So that's where we are right now. This coming week is a short one to kick off the new semester and the week after I'll move my tech back and start prepping for F2F. Maybe I'll even blog about things once we get started instead of waiting several months again. I'm finding out this year that planning more than a week ahead for just about anything is often a futile effort. 

Week 2

So I started this post yesterday (Sunday) and I was feeling fairly OK. But I think that line about feeling guilty about not being more stressed from last week's post came back to bite me.

I may have put on sad music this afternoon and sat alone at my teaching set up in the basement and cried. It was cathartic and I feel like I can think a little now, but Overwhelmed punched me in the gut today.

The morning started with a staff meeting where our superintendent shared that plans are in the works to start phasing in face to face instruction. While I figured this would happen eventually, I was really hoping for sometime later...like after a vaccine. I have all the same concerns I've felt for colleagues from afar, but now they're closing in for me too. Is it safe? For me? For my students? For my family who will inevitably be exposed to anything I come in contact with? For us to see our parents or other family or friends?

Additionally, how will class times be set up and how will I structure them. We are able to use our class time to play right now. It's over Zoom and the students are generally muted, but at least our scheduled time is used to work on instrumental skills. Assuming we will not be allowed to play together in person (which I am OK with from a safety standpoint!!!) when we go back face to face, how to keep things engaging for kids who signed up to play?

And then there's the Mom Guilt. So far I've been just this side of useless for my kid's virtual schooling. We opted to keep her home and do online school, but my husband (who is still working full time from home) has handled everything so far. We're working on setting up times to see some friends who are doing online schooling too, but seeing the Girl Scout troop she should have been a member of this year giggling and skipping off to a spot near our local library was another layer in the constant "are we doing the right thing?" cake.  

All the freaking out about the future aside, the past week wasn't bad. We started doing some playing "together" in Zoom on our Concert Bb and Eb scales. By playing together I mean, they muted themselves (and hopefully!) played along as I played. It was really nice to see my kids with instruments in their hands again and even offer some guidance. It's not fancy but it's helping us get into some kind of playing routine.

I've been doing daily attendance question so that I interact with every kid every day. In a regular class period, I'd never have the time, but with a 90 minute block I can make sure I get to connect with every kid. There are the occasional awkward moments when a there's some lag and I have to get a kid to repeat themselves a few times, but it's nice to have those quick conversations.

Every class also ends with me waving goodbye and letting them sign out. In every class so far, there has been at least one kid who's stuck around like they would at the end of a class to ask a question. Sometimes they just want to share something. Either way, it's been another opportunity to make sure students have a chance to reach out if needed.

Today and tomorrow are about getting students signed into SmartMusic thanks to the support of our community and district and figuring out the best way to utilize it in remote teaching as we see what the next week brings.

Week 1

Borrowing from my friend Joe Guarr, I want to try my best to document whatever ::gestures all around:: this is and will be as we navigate the school year.

First, our district is virtual through the end of September. Will we attempt to return to face to face on October 1? Insert shoulder shrug here. I honestly hope not, because I do not think things are going to get any better as the weather gets less friendly for outdoor activities. I'm really grateful that we not only started virtually, but that we've been given the option to teach from home or school. So many colleagues are not being treated as the professionals they are and it is absolutely infuriating. The idea that teachers need to be babysat to make sure they're "doing their jobs" is asinine. 

But in a weird juxtaposition of feelings, I'm also terribly jealous of colleagues who are getting to see kids and who have even made a some music with them. The logical part of my fully understands that not putting hundreds or even thousands of kids into a building during a pandemic is bad. I also understand that playing instruments together makes things exponentially more dangerous with an airborne virus. But my heart aches for the real connection over virtual and for the cacophonous sounds of middle schoolers making their first sounds (some for the first time in months some for the first time ever). 

I'm also experiencing a weird guilt about the fact I'm not more stressed out. While many of my friends and colleagues are teaching brand new classes and working 27 hours a day to make that happen, I'm teaching the same things I always have. It's very obviously going to look pretty different, but at least I'm not trying to figure out a new subject and/or totally new school while also figuring out how the heck to do it online. Also there's the fact that I still have a job and I'm in a district that supports music and is finding ways to help us safely engage our kids rather than cut it altogether like so many others have. I'm so so grateful, but also feel like I should be doing more.

Alllllll of that aside, it was so nice to see kids this week, even if it was over Zoom. My older students jumped right back in to chatting with each other like we'd never left and are looking forward to playing next week. My beginners were just so enthusiastic about everything it was hard not to be excited right along with them. Even though my icebreakers were a little bumpy due to forgetting about things like lag and working out pacing in this new set up, they were all patient and kind. I really wish more adults could take a page from their book in learning to show grace. 

Cliche as it may be, getting to interact with kids again helped the summer slog of meetings, researching ideas, saving links, and generally freaking out about everything feel much more worth the energy invested. 

Can vs. Should

Discussion of whether or not most states should even be returning to in person schooling aside, let's talk band.

After the preliminary results of the Colorado study came out Monday, there are a lot of brainstorming posts going on to create instrument "masks." But what about the emphasis on the importance of good ventilation when most schools are stuck with aging HVAC systems or don't even have windows? And a lack of ability to distance? And the fact that the study was done with adults with years of experience in playing and singing, not a sixth grader with no control over their instrument?  And even before that came out, there were a lot of discussions of finding whatever ways we can to work around restrictions to play again.

I'll admit it. I've been looking at ways to figure it all out too. I've found different masks (for faces and instruments) that can work with instruments and singing and sent a ton of links to our department chair. I've brainstormed about how we can do small groups if it's allowed. Every part of my soul craves the experience of standing in front of or sitting with musicians and making music together again.

But...

In talking to a good friend this morning, we were discussing ways to have kids play, but kept coming back to "if we have to find a loophole to make it happen, is it right?"

I've been to funerals for students, colleagues, and students' and colleagues' close family members over my twelve years of teaching. Those days have been some of the hardest of my life. Not just my career. My life. And I want no part of potentially causing the need for another.

And deaths aside, we have no idea the long term impacts of the virus. Will it come back around like shingles later on? Ever had shingles? Because that is not something I would wish on anyone. There are plenty of other viruses that stick around and will continue to cause lifelong issues too. Is COVID-19 one of them? We don't know yet.

So to paraphrase that great philosopher, Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in Jurassic Park, we're so busy figuring out if we can we're not considering if we should.

Being in school in person is going to be risky enough (and I'm in Michigan. I cannot fathom being a teacher in Florida right now and I'm sending you all lots of love). But it feels a lot like tempting what is apparently an angry Universe in 2020 by encouraging our students to participate in an activity that can actively aid in spreading the virus far more than "typical" activity. 

If we have to put a giant bag over an entire clarinet or a Crown Royal bag over a trumpet bell to make it safer, (not safe, just safer) then we shouldn't be playing yet. 

This is not forever. It may feel like it because there's no definable end in sight right now (it didn't have to be this way, but it's what we're stuck with...). But it's not forever. Hopefully things will look different later in the school year and a year from now, hopefully back to school will bring the usual excitement instead of crushing fear and anxiety.

We have to do what's best to help our students and ourselves right now to make it through to when we don't have to plot ways to play and sing and literally risk lives to do it.

An Abundance of Downtime

So everything is cancelled until further notice and we'll all be spending some a lot more time at home in the coming weeks to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The "abundance of caution," as we've all probably heard from local and national organizations is creating a lot of unplanned downtime for a lot of people, and rightfully so! It's important for everyone to take every precaution we can to protect our family, friends, and communities. These steps are our best options to help medical professionals keep control over a terrifying situation.

I live in Michigan where school has been closed for the next several weeks. Again, I understand why, but the prospect of basically staying home for at least month is a bit daunting.

So I'm coming up with some projects, one of which is asking for suggestions of music by diverse composers.

Last year some additional downtime due to the Polar Vortex found me writing this post which shared this spreadsheet that people kindly added music suggestions on for us to add to the MSBOA State List.

With some unexpected time available once again, I'd love to start gathering literature ideas from my music colleagues outside of Michigan! What is something awesome by a diverse and/or living composer your groups have played recently? Please share titles here.

Are you a teacher in Michigan and an MSBOA member? Sweet! Please fill out the MSBOA form here.

Most importantly, take care of yourselves. Follow CDC guidelines. And wash your hands.

And We're Not Going to Take It Anymore

There are a lot of people in the instrumental music world who are mad as hell right now. Making the calculated decision to use a pen name to deceive well meaning music educators seeking authenticity in multicultural music programming deserves anger.

But it also deserves action.

With the open secret no longer secret, more people are raising their voices in support of true diversity in music education works and I hope that the gate keeping publishers and organizations are finally starting to listen. With some of the events of this past weekend, it appears that may be so, but we can't let it stop here.

We don't have to wait for the major publishing companies to carry and promote diverse composers though. Make a commitment to finding and programming underrepresented composers. It can seem daunting, but there are some great resources that have already done a lot of the work including Jodie Blackshaw's list of band compositions by female composers and the Institute for Composer Diversity's databases.

Once again, we teach diverse students and they deserve to see and hear themselves in the music they make.

Unexpected Benefit

For the second summer in a row, our building is under some serious construction. The end of the year  has been a frenzy of packing and moving and storing to take care of our instruments and equipment while the building was under work.

But then, this weird thing has happened. I couldn't go in to work over the summer. No library organizing. No jump on copies and paperwork. No inventory rechecks. No room set up or decorating.

I know a lot of that sounds terrifying. And I'll admit some of it was and will be again to start this fall.

But it's also been freeing. I've had to take my summer off.

That's not to say I haven't done some computer work. But it's been done on my couch, the deck, or my porch.

The further I get into my career, the more I'm finally realizing, it's OK to actually take time away. It's OK to set an away message on your email. It's OK to go days or weeks without doing anything school related. It's OK to not be planning or prepping yet.

So often we feel the need to justify our summers off by talking about the work we do, the classes we take, the set up for the coming year, but I think we need to stop justifying. The school year is busy. And as music educators, we have a lot of outside school commitments. Summer is for recharging. And not just talking about it, but actually doing it.

With summer break being just past half over here in Michigan, I'm just about ready to get back at it after time away. Who'd have thought that I'd end up being grateful for a situation that initially caused so much panic?

Progress!

For those playing along at home, I had a moment (embarrassingly, much more recently than I'd like to say) where I used female pronouns in relation to the composer whose music we were rehearsing. That sparked a moment where I realized that nearly everything I'd ever done with students was by a male composer. More on that and our Who We're Playing board here.

After my first board, we were able to have a slightly more expanded one with far more composers from a variety of backgrounds. With the first one being rather monochromatic, this was an improvement. Even better was when students were actually gathered around it and scanning the QR codes!

Following that came some further discussions and a lot of it centered around "The List" for ensembles to select required pieces for Festival/Contest/MPA/etc. So many of us rely on The List for repertoire ideas not just for Festival but performances year round as well. That brought me to this.

There were a lot of excellent suggestions (both Jodie Blackshaw's site and the Institute for Composer Diversity were GREAT resources to find ideas!) added to the Google Sheet that I was able to pass on to our State VP for Music Selection. Traditionally music suggestions have been submitted through a printed form in our state yearbook, so I was grateful he took a spreadsheet as it streamlined the whole process a lot. After I sent it on, he asked if I'd like to be a part of the Music Selection Committee which I was thrilled to do!

Our meeting started at 9:30 and we had the daunting task of reviewing nearly 140 pieces of music! I admit I was basically useless for the first hour or so as we listened to orchestra music. My one semester of strings my freshman year of college is getting further and further away. It was fascinating to listen to though and just listening to my orchestral colleagues discuss things, was able to learn a bit.

Going through the process with those who'd done it before was interesting. While I've learned through experience what approximate grade levels something would be classified as under MSBOA, the conversations were enlightening. For example, while an overall piece might considered a Class C or D, the presence of significant solos often bumped it a level.

Another conversation revolved around the idea that while we might have loved a piece, it might not be appropriate for The List. Works with extended aleatoric sections leave A LOT of room for interpretation that could be challenging for a rated performance. Another issue was music that required electronic instruments. One committee member brought up the fact that her older auditorium has almost no access to outlets onstage. Unfortunately this made it hard to add pieces by composers like Alex Shapiro even if we really liked the music. A different piece required a grand piano not just to be played traditionally but for additional effects that can only be done with a grand.

Around 4PM, after nearly eight hours of critical listening, here's what we ended up adding! The majority of everything added for band was by minority composers and all outstanding literature. I'm so honored to have been a part of the committee and excited for the step towards diversity MSBOA took. I'm particularly grateful to Matt Shephard, the VP for Music Selection who enthusiastically encouraged the mass suggestion of pieces and dove headfirst into sorting through them all with the committee last week.

It felt good to be a part of a progressive step forward in a real way rather than just talking about an issue! The List has so much power in so many ways when it comes to whose music is and is not played. Taking steps toward diversifying it will hopefully have a positive impact for a long time to come and I'm proud to be part of an organization that is making such positive waves!

THANK YOU again to everyone who contributed music recommendations!!!!!

Looking ahead, I'd love to learn more about how other organizations update their Lists. Please share what your state's process is so we can start helping each other make updates!

What I Did on My (Impromptu) Winter Break

In case you were living under a rock (which was still likely warmer than much of the Midwest), Michigan and surrounding states were smacked in the face by the Polar Vortex. Considering that the extreme cold came just after a snowstorm on Monday, we had most of last week off which left me with some time for some projects.

The week off came just after our state music conference which featured more sessions on diversity, equity, and inclusion than I ever remember occurring before! Because self-awareness is always a work in progress, it also featured performances from instrumental groups, including the All State ensembles, playing pieces by entirely men and few, if any, composers of color. The performances were outstanding, and I honestly enjoyed all the selections, but it really felt like a lot of missed opportunities.

After last year's personal revelation that my lack of awareness was part of the problem, it's become something I can't unsee. Programs of all white, all male, often dead composers are very much the norm from beginning band concerts to performances from the best high school instrumentalists in the state and our students deserve better.

All this got my wheels spinning about composer diversity again and brought me back to conversations regarding state lists for Band Festival (MPA, Contest, etc). Trying to program pieces for Festival from diverse composers is challenging. I know because I ran head first into the issue this year. Finding pieces from women or composers of color that also fit our ensembles was just this side of impossible. Neither of my groups are playing a required piece by an underrepresented composer because there were so few to choose from. They're actually all playing works by Carol Brittin Chambers, but one group is playing a march and the other is taking one as our selected which does not have to come from the Basic Music List (BML).

The BML is full of great pieces of band literature. It also serves as a great tool to help directors choose music for their groups. After spending both high school and college playing upper level lit for large ensembles with full instrumentation, I had no idea where to start choosing music for 19 students in a 9-12 Band. The BML gave me ideas on pieces, composers, and levels of music that would be accessible for my students.

However, it is definitely lacking much in the way of diversity. Last year I missed the deadline to recommend music to our state organization for the BML. This year I'm getting a jump start on it though and attempting to crowd source suggestions too by sharing this Google Sheet of pieces by underrepresented composers to pass on to the BML Committee. I know there are great resources out there such as The Institute for Composer Diversity and Jodie Blackshaw's list. But to have something added, our state organization needs specific titles. I've been living in the same grade levels of music for a while now, so getting some ideas from people outside the middle school band world would be outstanding. Several people have already added to the list and I'd love for more to join in! If you know of any level piece for band or orchestra on your own state list or something you've played that would make a good addition, please share in the comments or send me an email suggestion. I'll check it out and get it added. Or if you're a Michigan teacher, please add it right to the spreadsheet!

All this has also kicked me in the butt on getting our Who We're Playing display going. It's not quite what I envisioned, and nobody's going to Pinterest this one, but it's there now. I'm proud of our selections all being by living composers and each group working on a piece by a woman...but they're all doing pieces by the same woman. And our current composers are a little monochromatic. Seeing them all up there is really providing some accountability for me and I've already got my eye on some pieces so that we can do better for the spring.

Representation matters. Through working to change things in my own little corner of the Band Universe and collaborating with others to update our BML, hopefully more and more students can identify with the composers whose music they're performing. Please consider adding a selection to the Google Sheet above or sending me a suggestion. The smartest person in the room is the room. Help make our room more inclusive.

What a Privilege

In two hours, we'll be hosting our instrument rental night and within a week, nearly 200 new
instrumentalists will begin making music in band or orchestra along with another 200 vocalists who've joined choir.

There is always the feel of "what could be" at the start of a new school year. But there is something special about getting to start young musicians on their track. There is so much potential and it's an honor to get to be at the start of their musical path.

Who knows where it will take them?

Maybe they'll become professional musicians.

Maybe they'll get to travel and perform all over.

Maybe they'll never pick up an instrument again after high school, but have great stories of all the experiences they had.

Maybe they'll make sure their own kids sign up for a performance class someday because of how much they enjoyed their own time in school.

Maybe they'll become music educators themselves.

Maybe they'll choose a career path that has nothing to do with music, but perform in the local community band or choir.

Maybe they'll never really get into playing their instrument or singing, but will make lifelong friends.

Maybe they'll write amazing works that we'll someday be purchasing to perform with new generations of musicians.

Maybe they'll become outstanding advocates of the arts in their communities.

Maybe they'll absolutely hate it, but that realization will guide them toward something they are passionate about.

Maybe.

But no matter where it takes them, what a privilege to be a part of the beginning.

In a Nutshell...

Somebody (quietly points to self) has been slacking. There's been a lot of stuff happening over the last six weeks or so that I would usually blog about. But a couple of things on this list overtook a lot of brain power and focus. Also, a lot of these are things we've had in place for a couple of years now so this year has been about continuing to refine instead of create.

And so, here is the abbreviated version of the end of my school year:

We attended State Band Festival.

• After this year, I swore off State Festival forever. The added stress of this performance on the time of year is just too much. Instead of prepping for our Spring Concert, we were trying to focus on this one. Students were burnt out on the music. Many were unable to attend on a Saturday afternoon in the spring due to travel league sports competitions. Our Spring Concert was not at all as clean as it should have been. However, MSBOA has recently revamped the State Festival process so if we qualify next year, I'll consider it try out the new clinic experience they're offering, but the time of year is still less than ideal.

Students taught and conducted a piece.

• Again, State Festival really messed with this process. Last year we had a lot more fun with it and could take the time to refine. This year felt very rushed with only two weeks between Festival and our Spring Concert. The kids did well and our conductor was excellent, but I felt bad that it was not the level of performance it could or should have been due to focusing energies elsewhere.

We had our annual Chamber Music Night.

• Two years of tweaking made this the most musical Chamber Night we've had so far. Very few nervous giggle and train wrecks. Students were better prepared and the pieces for them to play are improving each year as we refine the requirements for the high school composers. Next year we're going to try having them write pieces in more of a "flex band" style. In keeping this a more informal event and more of an intro to small group playing, we let them choose their ensembles. This can cause issues for the kids who want to play with their alto sax or bass clef friends though. Flex style arrangements will hopefully give students the opportunity to play with friends more easily.
• Mother Nature was highly uncooperative and it poured all afternoon and evening which really put a damper on our outdoor performance. However, thanks to some help and hard work from the high school, their auxiliary gym was decorated with drama props to give us a "park" feel. We had a couple of park benches, flowers (some donated real and some props), even some lamp posts and kites around! Families still brought lawn chairs and blankets and we topped it off with a food truck from a local restaurant with some tasty pizza and gelato. It wasn't what we originally planned, but it came together really well and everyone still had a lot of fun.

We started and finished our Genius Hour projects.

• We changed it up a little this year and did Gallery Walks instead of traditional presentations. For the most part, students enjoyed the set up more. They got to show their work for other students and teachers and since it was less formal it eased some of the anxiety some experience from presenting. It was also a lot of fun connecting to some other classes doing Genius Hour projects at the same time. We were able to share with students at an International School overseas as well as students in a different part of the state. I want to formalize our interactions with other students a little more next year. If we're able to connect with another class, it will be part of their requirements to comment on others' blog posts. Learning to connect outside their own school environment is one of my favorite things about Genius Hour.

My sister got married.

• Not school related, but it was still a big deal and one of those extras that I was focused on! Not only was I MOH, my daughter was (the most adorable ever) flower girl. Lots of planning, get togethers, dinners, and fun to be had all around. The wedding was wonderful and I'm super happy for my sister and her new husband.

I packed my entire room up for summer construction.

• One of the many reasons I'm fortunate to be a part of the district I'm in is that a major bond passed a couple years ago. One of the big aspects of the bond included some serious building updates and renovations. Our building is part of the second major wave of construction and the band and choir room are some of the first on the list. Construction basically started days after school got out and is scheduled to be wrapped up just before the school year starts (fingers crossed!!!). This meant that every instrument and piece of equipment that wasn't bolted to a wall or floor had to be inventoried and marked to be moved out of the room. It was quite an undertaking to make sure everything was tagged and accounted for so that it makes it back to our room when construction is done. The room itself may not look all that different come fall, but with new lighting and an updated HVAC system it'll be more comfortable and efficient!

We held interviews for the a new part time orchestra teacher to get our new string program started.

• Another reason I'm grateful and proud to be part of our district is that they're expanding instead of limiting music options! Starting in the fall, 6th graders will be able to take orchestra. Since the choir teacher and I have full schedules already, we had to hire someone to get our program started. I'm glad the music staff got to be a part of the process and I'm excited for the additional opportunities we'll be able to offer future students as well as having another music colleague to collaborate with.

I accepted my first full time student teacher and will be starting with her in the fall.

• While I've had several field placement students over the last couple of years, this will be my first time working with a full time student teacher. However, she'll only be full time for half the semester as she's finishing her student teaching in a different country which will leave her with an international certification when she's done. So that she has as many chances to get in front of kids as possible for the six weeks she'll be with us, it's definitely going to speed up the typical timeline, but I'm looking forward to learning with her and examining my own practice along the way.

I had LASIK.

• Again, not necessarily school related, but it will make my life as a musician on both sides of the baton much easier! With some pretty severe nearsightedness, I hated conducting and playing with glasses. Both made it hard to see both my music and what was going on around me. But I could only wear contacts for a short period before wanting to forcibly remove my eyes right along with the lenses. The surgery was less than a week ago, but I'm really enjoying the novelty of no more lenses of any type in order to function as they continue to heal and clarify. 

And that's the end of the school year in a nutshell or two. We're a week into summer break and as always I'm looking forward to the chance to rest, recharge, hang with my daughter, do some learning, and prepare for the coming school year! 

#WhoWerePlaying

I had an odd moment a while prepping for our Spring Concert. For the first time since playing Anne McGinty's Red Balloon several years ago, I used female pronouns in reference to the composer of a piece we're working on (Julie Giroux's March of the Sun-Dried Tomatoes was a blast, by the way!). I pointed out that odd feeling to my students, and they were even more surprised because in their time of being members of our band, they'd never played a piece written by a woman.

That's on me.

Big time.

It shouldn't seem out of the ordinary to play instrumental music written by a female composer. It should be a norm. I'm sure the argument about "good music for the sake of good music" will come up. And this is not meant in any way to discount music written by men. I've played plenty of outstanding compositions on both sides of the baton written by men and will continue to do so.

However, for a long time, only men were allowed to write and publish music. Which in turn inspired more male composers. Which has perpetuated a cycle of undoubtedly excellent male composers, and very little else.

What about the girls who now can write and publish their own music? How often do they see someone who inspires them to pursue that passion? How many creative voices are silenced before they even get the chance to start because they don't relate to the people writing the music they play?

We're 50% of the population, but look at the spring band concert programs being shared this time of year (mine included!) and check the percentage of female composers listed.

Just as important is doing a better job for my students of color. They deserve to see and hear music written by people who look like them. The cyclical pattern is just as prevalent there. I have no doubt that we've missed out on countless musical experiences based only on the fact that the people who might have created them didn't have the "right" skin color, ethnicity, religion, etc.

And so rather than getting and staying frustrated, I'm going to do something about it. Thanks to suggestions from friends and this list on Jodie Blackshaw's site, I've found a large number of pieces written by great variety of female composers that are accessible for my middle school students. I hope to have each ensemble play a piece by a female composer for each concert next year. Admittedly, I gained a head start on this list thanks to a district grant to update our middle school band libraries, but some purchases will still need to be made.

I need some help though! I'd like to do the same for composers of color, but have not found as centralized a listing as the one for female band composers. I'm looking for some Grade 1-3 title suggestions that we can add to our library. Please share ideas, leads, recommendations!!!

Next year we will have a "Who We're Playing" display outside the band room with a picture of each composer, the title of the piece, and a QR linking to the composer's site or bio. Even without an extensive discussion on the background of each the composers, students will be able to see and learn about who wrote the music we're playing.

I'd like others to join us as well! Share what your students are working on with the #WhoWerePlaying tag next year (don't worry, I'll repost but I know people need time to start looking for music).

Representation matters. Let's change the implied messages our students are getting about who does and does not or who can and can not write music. Not because that music isn't worth playing, but because all of our students deserve ensemble experiences where their creative voice feels valued too.

addendum:

Here are composers added to our library this last year as part of a grant from The Rochester Community Schools Foundation:

• Julie Giroux
• Jodie Blackshaw
• Quincy Hilliard
• William Owens
• Carol Brittin-Chambers
• Sarah Smith
• Yukiko Nishimura

Here's a really useful listing of pieces by women and minority composers shared with me after posting this blog in various places.

Another great resource list for female and minority composers!

Also, The Composer Diversity Project launched in June 2018! It is an AMAZING resource!

Adjudication Adventures

I completed my Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) adjudicator training last December, with the thought that next school year I might hopefully pick up a few middle school judging gigs. Middle school kids are my people and I'm a few years away from my prime playing days where I was regularly practicing and performing the level of music that high school students can play.

Imagine my surprise when I was contacted in January for a high school job on February 3!

Surprise. Excitement. Anticipation. Hesitation. Crippling self doubt. You know, the normal feelings for a first job.

I'm grateful for good friends who were encouraging and reminded me that, regular playing gap aside, I'm still a professional music educator with 20+ years of playing experience and 15 years of teaching flute. Even with the inhumanly outstanding players that will occasionally be assigned my section, there's going to be something I can offer them. And if I can't, I can certainly send them on to the next level (State Festival) to gain feedback from a more experienced judge who can. We all have to start somewhere and what better time than now to take the leap?

Once I got going, the butterflies quickly subsided and I had a blast! It was a lot of fun working with older musicians than my usual crowd and lots of flute technique tips I hadn't thought about in years came back with ease. My room chairperson had only good feedback for me, which I appreciated but I did come across some things I need to keep in mind for next time:

• I talk too much. I got in a better groove as the day went on, but I was trying to verbally go over everything I'd written. For time's sake (and the sake of their likely overloaded post-performance brains) I need to cut it down.
• While I'd rather err on the side of too nice rather than too stringent, there were a couple ratings at the end of the day that I think I went the wrong direction on. It always went in the students' favor, but after talking with some more experienced adjudicators, I found myself questioning how much I really helped students by doing so. 
• Layers. Buildings have weird heat settings on the weekends and the bulk of Solo and Ensemble season directly coincides with Michigan winter. It was hours before I finally got my shoulders away from my ears after hunching up from being cold all day. 
• My hand hurt at the end of the day from writing so much. I love my mechanical pencils, but may have to find something where I'm not pressing so hard when writing all day. Being warmer might help me be less tense though too.

I cannot overstate just how much I enjoyed spending my day focused on the first instrument that reeled me into music education in the first place! Here's hoping it's the first of many, many more to come!

Unwritten Rules

There are a lot of rules for attending Festival (Contest, Assessment, etc), and many are in relation to music selection. Things like:

• A march is required
• Music must be chosen from the list related to your school classification size

There are also basic rules of good performances to take into account:

• Choose contrasting styles
• Pick a variety of keys
• Select music that plays to the ensemble's strengths

But then there are the unwritten rules of attending band festival related to selecting music. And that's where I've been hung up this year. I considered taking Erickson's classic Air For Band with my 8th Graders this year. They needed something lyrical both because it's a good contrast for our other selections, but also because it pushes them as musicians. 

But it's on that unwritten rule list of Pieces Not to Take, especially with young musicians. It's one that everyone knows well and has their own idea on when it comes to interpretation. Additionally, it could even come across as cocky to perform a piece like that with such a young group, regardless of its placement on our classification list. 

While we don't attend Festival for the ratings, let's be honest and say it certainly doesn't hurt to do well. Students feel successful after earning a higher rating and it sets the tone for the rest of the year as well as boosting recruitment for the coming year. Choosing a piece that is so well known could make for a challenging experience, and not necessarily in a good way.

I debated for days as to whether to take the piece for its inherent value and take a chance on our overall outcome or go with something "safer" to help set them up for a better experience in the long run. And then I'd bristle at the idea of "safer" because what kind of example does it set when I tell students to set high goals and try new things, but then won't do it with them? Are we in it for the experience of performing and gaining feedback from other musicians or for the rating?

While debating, I asked for alternative suggestions to see if something else stood out. A friend sent several, including Ticheli's Earth Song. When reading the lyrics to the original choral work made me cry, the choice was made for me.

The music is still very challenging and is going to require some serious focus and musical maturity, and I feel very comfortable in the selection. I especially like that our lyrical selection actually has lyrics that we can use as we explore the phrasing and expression. However, I know that there will be times in the future when I hit this issue again, and there still won't be an easy answer.

It Was Me

I was one of those directors that an adjudicator brought up to our Solo and Ensemble coordinator today. "Who's the director at Hart? Some of the kids seemed a little confused today."

Even though the coordinator approached me without an ounce of judgement, I was immediately feeling defensive. Nobody likes feeling like they didn't prepare their kids or communicate well with families, including me.

Information about original copies, arriving early, warm up vs performance rooms felt like it was communicated ad naseum. But he said something that stuck once I got over my initial embarrassment. Sometimes we've shared this information so many times, we forget about some of the basic stuff.

Stuff like how to figure out where to go once they get there. Stuff like reminding them they still need their own copy of the music as well as the judge's score. Stuff like going to the medals table with their medal card to actually get the medal. Stuff that feels like common sense after going to S&E for 20 (ish) years.

It can't be "common sense" if they've never gone before though. This is new for them and their nerves and excitement take over, keeping them from absorbing or remembering what is discussed in class.

Even though most of the day's groups did well, I need to do better to prevent kids from having a harder day because of me.

I wasn't playing or even working, but Solo and Ensemble was a learning event for me today too. Next time I'll do better to set my kids up for better experiences.

Learning the Hard Way

Early in my career, a student came up to me after class to say she couldn't make Band Festival because she was going to her mom's for the weekend. We were performing in days.

She was a 7th grader and since this was her first time, I tried to impress on her how this is a different kind of performance, how important she was to the group (she was one out of three clarinets in a band just shy of 25), and went through some logistical options so that she could leave as soon as we completed our performance to go to her mom's. I also reminded her that our official date and performance time had been shared weeks before, the potential dates were shared in our calendar that came out months before, and that this was a required performance as part of her grade.

All of this was said in best "teacher explanation" voice I could muster so close to our performance date. No yelling. Not angry. She left smiling and seemed confident she could make some alterations to her schedule that would allow her to still perform. 

Shortly after our conversation, I got a phone call from her mom. I've had some unpleasant conversations with parents in my ten years. Some have left me shaken up. This was the only one that's made me cry.

This parent took my discussion with her daughter as being manipulative. She yelled. She questioned my integrity as not only a teacher, but as a person. She was angry that the school didn't send extra sets of everything to her because her ex didn't tell her anything. I barely got a few sentences in to try and explain. Nothing I said was going to change her mind though. Her daughter would not be attending the performance and made it very clear she didn't give a damn about whether I docked her grade.

It was written in the syllabus that performances were mandatory and that "legitimate non-emergency" excuses had to be submitted at least three weeks out from the performance. The policy was well-intentioned. It was what I'd grown up with. It was meant to prevent situations just like this where students had to adjust parts only days before a performance. But I hadn't yet figured out that saying "what's fair isn't always equal."

I'm ashamed to say that I lowered her grade. I tried to help by giving her a 50% instead of an outright 0, but that didn't make it feel any better. 

This encounter is the first thing that comes to mind every time the conversation about make up assignments for missed performances comes up. It's an almost weekly conversation on the Band Director's Facebook Group. The first suggestion to come up is usually an extensive writing assignment. Some offer no make up option at all and fail the student. Some get into details on syllabus wording and what's considered "excused" before determining if a student should have a make up opportunity at all.

It's true that a performance is not an experience that you can replicate for an individual student. But the make up should have something to do with performing. A long paper seems punitive far more than educational. And offering no make up at all fails to take into account that we teach kids. 

Kids whose schedules are at the discretion and mercy of their parents. Kids who just plain screw up and miss things. Kids who might be in high school but are pretty much raising themselves and their car breaks down. Kids whose families schedule vacations without checking the school/performance schedule. Kids whose families don't prioritize music and school like we feel it should be. And yes, kids whose parents use them as a tug of war rope in their relationship and custody issues. 

Students who miss performances play through their concert music for me on their own. Usually it's after school, but sometimes on their lunch. No rubric. They just play it straight down for full performance credit. That's it. Performance for a performance. Honestly, the awkwardness of the experience is enough to deter most kids from wanting to do it at all or again, even though I do try to make them comfortable before playing.

There are certainly times I'm frustrated by a student's absence and the issues it can cause for other kids. There are also times I question the "emergency" that comes up. But as a colleague once said, I'm not in the business of determining and debating what's "legitimate." There are other things to spend my energy on.

I've since left that district, and that student is probably close to graduating if not already in college. I wish I could apologize to her for how I handled the entire situation. But then I could tell her that the experience led me to change my entire approach to missed performances and has prevented a lot of students after her from being negatively impacted by my policies.

Teachers still need to learn and change. Even we  have to do it the hard way just like their students.

Pain in the Brass

Yep. I went there with the title and I'm going to roll with it.

I have a brass problem and I need help. I knew it wasn't great, but until one of my field placement students from the local university asked about the ratio of woodwinds to brass recently, I started admitting it. Our overall numbers are good, but woodwinds vastly outnumber our brass.

We had well over 30 trumpet players in 6th Grade Band last year. 7th Grade now has nine. There were six solid trombones in the 7th Grade Band last year. There is one now, and he moved into the district over the summer. And of our five baritone/euphonium players in 7th grade, exactly 0 remained for 8th Grade Band this year.

I use a baritone and trombone as my demo instruments fairly regularly. Last year we played things like Brass in the Basement and In the Valley of the Ancients so that the low brass and winds weren't stuck with typical lines. With my sister being a tuba play throughout much of high school and part of college, I really do try and pay regular attention to them.

Help.

To aid our solo trombone, the trumpets in 8th grade band will be rotating in on baritone throughout the year. (THANK YOU to my awesome colleagues for the idea!) I'd like to not need that band-aid (hahaha...band aid...music puns are the best) though in the long run so I need to do better.

What are some ways you engage your brass? What tricks do you use for low brass retention? Middle school repertoire suggestions? Please throw this flute player a bone!

QR Code Inventory

As my students did their Genius Hour projects this year, I've been working on my own. It's something I've wanted to do for a while and was inspired by a post on doing a QR Inventory in the Band Director Group on Facebook. I didn't follow what was shared there exactly, but it was a great spring board for how to make this work in the way I imagined using Google Drive and QRs. It's been tedious, but so worth it. I checked out an instrument to a student with nothing but my phone today!

Here are the nuts and bolts:

• First is one master inventory folder.

• Within those instrument group folders are sub folders for each individual instrument. The QR links back to these individual folders. The green folders are instruments that are checked out to students right now. To change the color, either right click the folder or, if you're on a mobile device, click the three dots on the folder, then select Change Color. Each folder is named with the brand and serial number.

• Each individual instrument folder has yet more sub folders for pictures (to track instrument condition), repair slips, and a Google Sheet with the instrument check out information such as Student name, case number, date the instrument agreement was handed in, any accessories in the case, etc. Pictures taken can be added to Drive through the app on a mobile device.

• Once all of the folders and sub folders are created, this magic extension will populate a Google Sheet with the links to each of the sub folders! I use the URL option. Use the link to the Instrument Group folder and it will give you a sheet with the sub folders for that instrument.

• It makes a folder of folders into this!

• From there, this QR Generator will create a page of QR codes from the column of links. 

• The QR codes can then be printed and attached to the instrument cases. Through the sharing settings on the folder, I am the only one who can access the information when the QR is scanned to protect student information. After downloading the Google Sheets app, the spreadsheet can be edited from my phone.

Voila! A QR inventory system!

Now to check the instrument in/out I just scan the QR, update the Sheet, and change the folder color!

Hopefully this made sense, but I'm happy to elaborate and clarify if needed! It's always a little different when describing the process for someone else than it was going through it at the time. Thoughts? Questions? Additions?

Return of #GeniusHour Part 3

Progress! Students are working hard on their projects. This year seems to be going better than last, and a lot of that has to do with having a better idea of how to get students rolling and laying out clearer expectations. There's a greater variety in what they're working on this year as well (we'd LOVE it if you leave them a few comments!!!) Last year, all students were limited to relating their project to music. Because the 8th Graders have done this process once though, they had the option of anything related to the arts.

I am running into a few more engagement issues this year than last. The first time, I had them in the media center to work on projects less often so work was more focused. However, most students said last year that more time would have really helped. We've been in there pretty much exclusively over the last week and a half though, so there's less of a drive to get things done in the time we're here. Next year will need some revamping of our time and possibly steering more towards calling these Passion Projects instead of Genius Hour.

Next week will be focused on putting together presentations and practicing them!

For my inventory project, I have almost all of our instruments into the new system and with going through this process, I also have a better idea of my repair priority list too. Next week's goal will be finding the remaining straggling instruments still at students' homesprinting and attaching all of the QR codes. I'm really excited with how this is turning out and am looking forward to creating a "how to" post that others might be able to utilize to set up their own QR inventory.

To share my process with students (since I'm doing a project along with them), I'm thinking an infographic might work out. It will have information including a breakdown of how many instruments, how many of each type, links and resources I used, etc.

Two weeks to go!

Return of #GeniusHour Part 2

Student projects are already starting to take shape and I've gotten to start working on my inventory project as well.

Student projects:

• We've started blogging! Building on last year's experiences, I wrote this post to help provide guidelines for writing blog posts. (Thank you to Aubrey Yeh for sharing and helping me gain some feedback to share with students!!!) From reading through what they've shared so far, it does seem to be helping. Blogs were a big thing I wanted to improve on from last year and they're looking better already. The students would LOVE some feedback on their writing and projects. Please check out their posts and leave a comment. It would be really cool if you mention where you're from in the comment too!
• There's a pretty interesting array of projects being worked on so far. Since the 8th Graders did this last year with a focus around anything musically related, we opened up to anything in the arts. Some students are excited to be working on things that interest them even more than what they were able to do last year.
• With two weeks of in class working left, time is going to go faster than they realize. I'm going to get the presentation sign up posted for them next week so that they can start planning accordingly.

My project:

• I've actually started getting instruments added to the inventory I laid out here. This is going to be a challenge as tedium is not a strong suit for me. However, it needs to be done and will be a huge help in the long run.
• Our district technology specialists came through big time and found me an extension to add links to the folders I create to a Sheet! From there I'll use another extension to create the QR codes. 
• I'm really wishing I had a label maker to do the QRs as I go along. Things could start to get confusing when instruments I haven't made it to yet get added to those I have. Right now I'm going to focus on getting everything into the system and doing the QR's at the end. 
• Borrowing a cart so that I can move instruments down to the media center as the students are working is going to be a must if I want to get this done in time. Time to talk with the custodians to see what I can use for a bit.
• I am planning on presenting at the end too since I'm following along with the project guidelines the students are following. Since I gave them such a hard time about Thinking Outside the Powerpoint, I really want to come up with a fun way to share on a not particularly fun subject. I'm open for ideas on a cool way to present my learning!