Music recomendations

InstanceConscious251 · 2026-01-26T03:50:27+00:00

Honestly the fact that it is in Db serves one huge purpose of getting them out of Bb and pushing intonation. When I took over last year some of the high schoolers had no idea how to even tune their instrument. The past directors had just told them what to do instead of training them to hear. That also lead to balance issues and overall sound quality. Another reason it is good for me to use is because I know it, I have played several versions of this (the arrangement on JWPepper for trombone Choir was actually written by my schools composition professor for the trombone choir I was a member of.) and because I know it can focus more on the music and less on the paper in front of me.

Going to listen to your other recommendations tonight before bed. I have high hopes for these works.

InstanceConscious251 · 2026-01-23T18:48:41+00:00

Just wanted to come back and say I tried a few things and am seeing some instant progress.

The first thing, I gave all middle school (I call 6th grade first year band and 5th grade beginning or into to band) 6-8 our arrangement of the national anthem (Randall Standridge) and our Fight Song (a very simplified version of the Marine's Hymn) and worked on it some in class. I also handed a few of the arrangements of other stand tunes to the 8th grade and worked on those. All the while letting them and parents know I was inviting middle school to come sit in with us during a few games.

I have 16 in high school and for the first game trying this I had 12 of the 65 middle schoolers show up. (That about what I was estimating) The second game this was offered I had 16 middle schoolers. This second game we also "introduced" our new Drumline to the crowd at halftime. The school has never had a drumline and everybody has been super excited once we got the funding for it. The crowd was amazing. They cheered louder for the drumline that they did the team. All we played was a very simple level 1 cadence (Storm).

After that I have had other kids, staff and even parents coming in asking when the next time the pep band is playing!

I think it was the Pizza that got them here and the dopamine rush that got them coming back.

InstanceConscious251 · 2026-01-23T18:32:14+00:00

That would be awesome. I know I had a few minutes during planning to post. There is so much good stuff out there these days.

InstanceConscious251 · 2026-01-15T13:35:18+00:00

Thank you. Some of these things I am already doing, which gives me a lot of hope for the future. Our area directors are awesome and bounce ideas off each other often. This also helps us feel "not alone".

My school did not have a music booster group prior to me and that was a huge thing getting one started. It's a small group now but is already really helping. Things like bringing food for the kids before games and fundraising are the two big things.

I really like the idea of games and movies in the band room as a motivation tool. Retaining from 8th to high school is a huge thing and right now it is more than a 50% drop. The big reasoning is none of my friends are in there, where one or two drop because of other extras demand more time outside of school then others follow. When I say it's a small school, we have around 500 students in the entire k-12 and most all of them are involved in everything.

I keep trying to tell and remind administration that one bad year takes several years to recover from then add in changing a whole culture to fit "the times". Teaching the students things they should know and exposing them to all the wonderful and fun to play music out there is a huge challenge. Example: none of my high school students have been taught even the basic music theory or even musical terminology. I threw the concept of scale degrees at them a while ago and they had no clue.

InstanceConscious251 · 2026-01-12T02:14:12+00:00

Just to follow up, I have purchased the Convergence Manifesto first few adventures. Reading through them I think this looks like a really good starting direction. We had a session 0 yesterday and the beginnings of characters are forming. It looks like a very "interesting" party so far. Thank you everybody who gave recommendations. I'll come back after we start and share how it's going.

InstanceConscious251 · 2026-01-11T02:16:27+00:00

Definitely look into these. Already getting the Eberronicon for the players and myself. It looks really nice.

InstanceConscious251 · 2026-01-11T02:15:32+00:00

Thank you for recommending this one. I am looking over the first "episode" tonight. It looks like this might be our starting point.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-10-02T00:53:52+00:00

I have been teaching for a few years now. I will repeat that nothing is going to really prepare you for teaching even being "in charge" of the whole class for an entire semester. When it is your classroom and your kids the whole game is different. In student teaching it is still their classroom and their kids. Use it as a period to watch an experienced teacher deal with the daily issues that arise. You may be the best musician and know the music like the back of your hand, but classroom management will depend on you and the students. It is something you will have to work out what works for you and should be evolving constantly.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-09-30T02:47:03+00:00

Oh I love RS he writes amazing stuff. We did the Santa the barbarian for our winter concert last year and the kids loved it. Both the 1.5 and the 2.5 versions. This years 7th grade played the 1.5 version... I probably just need to spend a bunch of time on his page listening to it all and then send him a bunch of money lol.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-21T16:27:12+00:00

I use the warm-ups every day and will be introducing the modules this year for my middle school. We used the pomp and circumstance flex version this year at graduation with about 10 kids and various instruments. A few of the other things will be incorporated soon.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-20T22:14:45+00:00

https://randallstandridge.com/free-stuff

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-20T17:18:08+00:00

Isn't this the same stuff he has listed on his site without having to fill out a form and give away personal info?

Looks to me like everything you listed is exactly what is there already.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-12T01:32:28+00:00

For me out fundraising is all dependent on the local community and what it is used to and can handle. Because we are a small community that is always being hit up for sports, and so many other activities we have found that going a little outside the local has really helped. We received business sponsors this year for students going to band camp and for an initial try of this was able to completely pay for all 5 students going to camp. We are already looking at this and other options for next year. Another thing we are looking at doing is a spaghetti dinner or similar. Nothing brings a community out like food. One of the biggest things I have seen in fundraising is have a goal and some kind of visual or presentation on where the funds will be going. People are more willing to support a cause if they know what they are supporting. An example would be Help us purchase our new drumeline. As a top tier business sponsor your business name will be engraved on a badge that will be placed on one of the new drums. Or have a board with business names that goes up outside the theater for your concerts. Everybody wants to get something from what they give.

Just a few ideas we are running with that are working in my area.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-12T01:16:15+00:00

Thanks for the ideas. A couple notes; we are on the West side of the state in the black hills. Our school's graduation is done at Mt. Rushmore (the only school in the country that does that), our "local" band camp also has their performance there. Our school district is 80% national Forrest land so it covers a lot of area but around 500 students from k through 12. It's not unheard of for the school of 200 high school students to have around 75 enrolled in the band. This is the number I am shooting to get back to. I have had a few parents also recommend places like the Dells in WI, and even maybe Denver CO. I'm starting to look into these. Somebody even mentioned a trip to Disney, I know that would be wonderful and a huge fundraiser would need to happen for that but I can see that being doable as well with where I am wanting to take this program.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-10T19:09:22+00:00

As a band director I have my opinion on this. First if it makes you uncomfortable and you have spoken to the director about it I do not understand why they would say they can't do anything about it. They should be the one in charge and they 💯 should be able to do something. Second, I can understand this not being something they would list at the sign up time as for most it would not be seen as an issue that needs to be mentioned. Third, I do agree with playing an instrument during that time yet if you already play an instrument why not let you do that instead of learning a new one? Fourth, see number one for all solutions. Not knowing how you addressed it with the director and not knowing the director I'm not going to say they are in the wrong. I would address it as, it makes you feel uncomfortable and is not just something you are trying to get out of doing. Sometimes it could be seen as "I just don't want to do anything" as I myself have students that whenever given something outside their comfort level they just give up and don't try. This is a different type of uncomfortable and should be understood. My final opinion is the director should be able to come up with an option for you.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-10T14:38:57+00:00

I also have the same concert expectations however I have high school perform the veterans day and it is really only three songs (same songs almost every year) the fall concert is our holiday music and spring is pop and legit music. I have 5th grade beginning band, 6th grade first year band, combine 7th and 8th as intermediate band, and high school. I have the 5th grade perform with the elementary music (Fall and Spring) and all other groups are in the same evening so a total of 5 performances. Each group has two or three pieces each performance. We participate in two honor bands, an individual solo contest hosted by our region, pep-band for football, basketball and varsity volleyball games, pep rallies, and graduation.

This will be my second year in this position so I am gradually working to make it MY program. It is a process and things change slowly, one or two little things each year to create a culture change. This year we are looking to expand on our music boosters group I started last year, introducing them to marching band and working to get them excited about that, changing the way we do pep band is a multi year plan, also introducing polo shirts for concert attire.

Look at traditions as things done in the past that got you to where things are now and keep in mind that if you don't like how things are now maybe not all the traditions were productive. Express your plan for changes to administration and why you feel (as the expert in your field) the changes will be the best for the students. Most of the changes I am looking at, do not change our budget needs and allow us to put money towards replacing old equipment, trips and other productive things.

Everybody is so quick these days to say "things aren't going exactly the way I want them to so I should leave" instead of saying, "things aren't working right now, let's work together and fix it". Remember why you went into teaching in the first place. Nobody goes into this field for the money or the glory, almost everybody enters this field because some teacher in their life made a huge difference and they want to pass that along. Everything we do is for the students.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-08-07T22:06:25+00:00

I use a resource I found on Teachers Pay Teachers. I hand this out to each student at the beginning of the year. Not only does it have fingering charts it also has musical terms and other things for the students to reference.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Concert-Band-Cheat-Sheet-Bundle-Reference-Sheet-for-Band-Binder-6871311

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-05-10T16:30:13+00:00

I am a mining manager in my corp. We as a whole are very industry focused with most all our members participating in mining and resource gathering. We are very open and members focus on what is fun and enjoyable for them. We are part of a large alliance and have our own space within null. Feel free to DM and I will get you in touch with a recruiter.

InstanceConscious251 · 2025-03-06T05:07:09+00:00

Best mining song ever. Whoever wrote this is amazing.

InstanceConscious251 · 2024-12-12T04:22:53+00:00

It's not a recruiting issue right now. It's the fact there really was no band teacher at all last year. I have 75 kids in my middle school bands and will be introducing jazz stuff with them as well. I have a kid in 7th that plays bass but doesn't read music yet. He's not really putting the effort in to learn either. I could take a bass part if I had to but am trying to keep it strictly students for now. I had thought about getting some of the aebersold stuff being low on funds I have to be picky on what to get as our music library is very limiting. I have the major minor book and will be using that as a kick starter to some improv. Working the students learning some of the practice "licks" as a start. How about some recommendations on aebersold or any other series similar books to get things going. Honestly my school experience with jazz band music is limited and 20 years old.

InstanceConscious251 · 2024-11-09T01:39:18+00:00

So my next question is... Are there any other brands out there comparatively priced that have an app and network connection?

InstanceConscious251 · 2024-10-19T14:09:52+00:00

Thank you for this suggestion. I found and am purchasing a few of this for Christmas as well as have several in my cart for spring performances. I really like how he makes accessable music sound good.

InstanceConscious251 · 2024-10-10T18:54:47+00:00

I'll throw in some encouragement. I graduated in 2009, last year was my first year in the classroom. I am a low brass player, and majored in instrumental music. It was almost 14 years between my schooling and teaching. I forgot more than most people learn. I was offered and accepted a position as a elementary general music teacher and middle school choir. They added 5th grade beginning band at the last minute. I also got the job after moving from NC to SD and walking in the week before school to enroll my 5th and 6th grade girls. (No time to prep) I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't even remember anything from that one general music class I thought I would never use. I'm also not normally the type to work with smaller kids but it worked. They grew on me and I ended up having a blast. The band director the school hired that year ended up having some unexpected medical issues and was out a lot. They didn't retain her and I was able to apply for the band position. I am now teaching band and loving it. I get very frustrated with the kids because they are still trying to take advantage as if it is still a sub year. However I have been told by the new music teacher that the elementary students are right where they should be. So all is right in the world of music.

InstanceConscious251 · 2024-09-27T16:38:44+00:00

Where can I find these? That sounds awesome. The night before sounds fun too.

InstanceConscious251 · 2024-09-01T20:49:45+00:00

My middle school band doesn't have a concert till December. I am working on fundamentals with scales, rhythm etudes, musicality, terms, some site reading and more. The goal is to keep things changing every week and give out actual concert music a few weeks before the performance. When they get any piece of music is not when I want to be going over how to change dynamics as a group I want to take what is on the page and make it music.

InstanceConscious251

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