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It is a strange and trying time for all of us in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We certainly understand times are tough for you, as it is for us. We have been proud to bring School Band & Orchestra for free for more than two decades and we will continue to provide you with free subscriptions during the pandemic. However, we would like your consideration in these difficult times to help support our efforts here at School Band & Orchestra to keep our information flowing and to provide you with a continuous stream of current and vital information when you need it the most.
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Happy New Year!
Mike Lawson | January 19, 2022This begins my eighth year at the helm of SBO Magazine, and soon we will make some more announcements about some exciting changes coming your way. As I ease into the role of publisher, that is, running the business of five magazines and all that entails each month, I have been seeking wise counsel and […] Read More... -
Attracts Me Like a Cauliflower?
Mike Lawson | December 18, 2021I eagerly sat through all eight hours of “Get Back,” the Peter Jackson Beatles documentary, I walked away having witnessed first-hand the creation of perfection through the messy processes of molding clay. It was enthralling. My teacher’s aide in 4th grade gave me “The White Album,” soon after I got my first guitar. In an age […] Read More... -
I’m Changin’ All Those Changes
Mike Lawson | November 12, 2021The old saying, “The only constant in life is change” is swinging into action with SBO under my new ownership, mostly a shuffling of a few things. First, we adjusted the timing of the SBO Scholarship Essay Contest, and will announce it and mail a poster with the December 2021 issue. The essay contest will conclude the end […] Read More... -
I Am Everyday People
Mike Lawson | October 9, 2021I’m from an era, and Title 1 schools, where music participation was a great expense, a luxury, and in some ways almost a caste system. The schools were not charging money to participate in math, science, English, or other core classes, but to participate in instrumental music programs depended almost entirely on the financial wherewithal […] Read More... -
Will It Go Round in Circles?
Mike Lawson | September 6, 2021It is hard to make plans these days, isn’t it? I’m so ready to make them, but the same old used to be is lingering in our new normal that is constantly changing. I am really eager to get back to travel, not just because I’m stuck at home putting on the COVID pounds and […] Read More... -
You Go Back, Jack, and Do It Again…
Mike Lawson | August 13, 2021The mood among the music educators and related professionals I regularly consult as editor of these music education magazines is one of cautious optimism for the return to school. There were glimmers of hope, vaccine rates at one point starting to increase before leveling, then falling off. This Delta variant has everyone on edge again. […] Read More... -
Time May Change Me…
Mike Lawson | July 10, 2021This will be my final column of Perspective as an employee of Timeless Communications, who have employed me in this role for nearly seven years. It has been a lot of fun, and I have enjoyed the work immensely. So much so, now I own the job. Well, to be clearer, I actually acquired four […] Read More... -
Everything Old is New Again?
Mike Lawson | June 12, 2021So, can it be true? We are going back to some kind of post-COVID possibility? That’s sure what’s on the table right now and wishing it into existence has to be equally met with actions to make it so. It seems a lot of the same people screaming about kids going back to school are […] Read More... -
It Don’t Come Easy
Mike Lawson | May 4, 2021It’s a Ringo Starr song title, not incorrect grammar, per se. Isn’t it the truth? Learning an instrument is hard work. It’s fun work, but it is hard work. Maintaining your level of competence is hard work. Growing further beyond your level of competence is hard work. I finally got to return to the stage […] Read More... -
Rust Never Sleeps
Mike Lawson | April 7, 2021It has now been over a year since my band has performed in concert. Read More... -
Get Back to Where You Once Belonged
Mike Lawson | March 6, 2021Everybody wants to get back to normal. We are all tired of being cooped up in our homes, dealing with working from home, never leaving, or just going out maybe to go to the store. We’re getting so close to the end of this. Or are we? It’s hard to know. The vaccines are becoming […] Read More... -
Perspective: The Black Roots of American Popular Music
Mike Lawson | February 6, 2021The music that inspired and influenced SBO editor-in-chief Mike Lawson as a kid, that made him want to pick up an instrument, to sing, all had one significant thing in common: African Americans. Read More...
