ONE SMALL “YES”

I began teaching music in the fall of 1995. The following year, I took over the small band program at the middle school with orders from the principal to “try to grow the program.” Item number 354 that a college education did not prepare me for. In a school of kids grades 6-8, there was a population of more than 900 students. Less than 50 played an instrument. There was one group and what I constantly heard from the kids were things like: “This is boring. We never play FUN music.” I also quickly realized that having one group made choosing music that wasn’t too easy for 8th grade, while not being too hard for 6th grade was going to pose a significant challenge.

Never mind any of that stuff. At that point, band was looked on as a pathetic activity that only hard core BAND GEEKS did as a hobby with other nerds. I knew that I had to change the atmosphere, the attitude, and most importantly…..build a community.

First, a community where kids felt safe to express themselves, and second, a community where the kids respected each other and gained confidence in being a good human. Obviously, having fun and learning music were important traits as well, but band and music would serve as the vehicle to improving self worth, while learning and sharing music as an art. As I look back, I realize now that building community is everything.

Early in my second year of teaching, a shy young lady, who was in the music class offered to the students that don’t wish to sing, or play an instrument, came to see me during a study period. She told me that she was thinking about trying to play trumpet but wasn’t sure. I let he know that she didn’t even need an instrument or and skills to “give it a shot.” I also told her that I would never throw anyone into the band class without first trying the trumpet out in the most stress free environment that I could set up. I wrote her a hall pass (remember those??) and told her to come and see me the next day, where I would have a sterile instrument (with a new mouthpiece) waiting. In order to grow the program, I had convinced our instrument rental company to leave me extra instruments at school so kids could try them out cost free for a while without worry. What happened next is a story that I still tell people to this day. Hey look, I’m telling all of you right now, loyal readers…

She came to my classroom and got a sound, which is the first goal of playing any instrument. Good sound, bad sound, doesn’t matter. Learn how to hold the thing, breathe somewhat close to properly, start with decent posture and let it rip. No sheet music, no metronome (the clicking thing that all musicians practice with….unless you play B3, then it’s just hopeless), just get some sound. This young lady had a decent sound and wasn’t afraid to try different notes and have fun. I don’t remember if I gave her an 8th grade mentor or if that came later. I DO remember that she was confident enough to join band that spring after playing for a couple of months on her own. She fit in with the group socially and quickly was playing better than other members of the trumpet section. By the time she reached grade 8, I had convinced the administration that we needed an “advanced band” and a “beginning band” which would be everyone I grade 6. Pro tip: Never mind my philosophy pitch to the administration that this would be best for the kids skills as I told them that we don’t put kids studying calculus in the same class as kids learning to add…..they didn’t bite on any of that. No, they let me have two bands when I told them that I now had almost 70 kids and they couldn’t fit in the band room all at once without causing a fire hazard. THEN they split the classes…..

So, on this young lady went in the advanced band in grade 8 and also took a shot at after school jazz band, which I had just started. She ate it all up and told me that she would continue to play in high school. I was proud of her work ethic and her skills, but thought that 8th grade would be the last I saw of her, as it went with most of the kids. Moving on.

She came to see my again when she was in grade 10 and informed me that she wanted to switch to percussion, take lessons with me outside of school and had a goal of auditioning for, and making the New Hampshire All-State Band (yes, my fellow colleagues!) before she graduated high school. We began weekly lessons at my home studio and she excelled on drum set, her reading, improvisation, as well as timpani (the big kettle drums) and mallets. (all well rounded percussionists should learn mallets to better understand melody and harmony)…..

The following year, this young lady told me that she was thinking about majoring in music in college with a focus on becoming a music teacher. I told her exactly what my drum teacher told me many years before: Well then, we have work to do. One hour lessons and more advanced material. As soon as you walk into a University to audition, your name will be attached to mine, and I want you to be as well-prepared as I can possibly imagine. Meanwhile, the middle school band had now been split into 3 groups (grade 6 band, grade 7 band, and grade 8) and we were nearing 100 kids total. I had another teacher doing band along with me, and the high school had started an intern career program for seniors who could leave the high school every other day to shadow a job site. This young lady chose to come back to the middle school and work with the band kids as well as learn about lesson plans, time management, special education, and other nuts and bolts of being a teacher ALL while building community.

She did great. She went to college, studied music education and I was like a proud father the day I watched her present her senior recital, playing multiple percussion pieces in front of faculty, students, family and friends. Musicians will tell you that the senior recital is a rite of passage and a big deal.

It didn’t take long for her to get a job teaching band in her own right. I tried to guide her the way I was guided and I even suggested that she complete her student teaching with one of my biggest mentors in the profession. I instilled in her that it’s all about building community and as long as the kids know that they are respected, valued and feel safe, they can and will achieve things that they never thought possible. I watched it happen with this young lady over the years. I became close with her family, and I was not prepared for WHERE she would get her first teaching job: the same district where I taught. Not only that, but she would be teaching the beginning band kids in grade 5 and sending them up to me! Full circle. Building community.

For over a decade, she encouraged thousands of elementary kids to pick up instruments, play, have fun, feel safe and valued and grew her own community. When she was finished instructing them for the school year, they came to the middle school where my partner Nikki (after Joanne….shout out to eyes and ears!) and I were running a program that at its height, included close to 250 kids making music. It was an army. It was great. Sometimes we had cupcakes. Every year, we played Sleighride (I still can’t listen to it at Christmas without thinking about the band arrangement).

She expanded her community by also working with disabled kids to teach them about music, and she was able to fit in a couple of kindergarten classes as well. In 2019, one of her kindergarten classes included my oldest son. Full circle moment. Community brain blowing complete. Thousands of kids…one of them mine…..just because she asked me once upon a time if she could try to play the trumpet. I’m retired. She’s still going strong. I called her this morning and wished her a fabulous year of teaching. She’s on year #19….building community.

Kristen. I love ya kid. Keep doing what you do.

Stay awesome, stay safe, and stay tuned…

PS: I also introduced Kristen to her husband back in the day, but that’s a whole other story….