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The Duke was Right: Things Ain’t What They Used to Be
Tom Merrill | September 10, 2023My first new car cost me $10,000. It was a Chevy Cavalier. (Yes, I got it because I was really into drum corps at the time. Don’t judge.) It was also 1991. I would have loved to have paid only ten grand for the used car we recently bought for our son. But over the […] Read More... -
Effective Parent Leadership in a Music Program Orchestrating Success
Grissom High School BPA | August 20, 2023SBO+: In this issue we discuss many aspects of leadership in successful music programs. One of these is parent leadership. This spring I had the honor or being a clinician for the long-running Grissom Band Festival and saw an incredible parent organization at work. Here is their advice. Athriving music program relies not only on […] Read More... -
Servant Leaders Inspire the Why – Pursuing Leadership Mastery, Getting the Most Out of Your Student Leaders
Frank Troyka, Steve Andre | August 20, 2023Many factors go into developing an effective student leadership team. The most important thing you can do is be an effective role model. Your students and other faculty members are always watching you. Some of them are watching and maybe even hoping to see if you fail. We will all make mistakes. It is how […] Read More... -
National Association for Music Education – Harnessing the Power of Relationships
NAfME PresidentNational | March 13, 2023Now more than ever the world needs a deeper sense of community and unity. As the dissonance of political agendas, global unrest, economic and social inequities, and even educational reform continues to divide various populations, one essential part of life that has historically brought people together and offers much-needed harmony, healing, and belonging is MUSIC. […] Read More... -
Preview of ASTA Conference
Mike Lawson | February 19, 2023SBO+: We are pleased to begin an ongoing partnership with ASTA to bring expert string-focused content to our readers. The ASTA National Conference, Building a More Inclusive Community, will occur March 15-18 in Orlando, FL. The conference features over 216 educational sessions, ten masterclasses, seven new music reading sessions, sessions for high school students, mini sessions on […] Read More... -
How to Thrive as a Choral Teacher
Robyn Hilger | January 15, 2023All I ever wanted to be was a band director. From the first day of 6th grade band class, I knew I would be doing this for the rest of my life. Fast forward to my first teaching opportunity…a brand-new school, a principal who was a true fine arts supporter, and a budget. But there […] Read More... -
PASIC Preview
Joshua Simonds | November 13, 2022Early November is a time of great inspiration and community as drummers, percussionists, educators, and fans of all ages from all over the world make their way to Indianapolis, IN, for PASIC, the Percussive Arts Society’s International Convention. This year, PASIC runs November 9-12, 2022, (with a virtual PASIC later) and you won’t want to […] Read More... -
Non-String Specialists Teaching Strings – Lessons from Reggie and Sam
Karin S. Hendricks | October 13, 2022Reggie Benson was one of the most dynamic and passionate band directors I have ever known. We shared an office in a small, rural middle school, where I could observe him teaching through the window in the door. I delighted in hearing his ensembles respond loudly and proudly to his suggestions for improvement. In all […] Read More... -
Be a Superhero to Your Administrators
Rick Ghinelli | September 5, 2022There appears to be a nation-wide issue with administrators just not “getting” what we do in music. This is not to say all administrators fall into this category because there are some who are extremely supportive of their music programs. So, what makes the difference? This communication gap can be attributed to several factors, but […] Read More... -
Inclusive Student Leadership – Making it a Reality
Dr. Matthew Arau | August 2, 2022In the July 2022 issue of SBO Magazine, I introduced the case for the advantage of making student leadership inclusive so that students can literally lead from any chair. When leadership is viewed as inspiring and encouraging others to achieve their full potential, and the first person we lead is ourselves, one does not need […] Read More... -
Inclusive Student Leadership Lead from Any Chair
Dr. Matthew Arau | July 8, 2022SBO: When considering who to ask to write about student leadership, Matthew Arau was at the top of my list. When I received his excellent article on the topic. I immediately felt it was worth two installments in SBO. Nearly all of us were raised in a director-centric environment. Think of your university band or […] Read More... -
All National Music and the Triumphant Robert W. Smith Music Festival
Mike Lawson | July 8, 2022In our July 2021 issue, we profiled Doug Brasell, founder of All National Music, and the Robert W. Smith Music Festival, first announced at Midwest Band Clinic in December 2019. The story detailed how they survived the COVID-19 closures by producing successful online programming with great results, and their plans to hold their first COVID-delayed […] Read More...
