band Beyond the Performance:
Showcasing the Behind-the-Scenes Work of the Band Director
Practical Applications for Your Program Bri Knox, WMEA State Chair, Band
Why Sharing the Work Matters
As band teachers, our school years are filled with perfor- mance ensembles (such as concert, marching and pep bands) and extra
duties (clubs, duties, study hall monitoring, etc). Few people outside of the profession really know and understand the wide va- riety of work that is asked of the school’s band teacher. This may cause feelings of misunderstanding and isolation, as well as a desire to bridge the gap of understand- ing between band teachers and other col- leagues, the community, and future band teachers. I know personally I have felt this way many times during my career, leaving me frustrated and like no one truly under- stood my daily plight as the district’s band
teacher. Is there a way we can showcase our work that prepares students for a successful school year? Is it even important to work towards this understanding for teachers, community members, parents and preser- vice educators? Band teachers instinctively tend to make students the center of the work and hardly mention what they have done to assist their students. This secrecy isn’t really in the best interest of the community and future teachers. Community members need to know the work teachers do to help students be successful, so that they know what they can do to help, and also so that they can avoid overstretching the demands of a program. Future teachers need to see this work, too, so that they know what may be expected of them when they get into the profession full time. What if, instead of hid- ing the work that we do, we proudly share it with others in addition to the student work? Our job is to educate, and perhaps a necessary part of the hidden curriculum of
“Community members need to know the work teachers do to help students be successful, so that they know what they can do to help…”
the band teacher is to show our community the work that builds a successful program that lasts for future generations.
Newsletters and Social Media Considerations
Over the last five years, many schools have found benefit in joining the social media revolution, and have been using platforms
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April 2025
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