Notes from the Cougar Band Room

Dear Students, This is certainly not how I imagined the culmination of our face-to-face school year. The last time I saw you, I never imagined it would be for the last time. The selfish truth is that I'm still not ready for it to be the end. I thought we would have so much more ahead of us... Time to use all the tools we've sharpened over the course of the year to put together some incredible performances. Time to get out on the stage and leave it all out there for audiences to enjoy. Time to create, time to play, time to laugh, time to grow, time to cry, time to celebrate, time to say "good bye".  The irony of it all is although we supposedly have "all the time in the world", that time won't look like anything we imagined. This isn't what anyone imagined or anticipated. Not for you, not for ourselves, not for our world. But the good news is this isn't the end . Buildings might be closed, face-to-face instruction may not be possible, but the ...

We as music teachers often set aside our own music making for the sake of our students, our programs, our ensembles, our communities. I know I have; perhaps you have or you know someone else who has also. We invest our energy into our groups and other people because we are passionate about filling lives with beauty and joy, the same way we were once inspired by a music teacher who did the same for us. They inspired us to make music, and in turn, we do our best to inspire others. We  hope that through making music, we are able to do our part to fill their lives and world with more beauty, understanding, and joy. Well my friends, we may not be able to see our students daily for the time being, but we can certainly get back to music making ourselves.  While we are all maintaining our social distance, I invite you to get back to the craft that inspired us all in the first place. Make some music and share it with your household or on social media. (If you do share on social...

Ah, festival time. It comes around every year right in that time when winter won't go away and spring can't quite come fast enough. The annual rite of musical passage when band directors and ensembles across the land have that last big push for some of our most significant performances of the year. I'm not sure whether it's the significance of festival, the demand of the schedule, using that last molecule of energy to get out of bed, or needing more hours in the day, but I find this time of year to be really tough. Energy is scarce yet demand is high. In the name of self-preservation and self-care, I also find it vitally important to take some of our  precious minutes to reaffirm our work. Reconnecting with universal truths along with reminding ourselves why we are here & what we need to do to push through is really helpful in keeping our momentum and ultimately, keep moving forward. Here are some of the points and discussions we have made in class that have b...

Sometimes, I feel like I’m living life in the waiting room of a doctor’s office; I’m either waiting to do something or I’m doing something. And although self-care is something I fully believe in,  the vast majority of the somethings I’m doing are for other people. I don’t mind doing things for other people— In fact, I love it. It’s why I wanted to become a teacher and a mother. But spend enough time living in the waiting room and it will catch up with you: Energy runs low, not sure how much further you can go, and the light at the end of the tunnel gets further and further away. Ultimate truth time: I love my life, my family, my students, my school, my community. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Every now and then though, I wish there was a pause button. If I could just push pause for a little bit.... For the all responsibilities to be complete. For everyone’s needs to be met. For the e-mail to stop. To be caught up. To feel as though I have a guilt-free opportunity to ...

Ah, midterm season. The time of year when I end up doing more grading than at any other point in the school year. Just the thought of it makes me.... via GIPHY Is it worth it? Absolutely. But have I been spinning my wheels when there is a better way? Also absolutely. For what it's worth, I'm writing down my thoughts here to make sure I do it the better way when this season rolls around again next year. Will you be my accountabilibuddy? Context: For the last 4-5 years my middle school colleague, Amy Rever, and I have teamed up for a year-long chamber music project. It starts with me teaching the basics of chords, harmony, and progression to my HS students to create warm-ups and mini-chorales early on in the year, and makes its way to a composition project where each of my HS students composes a short (16-32 measure) piece of chamber music to be learned by the MS students that feed into my HS. These pieces are due at the midterm mark so that they can then...

We are getting into, what is for me anyway, one of the most challenging parts of the year. And while the ever building avalanche of performances, festivals, and events is looming from now through May, what really makes this time of year tough is the smaller things. It’s harder to get up in the morning. Small tasks seem to stack up and require more effort than they did before. Rest and motivation are winning this cruel game of hide and seek that will continue for the next few months. And if I’m feeling it, then chances are pretty good that students are feeling it too.  Hibernation feels like it should be a part of my natural being, even if it isn’t technically an option.  Since hibernation isn’t an option, something else is going to have to change. But what can we do to help boost our own, and our students’ psyches and push through the funk? Enter Richard Floyd. I picked up his book, The Artistry of Teaching and Making Music , from the GIA booth while at the M...

A stage is a magical place. In a world ruled by instant gratification, everything stops the moment you step onto a stage. Your awareness is heightened. You are your most vulnerable, authentic self. The world awaits your next move. Anything is possible. #thisiswhyiteach #artsmatter — Lauren Staniszewski (@LStaniszewski1) January 16, 2020 There's truly something special when the stage brings all the music educators together as well-- and it's the Michigan Music Conference! It's a magical time when everyone gets together for special performances, professional development and, of course, the opportunity to catch up over a meal or a beverage while paths intersect for this annual event. Each year I attend, I find myself re-energized and excited to bring back the ideas I've discovered from the conference, and this year is certainly no exception! From inspirational journeys to energizing ideas and even a humorous story or two... Here are some of this year's highlight...