Administrators
    Superintendents and principals want to find someone who sees the big picture and understands what role the band program plays within the context of the school district. Sometimes their questions are based on problems they have had with a band director in the past. If you are applying for an assistant position, keep in mind that you will be collaborating on some decisions with the head director and your answers should reflect that.

    Tell me about yourself. Avoid rambling here; they already have your resume. Keep it to the point with brief personal information (hometown, family, etc.) and how you love music and working with kids.
    If I walked into your classroom, what would I see? Make reference to the physical classroom itself and how engaged the students are.
    How do you view the teacher/administrator relationship? Focus on the importance of effective communication between the two parties.
    What is your approach to classroom management? Have a specific plan here. Focus on both proactive and reactive strategies.
    What experience do you have working with young people beyond your internship?
    What are some of your weaknesses? Frankly, you don’t want to disclose something too damaging here. Mention a weakness that can be turned into a strength. A common weakness is the lack of a strong proficiency on all of the instruments. An answer such as that will not lose you a job. Saying that you are chronically late for everything or tend to be hotheaded will not help.
    What are your strengths?
    Describe a difficult teaching experience. Make sure that whatever you mention includes positive steps you took to succeed despite the obstacles.
    Describe a positive teaching experience.
    Do you have a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License)? Are you willing to get one and drive a bus?
    How do you manage varying skill levels in your classroom?
    What professional organizations do you belong to? This is important because it shows dedication to the profession.
   How would you incorporate technology into your classroom? Think smartboards and apps here.
   How do you assess your students? Address how you will assess them individually with playing tests and pass-offs.
   What is the place of music in the overall educational program? How do you build a sense of community? Be sure to mention the role of the band in the local community.
   What do you expect from the administration in terms of support?
   Where do you see yourself in five years? This is a tricky question. You want to show ambition but don’t want to give the impression that the job you are applying for is a mere stepping stone to other things because programs looking for stability may be hesitant to hire you. If true, give an answer such as “I could see myself here with a growing band program.”
   Are you organized? Be ready to discuss specific ways that you organize both as a person and in your classroom.
   What is your philosophy of music education? Don’t forget to mention music for music’s sake – it is worth studying based on its own merits.
   How do you feel about teaching general music? Always be amenable to this. Talk about how you can bring performance aspects to this course and possibly recruit new band members.
   Which is more important – marching at a football game or a marching contest? Don’t take sides on this. Mention how both can play an important role in a complete band program.

The Band Director
    If you are applying for a junior high/assistant position, the head band director will be looking for a flexible team player who has great chemistry with others. Therefore, you should defer to him or her when appropriate. You can ask them what they currently do before starting your answer.

    What kind of software programs are you comfortable with?
    Are you comfortable with electronics? Are you willing to learn more about them?
    What things do you think about when programming for a concert? You should discuss the quality of the music, the objectives for the group, and the suitability for a particular ensemble.
    If we were to ask your former students about you, what would they say?
    If we were to ask your former colleagues or professors about you, what would they say?
    Who are your favorite composers for band and why? Start this answer with a general philosophy of programming and then mention some composers you like. If you just start with listing some composers, you run the risk of turning off the interviewer if they don’t like those same composers.
    What qualities would make you a good member of our team?
   How do you approach warm-ups? Talk about all of the things you should address during a warm-up (air, tone, tonguing, intonation, etc) and express that the warm-up is an opportunity to teach fundamental concepts and should never be ignored.
    How do you organize a typical rehearsal?
    What are the most common problems for beginning instrumentalists?
    What is more important to you – marching band or concert band? You should do a little research on this one before you arrive. You certainly don’t want to denigrate marching band if that is an important activity at that school.

The Band Parent
    Band parents want someone they can entrust their children to in a variety of settings. Their questions tend to be more personal and unpredictable.
    Why did you decide to become a band director? Your answer should be something along the lines of a love of music, children, or both. Do not give the impression that it was part of a back-up plan.
    Why did you apply for this school district? Do your homework and be familiar with the district. Give specific reasons.
    Is there someone who inspired you as a child growing up?
    Would you allow us to continue the traditions of this band program?
    How do you communicate with band parents?
    What do you do in your free time? Be careful here. While there is nothing wrong with watching TV or playing video games, interviewers might want to hear that you are more active than that.
    What is something you liked and didn’t like about your high school band program? Don’t mention anyone by name if it is a negative comment. End with your positive comment.
    What are your thoughts on fundraising? Describe a philosophy of fundraising instead of specific fundraisers you like. You never know when a fundraiser you think is good will be  thought of as terrible by the folks interviewing you.
    What do see as the role of the band boosters?
    Besides teaching, what other experiences have you had working with children?
    What do you hope my child gets out of your program?
    What values will you teach our children?
    How do you choose chaperones?
    Do you plan on taking the band on lots of trips? Ask them how much they travel now to get a sense of whether they want more or fewer trips.
    Do private lessons play a role in your curriculum?
    Will you want to charge students to be in the band? This type of question is best answered by asking what is currently being done and what the philosophy of the district is on the matter.
    What are your thoughts on marching band competitions?
    How do you conduct drum major and color guard tryouts?
    How do you determine what grade a student receives? Your answer should contain information about assessments you will have students complete.

Scenarios
    Some interviews may include scenarios posed by the interviewers:
    •    Your first chair trumpet player has a band concert and a baseball game on the same night. How do you resolve the conflict?
    •    A student doesn’t show up for an important concert without giving you prior notice. How do you handle that situation?
    •    One of your high school students wants to stay in band but says she cannot attend after-school practices? What do you do?
    •    You have a junior high student who says someone stole all of his fundraising money, a total of $150. What do you do in this situation?

    Preparing for a successful interview requires much thought and preparation. Do your homework and research the town, school, and band program. Have thoughtful questions ready for interviewers that show you are genuinely interested in the position. (Don’t ask about salary; you can typically find a salary schedule published online.)
    First job interviews occur during a hectic time of your life; nevertheless, make interview preparation a top priority. The time you spend preparing will be well worth the effort when you land a job that’s just right for you.

The post Covering All the Bases: Nailing that First Job Interview appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Each day in my middle school band room, 20-30 students arrive about 25 minutes early to practice before our first hour begins. I hear Beethoven, Star Wars, double stroke rolls, Clarke studies, long tones, rock beats, and scales. Additionally, some kids work daily on their high notes, and multiple tonguing. It is loud but also rewarding to hear young players working to develop their musicianship. It is a safe place for students to push themselves and explore musical skills with the security of knowing that through perseverance, hard work, and even failure, they can become great young players on their instruments. Although the classroom has looked different during the pandemic, my approach to teaching multiple tonguing has not changed. 
    I have a large percentage of students on all instruments who cannot afford to study with a private teacher. Years ago, I realized that if my middle school band students were going to succeed in high school, I needed to teach double tonguing. By incorporating multiple tonguing exercises into daily band warm-ups, I can accomplish this.
    Most directors include long tones, lip slurs, scales, balance and blend exercises, tonguing, articulations, and dynamics into their daily routine, but few work on multiple tonguing with their younger students. This is likely because grade 1-3 music rarely requires this skill. I try to think about what my students will need down the road, as well as what skills will help them play the grade 2 song in front of them now.
    I want to give my band students the background and foundation to play advanced literature in middle school band and also at the high school level. I added double tonguing exercises and short, fun teaching pieces for all woodwind and brass instruments.
    My middle school fight song is the Notre Dame Victory March, and the De Soto High School fight song is Wildcat Victory. Both songs have measures that require double tonguing. The options were to play these songs at a slower tempo and have everyone single tongue, simplify the parts (which I did for my first five years as band director), or teach double tonguing technique necessary to play the songs at the correct tempo.

Double Tonguing in Middle School
    On the whiteboard in the front of my band room, I wrote:

Tu-Ku-Tu-Ku / Tuuuuu
and
Tu-TuKu Tu-TuKu / Tuuuuu

For optional low brass, I wrote:

Du-Gu-Du-Gu/Duuuuu
and
Du-DuGu Du-DuGu / duuuuu

    My advanced 8th grade players are always honing their double tonguing technique in the mornings which the younger players can hear while putting their instruments away in band room lockers. This exposure to older students’ playing is the best motivator I have. The younger players are intrigued and want to play like the veteran musicians. Watching and listening to my older kids inspires lofty goals for double tonguing.
    Peer teaching, with older kids helping less experienced musicians, is also beneficial. I have had students throughout the years come to band class and ask me to listen to them play a double tonguing exercise. Much to my surprise, it frequently sounds terrific, and I did not know even know they had been working at home on multiple tonguing.
    Many years ago, I talked with Jodie Lin, one of the top local bassoon teachers, about one of my bassoon students who had a solo with double tonguing in it. As a trumpet player, I developed this skill in 9th grade, but as a director I had never thought about woodwind double tonguing or how to teach it in middle school. This conversation changed my approach to multiple tonguing as I learned that all wind instruments are capable of this skill.

6th Grade – Introduction
    During second semester, I show all wind players how to double tongue and illustrate the articulations on the whiteboard. Currently, I have two 6th grade baritones and a trumpet player as private students, and all have succeeded at learning double tonguing and can even double tongue the concert Bb scale up and down. I regularly invite these students to demonstrate and show the other 6th grade students what they can do. Keep in mind, I have not taught this to my 6th grade band classes.

7th Grade – Warming Up
    At the beginning of the school year, my daily warm-up includes scales, Remingtons (half notes starting on concert F descending by half step and back to concert F), long tones, lip slurs, balancing chords, and single tongued exercises. During the first month of school, I add call and response double tonguing exercises on concert F with the entire band.
    The double-tonguing articulations, are on the white board, and I begin by speaking the different rhythms with students repeating them back to me. Then, I play rhythm patterns while the band repeats them back to me. I demonstrate how the Ku syllable when alternating with the Tu syllable sounds different. (I tell the students it will sound different when played slowly because of the K syllable if they are playing it correctly). I emphasize that they have to walk before they can run. Once they figure out the patterns and get their tongue working, we go faster and the double tonguing sound evens out and sounds good.

Double Tonguing Rhythm Patterns: Call and Response/Slow to Fast

    Because most middle school level music does not require players to double tongue, I wrote out an original tune called Warp Speed with double tonguing for each instrument. This helps students connect their work on double tonguing to real music. We start very slow and gradually work it up as fast as we can. It is fun, and the faster it goes, the more challenging and exciting it is for them.
    During second semester, I introduce double tonguing scales. By this time, most of my students can play most of their major scales. I start by having students play the first four notes of their concert Bb scale at a slow tempo. Then I have them double tongue it, repeating several times.

     Next, I have the students start on the 4th scale degree (Eb) and play up to the high Bb. We repeat this step several times.

     Finally, I have them play all the way up their scale. I repeat this same process descending by playing the first four notes, then adding on the bottom half of the scale. Then, we play from top to bottom. By dividing the scale into smaller sections, students can handle four and five notes at a time. When you combine these to double tongue the scale, it does not seem intimidating or impossible.

8th Grade Band
    I start the year with our normal warm-up and include all instruments playing long tones, Remingtons, lip slur scales, balancing chords, and single tongue exercises. With more experienced students, I am able to push them a little harder, and they can play everything faster. (I have an 8th grade clarinet, tenor sax, trumpet, euphonium, and trombone student who can double tongue as fast as I can play.) I use the call and response exercises on concert F with the entire band. I introduce additional fun double tonguing songs that we play in band class.
    Midway through the first semester, I give them The Happy Farmer, which I wrote out in unison so every instrument in the band plays the melody. It starts with the theme followed by two double tonguing variations.
    Eventually, I introduce triple tonguing to the 8th grade band. I use call and response on concert F and have  students speak the patterns and then imitate my playing. For more advanced and motivated triple tonguing students, I encourage them to perform the solo, The Musketeer Polka by Herbert L. Clarke for the solo/ensemble festival. This is a great one-page piece with triple tonguing that is playable by younger musicians. I have found most solos that include triple tonguing are way more advanced, several pages long, and are one of many variations.
    In 29 years of teaching band, I have learned that students enjoy being challenged and can multiple tongue at a young age if it is presented to them in a way that they can understand. I want to prepare my students for success by including multiple tonguing into daily band warm-ups. Teachers just need to start slow, explain how to multiple tongue, demonstrate what it should sound like, and encourage them to try it. You will be amazed at what twelve-year old musicians can accomplish.   

For links to music and examples referenced in this article, please go to: https://theinstrumentalist.com/pages/The-Instrumentalist/Foster-Links/

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Culture
    Begin by thinking about the program culture you want to build. Above all, student leaders should embody the values of the culture. One of the best ways to define the culture for the program is to answer a couple of simple statements.

1. “I want to have a program that values _______.”
    I have found that most directors value hard work, excellence, discipline, commitment, teamwork, perseverance, fairness, and fun. These values seem universal for successful cultures. It is important to name them because these will repeatedly guide decisions you make.

2. “I want to work with people who value ______.”
    Think about whether your answers are the same or different from those given for the first statement. Again, naming these characteristics clarifies your beliefs and help identify the right people to help build the culture you envision. When I answer this statement, I think of characteristics like positive attitude, maturity, attendance and punctuality, honesty, kindness, good listening skills, friendship, courage, discipline, self-control, and rigor.

    Successful leaders excel in two main areas: knowledge and communication. Musical knowledge includes proficiency on an instrument, rhythmic skill, and musicality. To teach marching skills, student leaders should have experience in visual technique and movement, carriage and alignment, and spatial awareness. Color guard and drum line have their own skills to model and teach.
    While knowledge is necessary, communication skills are the most important and relate directly to successful leadership. It is also often the most difficult talent to develop and use effectively. Communication includes both verbal and non-verbal abilities. The primary way a student leader leads is through example. A positive attitude and a strong work ethic go a long way toward successful leadership.
    The most respected and effective student leaders I have ever had were not the most vocal or talented leaders, but the example of their hard work and positive attitude every day inspired the band to be better. On the other hand, every time I have chosen a leader based primarily on their technical skill or achievement instead of their example and attitude, I have been disappointed and frustrated. Just because a student is a first chair does not mean they will automatically be effective as a leader.
    Communication also requires good interpersonal skills. To elicit the best in others, you need to establish positive relationships and using your influence to help others grow and succeed. Student leaders are most effective when they are positive and encouraging, making needed corrections while protecting the dignity of the person being corrected. Leaders who repeatedly criticize and use their position to flex their seniority rarely succeed.

Characteristics of Good Leaders
    Leadership flows from character. If you want to become a better leader, work to become a better person. Leaders make important judgments and decisions and work closely with others. It is the character of the leader that guides and forms decisions and relationships. The key character traits of good leaders include integrity, honesty, and self-control.
    The significance of a leader’s example has already been mentioned. This is expressed through integrity, which integrates words and actions. In other words, doing what you say you are going to do. Integrity also means knowing the right thing to do and choosing to do it. I consider integrity to be a cornerstone of a leader’s character.
    Honesty is also essential. So much of leadership requires gaining trust from others. No one trusts a leader who is fake, gossips, or tells lies. Honesty also includes being sincere. This is expressed by keeping the best interests of others at the forefront of all actions and decisions. It also means treating others with dignity and respect.
    Successful leadership depends on having self-control. People look for consistent and dependable leaders. This means controlling emotions. When leaders are having a bad day, they cannot take it out on others. Likewise, when someone makes a mistake, they offer suggestions without overreacting or yelling. Self-control is a sure sign of maturity and is essential for leaders to develop as a core part of their character.
    Leaders develop their skills by modeling others they admire. Students will reflect your approach to leadership. This is a heavy responsibility. As cliché as it sounds, the best way to teach and form student leaders is to model for them each day the character traits that you want them to possess.

Selecting Leaders
    Discovering leadership potential is an ongoing effort, and students should know that their skills and interactions are always under evaluation throughout the year, not just during the audition itself. That said, a defined and fair selection process helps all students grow and learn, even those who are not selected, and gives added credibility and respect to those chosen.
    Consider the duties for each position and then work backwards to devise a process that identifies students with the best chance to succeed. For example, most programs have positions that include teaching, rehearsing, marching and music fundamentals, and conducting. Auditions for these positions should combine teaching and rehearsing in both musical and marching contexts whenever possible. Having each candidate teach a five-minute segment of a marching fundamental along with a five-minute segment of a musical selection is quite revealing.
    For rehearsal portions of the audition, I often use passages from the previous season’s halftime show. It is familiar enough for students to perform well in this setting, but rusty enough to reveal which candidates can detect errors and use rehearsal skills to improve it. Asking candidates to teach and rehearse with other students better indicates potential for success than conducting with a recording. However, the main goal should be to design auditions that closely resemble the responsibilities students will face.
    Non-performing positions include office assistant, librarian, uniform staff, and loading crew. These require skills in organization, detail, and collaboration. Identify these skills through interviews, instead of an audition, as well as through their application materials and prior knowledge of their strengths in these areas.
    It is also important to delineate who is eligible for a leadership position. Most directors require a minimum of one year’s experience in the program before being considered for a leadership position. Some, such as drum major or band president, may require more than one year. Once this is defined, develop an application for students to complete and submit by a set deadline. The application can be as short or as thorough as you desire, but it allows students to express their interest formally and demonstrate that they can meet a deadline. Applicants who submit their materials late or incorrectly are not selected.
    An application lets you include dates and times of important meetings, training sessions, deadlines, auditions, and summer band. I include a statement that says, “I have read and understand the dates and times required for student leadership, including summer band camp, and agree to attend. You can count on me.”
    I also gain valuable insights from adding a couple of questions on the application that engage students more deeply on their views on leadership and the program. Here are a few questions that work well:

    •    Why do you want to be a leader in this program?
    •    How do you define leadership?
    •    What is the role of student leadership?
    •    What are the primary responsibilities of the position you are seeking?
    •    What area do you think needs the most improvement in the band or your section next year?

    The answers provide an important window into each student’s awareness and broader views about leadership, but also about the specific needs of the program for the coming year. In addition to helping you evaluate candidates, these questions can shape the content and curriculum of your formation sessions prior to auditions. These questions simplify the interviews as you will already know their thoughts on these topics.
    Many directors ask for 2-3 recommendations from teachers, coaches, employers, and community members. I like the idea of having a short form (hard copy or electronic) that recommenders complete instead of an open-ended letter. This standardizes the process and makes it easier to read and evaluate. My form includes a space for the recommender to indicate the date the student provided them with the form. This shows which students planned ahead or waited until the last minute.
    Next, directors should decide who will evaluate the auditions and make the final decisions. Many use a selection committee of trusted colleagues, especially those with leadership or marching band expertise. These could include academic teachers, music colleagues at the school, local directors, and members of the marching band instructional staff.
    The director will also need to determine their role in the selection process. I have always preferred active involvement, but many directors prefer to use objective outside judges. Either way, it is useful to include a panel with different points of view and expertise instead of just making your own unilateral decisions.
    An additional part of the evaluation process could be the inclusion of student feedback. I find this especially helpful for drum major applicants  during the teaching and rehearsing segments. It can be a tricky element because it can quickly become a popularity contest. Therefore, directors need to educate students on how to identify the best leaders possible and provide useful, constructive feedback. Students almost always see a different side of each other than directors do, which makes the information they provide worth considering. Utilizing student feedback once saved me from making a bad choice. There was a student who had a great audition and who I thought was respected and worked well with everyone in the band. After reading the student feedback forms, it became overwhelmingly clear that the band did not trust this student, nor did they think the person would be a positive representative of our band.
    I use a short simple form (like the one below) that focuses their feedback in select areas. I also leave a small space for additional comments.

    Finally, determine the length of the process and announce it well ahead of time. Again, I think working backwards is best. If you want time before the end of school for extra training and meetings with the new leaders, schedule application deadlines accordingly. Once the audition dates are set, determine how long you want the formation process to last. I prefer a once-a-week model over several weeks instead of a compressed one-week or two-week process.  This enables students to absorb the information you are teaching them, which can produce stronger auditions and leaders. Then, after the formation period is decided, set the deadline for applications. It is also useful to have an interest meeting at the beginning to explain how the process will work and answer questions. A thorough and thoughtful process will take 2-3 months in most cases. This is a significant time investment for directors and students, but it is well worth it.

Interviews: Things to Listen for and Observe
    I always want to understand why students are seeking a leadership position. The content and tone of their responses reveal whether they are motivated primarily by self-interests or if they have a servant-leader mindset. I teach the servant-leadership approach and am always coaching my leaders to view their role this way. I also measure their responses against the behaviors I have seen from them over past years. If what they say does not match what I have observed, then they are not a good candidate for leadership.
    I am always heartened when students say, “I just want to help the band be better.” When students pursue leadership for selfish reasons, I worry that they will not go the extra mile for the program. I’m also on the lookout for students who appear to be résumé building or seeking power. Red flags can include such statements as “this would be good for my future goals,” or “this will help me get a scholarship and get into a good college,” or “it’s my senior year and I want to be the one fixing things.” Résumé builders and power-hungry students are not who I want influencing others in the band. I am looking for students who want to help others grow and achieve their best. Throughout the interview and audition process, listen carefully for the instincts and heart of each student.
    After identifying the motivation of leadership candidates, there are several other factors to consider during the audition process:

    •    What sort of influence will this student be as a leader?
    •    Does this student have good relationships with most students?
    •    Is this student good with others and a good teammate?
    •    Do other students respect this student?
    •    Does this student recognize problems in the band and demonstrate an eagerness to solve them?
    •    What skills does this student need to develop?
    •    Is this student knowledgeable in the area they are seeking to lead?
    •    Is this student coachable?

    The keywords in the questions above – influence, relationships, teammate, respect, solutions, skills, knowledge, coachable – are essential for successful leaders.
 
Coda
    No student is perfect. We should not expect them to be. They will all inevitably make mistakes, say the wrong thing, and mishandle a situation. They are each on a leadership continuum and a director’s job is to help them grow through coaching and mentorship. When we can define the culture and values we are building in a program, can distill the attitudes and skills that leaders need to possess, and are able to design a leadership formation and selection process that identifies the most capable students, then we are able to build a program of excellence.  

The post When Performance Meets Potential Finding and Developing Great Student Leaders appeared first on The Instrumentalist.