It’s hard to believe that is has been five years since I wrote the book Leader of the Band. Since then some things have changed for both myself and my friends that I wrote about. The one constant is my profound respect for the teachers I profiled and the impact they have had on the lives of countless children. I still consider them dear friends and continue to work with those who remain in the classroom.

This past week I was back visiting with the Saratoga orchestras and bands and their teacher extraordinaire, Michael Boitz. What a treat it was! When it comes to being an amazing teacher and all around good guy, few people are his equal. For those of you who read the book (and those of you that did not) I thought you might enjoy meeting him in person and hearing a little bit about how he created these giant programs in the sleepy little suburb of San Jose.