Classroom Envy

I have another confession.  I'm suffering from a bit of classroom envy.  There have been some spectacular posts and articles about updating classrooms to more student friendly set ups.  From bean bag chairs, to standing desks, to class couches, to rolling furniture, more and more teachers are finding ways to create comfortable classrooms for their students.  I would have loved options like that as a student.  Even as a teacher I get fidgety when stuck in one place for too long (depending on the day, this can mean a couple hours or ten minutes).  You'll often find me sitting criss-crossed and playing with anything nearby I can get my hands on.

There's one small problem though.  I teach band.  The nature of a performance ensemble doesn't really lend itself to many of the changes so many traditional classroom teachers are making.  In my previous position, I was getting my "learning space" fix by working to update the library.  However, I'm starting a new job in a new school and district.

Aside from having students design my bulletin boards (which was inspired by this post here) and eventually making some posters with music quotes or band memes, I'm really not sure how I can incorporate these principles into my own classroom.  I've rearranged student seating to circles and switched around rows on occasion, but that's about as far as I've made it.  While getting ready for the new year, I'd really love to find some ways to make my room a more student-friendly space.

And so I find myself here again asking your advice, Dear Reader.  If other classes can start ditching set-up norms that are pretty old-school, what are some ways to update a rehearsal space?  Can it even be done?  Or for the most part are we stuck with the horseshoe set up on chairs designed for promoting good student-musician posture?