Counting Down
We have a countdown written on the whiteboard in the JFH Band room, showing how many school days there are until SUMMER BREAK. The kids update it each morning, and I admit that just like the kids, I look at it more than I should. The recent “false spring” temperatures outside have made it hard not to, though local forecasts say mother nature is bringing temperatures back down into the normal range over the next few days.
There are also a few other (more pressing, for me anyway) countdowns ticking away in my mind. Pep Band will come back together to perform at a Pep Rally this Friday, our Spring Showcase is April 3, the Spring Awards Concert is April 24, and the Music in the Parks Trip is May 4. Spring break is (thankfully) next week. In my Band Director brain, that translates to:
2 months since Pep Band has played together, and we perform Friday (!)
7 school days (which is really 3 or 4 in-school rehearsals) before the (voluntary) Showcase
20 school days (which is really only 10 in-school rehearsals) before the Concert
26 school days (which is really 13 in-school rehearsals) before the Trip
These mental countdowns are intended to help me stay on track as we rehearse the music, so I can guide and prepare everyone. When I add in Jazz Band’s Spring tour to play at local elementary schools, the three Instrument Petting Zoos we have scheduled for our rising 6th graders, along with upcoming concession stand fundraiser dates for “Off Broadway Players” and “Brocks Gap Heritage Day”… well, let’s just say it’s nice to look at the countdown on the white board, and see light at the end of our 53 day tunnel.
I know how looming dates affect me, so I try to pay close attention to how the Band kids are doing when things get busy like this. Sometimes getting kids to buy into extra stuff that’s not required is a challenge, but none of it matters without them. Leaders within the Band program always seem excited about upcoming performances and activities. They tend to be the more confident and more independent kids, more likely to volunteer or participate in extra things that aren’t required. Some of the less confident and more introverted kids also tend to join in, buoyed by the energy from the current leaders. Those kids are the upcoming leaders, who will step into the roles vacated by this year’s powerhouse kids. How to get EVERYONE ELSE excited (and involved) is always the biggest challenge.
There are always Band members who are really shy or unsure of their abilities, and usually there are a few kids who don’t think their families will let them do anything extra, so they don’t even ask. (Luckily that one can usually be sorted out with a phone call home.) Sometimes there are kids who would rather just go home and play video games (no comment from this peanut gallery). I find that the more the kids care, and feel they “own the program”, the easier it is to motivate them. This is their Band after all, I just organize it. I do try to connect with all the Band kids in class but sometimes that’s easier to do in smaller groups, hence the after school stuff. The best part is always watching the kids inspire each other–that’s where our strength, and the next year’s leadership comes from. If you have a hesitant musician, a reluctant joiner (or a video game fanatic) in your home, ask them what’s coming up that they can get involved in. There is always something happening in Band, it’s a great group of kids and it’s never too late to join!
