Christina Sprague Band Vice-preident
Marathon...Not a Sprint...
I hope that this finds you well and enjoying contest season. Well, okay, so I couldn’t even say that with a straight face. I hope that you haven’t had seventeen snow days, or that your lead trumpet player didn’t get braces two days before large ensemble evaluation, and that you remembered to order your scores in time. The fact that you are taking the time to read this article is a good sign that you have things under control. Or maybe you just want to escape the craziness for a moment. Either way I hope to remind you of some of the ideas presented to us at our conference in January. Are you addressing Diana Williams’ top ten every day in your rehearsals and striving for excellence not perfection? Have you implemented Paul Schmidt’s Maintenance Monday? Did Frank Tracz inspire you to develop your “Grit Gene?” Are you delegating and “only doing what you can do” as Darrin Davis suggested? I encourage you to revisit those ideas and implement those that work for you. Even small changes in our daily teaching lives can be so powerful for both our students and for us.
I also hope that you took a little time to reflect on our conference and how integral it is to your professional development. Not only is the conference valuable because of the new ideas brought to us by our clinicians, but it is
spring 2017 |
www.mmea.net
also about the time spent with colleagues and friends who truly understand the trials we face. It’s the chance to be reminded of the importance of what we do daily in our classrooms. For those approaching the end of their careers it is the chance to pass on the knowledge gained through the years to those early in their careers. This is the only profession I know of where the experts WANT to pass on their “secrets” to the next generation. It is also a chance for the “seasoned” veteran to learn a new way to do things. I continually look at the ideas of my younger colleagues and think, “Now why didn’t I think of doing it that way?!” Music professionals are some of the most caring, giving, and resourceful people I know. I feel incredibly fortunate to have chosen this career path, and incredibly grateful to those who mentored me through those early years. I’m not only grateful to the teachers from those early years, but to those I continue to learn from. Part of what makes teaching music so much fun is the fact that you never know it all. There is always something else to learn, even for those of us “with a little snow on the roof.” Hearing those polished groups at the conference from all different ages reminds us of what’s possible. It was a special pleasure for me to hear the Northwinds Symphonic Band perform at such a high level of mastery. What a perfect example
of life-long learning! We get so caught up in teaching that we forget that performing is a skill we can do for a lifetime.
At the beginning of my career I struggled to learn the basics of classroom management, remembering fingerings and transpositions, trying to plan efficient rehearsals, and all the things that come with being new to the profession. I am so grateful to those who were willing to pass on their knowledge in those areas. At the risk of inserting a shameless plug …I am so grateful to our organization for providing the mentor conferences for new teachers. What a wonderful opportunity for our young teachers! I would have given anything to have that resource when I was first starting my career. Not only is it a chance for younger teachers to pick the brains of veteran teachers but when they start seeing that ALL of us struggle they realize that they are NOT, in fact, the worlds’ worst teachers. They realize that teaching music is a marathon and not a sprint, and that it’s okay that they don’t know everything right now. If you are early in your career don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s the only way you learn! We seem to be okay with our students asking questions but when it comes to our own lack
See SPRAGUE, p. 17 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
