Stadler, Waldorf, and my recent dinner conversation

Do you remember Stadler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show? You know, the two old cranky but lovable curmudgeons from the balcony. They never met an act they didn't hate and a character they couldn't heckle. They hid hearts of gold behind a caustic tongue and despite their acerbic nature, they were as much a part of the muppet family as anyone.

I recently had dinner with a group of colleagues that I very much respect and admire on both personal and professional levels. They are accomplished teachers, good people, and fun to be around. That is, until they started to channel their inner muppet.

Somewhere between the appetizers and the main course, the conversation turned to young teachers and the future of music education. For almost twenty minutes I sat silently while they went back and forth bemoaning the lack of preparedness and work ethic shown by their younger counterparts. As you might imagine, more than one sentence started with, "When I was a young teacher, I ALWAYS made sure that I....(insert random complaint here)" and ended with, "... these young teachers today NEVER do that!"

As the discussion continued, I grew more and more uncomfortable with the conversation and it's lack of relationship with anything remotely resembling the truth. Not wanting to upset the apple cart, I did what I am NOT normally inclined to do, which is to keep my opinion to myself. Until...

"What do you think Scott?"

(Before you read on, you should know that I REALLY DID try to restrain tongue. My better self made a VALIANT EFFORT to muzzle my mouth. But alas, my inner demons and true self shone through.)

I blurted out...

"I think you guys sound like Stadler and Waldorf, heckling from above not appreciating what is happening below you. As far as I am concerned, young teachers today are MILES ahead of where I was when I started."

In college I didn't do any of these things university students do today, for instance:

• I didn't study breathing
• I didn't tech a band prior to student teaching
• I didn't march drum corps
• I didn't teach private lessons
• I didn't attend honor band rehearsals or band day events
• I didn't get any exposure to student leadership training
• I didn't have any software training in music or drill writing
• I didn't attend my state MEA conference
• I didn't attend Midwest, Grand Nationals, or any other prestigious event

I continued...

"In addition, let's not also forget that these kids are going INTO college better prepared to begin with. As high school students, we now have better private teachers, better community ensembles, better pedagogical materials, and more opportunities to participate than ever before.

Teachers today start college further ahead because they performed from better method books, and individual practice software. They continued to excel through college ensembles that push the envelope and spent their summers marching or teaching young people. None of those opportunities existed when we went college.

Maybe new teachers aren't as good as you were, but they are WAY better prepared than I was. They're not perfect, but neither were we.

Teachers are BETTER prepared than ever before! And, I think the trajectory of our profession is nothing but up, as long as we support and KEEP these young teachers in this profession."

(awkward pause)

"Whatever you say Fozzie!"

Ouch... That hurt.

In that moment, I could feel my inner Waldorf coming out! Anyone want to join in and be my Stadler?

Have a great week.

My Thanksgiving Activity

Next week will be filled with many opportunities to give thanks for the blessings we experience as music educators each and every day. Years ago, as a way of giving back to my colleagues.I created an activity that allowed my students to say thank you to those people who had helped to make the fall semester such a success. This quick and easy writing activity not only helps to create a sense of gratitude among your students, but establish good will among your school colleagues. Honestly, the first time I did it, I was shocked at how much the faculty appreciated this small gesture of kindness.

I am attaching a copy of the assignment to this blog. All you have to do is print, hand out to your students, and deliver to your colleagues. Keep in mind the following things:

• give the kids time in class to do it

• remind them that the more they give, the more they get

• encourage them to write more than one note

• I have included a single and split sheet version

• it is in MS word, so feel free to customize or alter

• tell them it has to go to someone on campus

• give yourself a day to sort and deliver (due this no later than Tuesday of next week)

When I first did this, I had NO IDEA the impact it would have, but I literally would see teachers tear up as they read the notes. 

Be sure to share your results with me so I can live vicariously through you.
 
That is all for now. Have a great week

Thanks in part to me, Joe Hart has a new job!

Yesterday was election day! The country's bi-ennial electoral process is complete and the results are in. The result? Half of you are in ecstasy and the other half are in agony. The only people who are one hundred percent happy are the cable news pundits and prognosticators. 

Like most of you, I voted. I cast my ballot and affirmed the right granted to me by our forefathers and inscribed in our constitution. I made my voice heard and ensured that my vote was counted. Yes, that's right. Yesterday, I proudly cast my vote for... State Mine Inspector! 

Seriously? They want me to vote on mine inspector?

Look, I am not saying we shouldn't inspect mines, in fact, I'm pretty sure that's good idea. I am just saying that I might not be your go-to guy on this one. I don't know anything about mines or any other holes in the ground, so it is unlikely that I am going to be able to make the right call. For this decision, you might be better off talking to my dog, Rexi. She has considerable expertise and experience in hole digging and is, dare I say, somewhat of a savant in this area. Don't believe me? I have a backyard full of evidence that says otherwise. Heck, Rexi should run for the office of State Mine Inspector. But she didn't, so I voted for someone else.

Joe Hart is the guy who got my vote for State Mine Inspector. You know why? Not because his party affiliation. Not because of his qualifications. Not because of his impressive background in all things mine related. I didn't vote for him because of his website, campaign literature, or his incredible performance in the Mine Inspector Debates. I voted for him because he was the only one on the ballot.

That's right, he is running unopposed. And he's not the only one. His candidacy is joined in its singularity by the offices of State Treasurer, City Constable, two State Supreme Court Justices, three appeals court judges, four school governing board members, and the County Dog Catcher, where once again, Rexi would make for a more informed voter.

As a country, we like politics in the same way we like our schools: we talk a lot and walk a little. We want to expend very little effort but achieve great results. We want to spend no money but achieve great things. We create a fuss when we are mad but don't praise when all is going well. We want ACTION, as long as it coincides with our beliefs. Most of all, we want accountability for everyone else, while we sit on the couch and watch re-runs of season sixty-four of Survivor.

Through it all, you take the beating and keep on teaching. You do the job that everyone thinks is important, but no one wants to do. You work longer hours, achieve greater results, and do it for for less money than ever before. While everyone (myself included) talks about democracy, you teach it. While everyone else cries for better schools, you build them. While everyone hopes for a better future, you create it.

Thank you for your service to our country and our children. Thank you for teaching them in your classes, eating with them at lunch, and supervising them while at play. Thank you for caring for them morning, noon, and night. Thank you for safeguarding the minds, hearts, and bodies. Just... Thank you!

Yes, our MINES are now safe, because of Mr. Joe Hart, but our children's MINDS are safe because of you!

Morning email and my Dear Abby response!

CONTENT WARNING: If you are thin skinned, have severe reactions to thoughtful conversations, or are just in a general cranky mood, please do not read any further. You need not unsubscribe as I will be back to my normal cheeky self next week.

Please understand that this weeks e-zine is not a blue print for institutional anarchy. Nor is it an excuse for musical mediocrity. These are just some of my honest reflections after receiving a heartfelt email this morning in my inbox...

---

Scott:

Yesterday I returned from our state contest with a rating of straight threes and 30 heart-broken kids. I was devastated. I hated myself for not being able to do more for my kids, for not being able to give them what they deserved. Where did I go wrong? Did I pick the wrong pieces? Are my teaching methods ineffective? More than anything I wished the judges knew how hard these kids have been working and how far they've come.

I wished they knew what this group sounded like back in August. I wished they knew that this ensemble hasn't qualified for State in almost a decade. I wished they knew that we've been rehearsing in a gym all year because the administration thought two band periods was excessive and decided two bands could rehearse at the same time when we only have one band room and not enough instruments to go around.

But they didn't know any of that. All they knew is that we were poorly balanced, out of tune, and only had three percussionists. So we got straight threes and a snide comment from a judge that alluded to, "It's ok, you're young and you don't know what you're doing yet". And I hated myself for it.

Sincerely,

In need of a friend

---

ear In Need,

I am sorry that your recent experience has left you and your students with the belief that you have in some way failed. Trust me, you have not.

Please know that what you are feeling is not by design or intent. Also, know that the judges truly want what to do what is right. They are acting in a way that they think is best for you, your students, and every other young person who strives for excellence on the field, stage, and in the classroom.

But that likely does not make you feel much better... You know that life isn't fair and neither are music contests.

Truth be told, on a philosophical level, I have always struggled a bit with some of the ways that we adjudicate ensembles. I understand and support both the need and desire to reward excellence; however, despite our best attempts, like most large undertakings, our festival system is imperfect. Specifically, I struggle with the following fact(s):

• We often measure product more than process/growth. As an educational activity, perhaps we should measure student growth more than the final product. Educationally speaking, would it be more appropriate, in selecting a "champion," to take all of the group's score from their first competition and compare their final performance at state? We would then award first place to the ensemble showing the greatest differential.

• Socio-ecomonics are not more of a consideration. When assessing school performance, our Federal Department of Education recognizes the unique challenges associated with poverty and adjusts the school's performance rubric accordingly. I wonder if we shouldn't be doing the same in music. We all know the unique challenges organizations serving impoverished communities face, it just doesn't seem as if we have accounted for them in our adjudication rubrics.

• We're measuring adult achievement as much as we are student achievement. I am confident that you are a fine teacher. But, you are just that, ONE fine teacher. I would further guess that if you were accompanied by other fine teachers and world class drill and music, your same students would have had a markedly different experience. So who was really being judged more on Saturday, the students or the teacher?

• We don't better account for the challenges associated with size. My guess is that had you returned with 130 students from contest, they would be a little less devastated. It is hard to wow an audience visually or musically when your ensemble resembles a singular math class more than an outdoor performance ensemble. It is even harder when your group is classified by school size and not ensemble size. Enrollment numbers help with depth, musical & general effect, instrumentation, inner ensemble competition, and parent/financial support. Numbers are the currency of this activity, musically, educationally and financially. This does not mean that bigger is always better, just perhaps presents fewer obstacles.

Please understand that the people who put on shows are serving you and your students in the VERY BEST way they know how and are doing all of this IN ADDITION to running their own program. Also know that there are no "one size fits all" answer or contests and someone will always be left under-served. Also keep in mind, this is part of the process of getting better, both for the teacher and the students.

But more so than anything, I believe your job as their teacher is to give your students materials and opportunities that gives them their best chance at success. And regardless of the results, to role model and guide them through the learning process in a way that gives them their best opportunity to grow and learn about life.

Keep in mind that in the end, your students are unlikely to remember their ranking or score, but will always remember YOU and how you responded to the moment.

Sincerely,

Been there too

---

My response to "In Need" is intended to provoke thought and remind you that the contest experience is what we make of it. I understand that my thoughts/suggestions create just as many problems as they do solutions along with some VERY complicated logistics.

I also want to say THANK YOU to every person, parent, or organization that runs these events and to you for attending them. No other curricula puts itself on the line in such a public way, and I want you to know that YOU have my (and others) unending gratitude, respect, and support.

Baggage Fees and lessons learned at 27,000 feet

As I write this e-zine, I am flying the friendly skies, headed for parts unknown. Having done this more than a few times, you would think flying would get old, but for me, it doesn't. I'm not saying that travel is all wine and roses, but there are experiences to be had and sights to be seen that can't be had any other way.

You have your daily commute and I have mine. They are likely very similar, just at different altitudes. We also likely spend them in similar pursuits, thinking about the day ahead and the ever growing to do list. Throughout my travels, I have learned a few things that I thought I might share... Will you indulge me?

• Baggage fees serve an important purpose. Admittedly, these fees are likely a cash grab by monopolistic industry, but it does serve as a behavior modifier... It encourages people to pack less and travel lighter. On planes and in our lives, unnecessary baggage weighs heavy upon on and weighs us down. Perhaps if our professions and lives had fees associated with the burden of baggage, we would carry less of it and be more nimble.

• Loyalty matters. Frequent fliers know that loyalty to an airline is EVERYTHING. Frankly, it's less about the good days and more about having someone on your side during the bad ones. The perks of a good seat or boarding the plane first pale in comparison to the benefit of having someone on your side when a flight is cancelled and you are trying to get home. As I said, loyalty yields the greatest gain on the worst of days. Think about that next time you are in your principal's office with an upset parent.

• The seat is less important than the person sitting in it. First Class, Business Class, Economy Plus, and Advantage Select are all ways that the various airlines indicate the most desirable seats. For me, it is less about legroom (I require very little) and location, than it is about than the person I am placed with. On more than one occasion, I have laughed my way through the skies engrossed in conversation sitting in a middle seat. I have also been trapped with an upgrade next to a "first class a$$." The quality of the trip is not dependent upon the seat but the person sitting in it. Sometimes the best of people can make the worst of circumstances more bearable, so when possible, choose your travel companions wisely.

It has been said that, "The lesson will continue to present itself until the student truly learns it." In this way, I am still the student. I struggle with these things as much as anyone. I, too, am working to carry less baggage, be more loyal, and surround myself with the best people possible. Perhaps you might be interested in joining me as my travel companion. After all, I am working to surround myself with nothing but the best.

There is more to share, but I have another plane to board, and another lesson to be learned.

Have a GREAT week and good luck in all of your performances this week!

The nut & bolt and the October plateau...

We interrupt our normally scheduled email with this important message. Fear not (or fear), Scott will return next week with his (un)usual snarky and slightly useless insights. We should also note, this email was comprised at an unreasonable hour, so please be forgiving if we missed dotting an "i" or crossing a "t."

Tonight, I received SIX calls from phone calls from frantic directors whose groups had HIT THE WALL, or as I call it, the October plateau.

You know what I'm talking about. We've all been there. You go to rehearsal each and every day, but nothing seems to be getting better. The kids are grumpy, the staff is even grumpier and you are scanning Monster.com for a new career. Sound familiar?

While their specific circumstances differed slightly, the callers were all looking for the same thing; a group activity that would lift their group out of the doldrums, rekindle their spirit, and remind them why this activity is so important.

As I put together my thoughts and ideas, it occurred to me that some of you might also be in need of a similar sort of thing. 

So, I scrapped this weeks newsletter and decided to send you this video instead. 

I want to share with you a very special activity I did with my students during difficult times called The Nut and Bolt. It was one of my favorite teaching traditions and I can't believe I waited this long to share it. 

Should you decide to use it, you can show this video, or use a script that I am attaching. Fear not, no one needs to know this came from me. Take credit and enjoy the experience and the effect it has on you and your students. 

If you decide to so this activity, just go to your local hardware store and purchase one bolts and three nuts for every student. It should be less than ten dollars as you can buy them in bulk.

I am also attaching a copy of my 50 quick ideas for sectional bonding. It comes from my first book Leadership Travel Guide. If you have questions about the activity or the documents, please feel free to contact me at any time.

A barbecue with my Solar Interstellar Neighborhood!

This past weekend, my wife and I took our boys to the Griffith Park Observatory. In a thinly veiled attempt at good parenting, I meandered from exhibit to exhibit, trying to read one step ahead of them so as to be able to appear educated and informed. Again, this was a thinly veiled attempt.

We happened upon a talk being given by an astrophysicist who appeared to be all of twelve years old, during which she demonstrated the relative size of the Earth when compared to our Solar System and galaxy.

Look, I don't want to get all smarty pants on you guys, or use any of them fancy shmancy words, so let me just put it in simple terms you can understand. Compared to the known universe, the Earth is like a tiny dust particle spinning around in my Dyson vacuum cleaning chamber after not having emptied it for six years. Yes, I scientifically verified that fact to be true. (Editor's note: Scott just made that up, but you probably knew that!)

I thought the earth was HUGE! Man, was I wrong.

Not only are we the sickly little brother to our brother planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, but it turns out, our Solar System is equally UNIMPRESSIVE when compared to galaxy and universe! (Editor's note: I removed Scott Uranus joke... You're welcome).

Yep, that's right, after you leave our solar system, you wander through the Solar Interstellar Neighborhood, out to our Milky Way Galaxy, towards the Local Galactic Group, through the Virgo Supercluster, towards our Local Superclusters and into the known Observable Universe.

When I said the Earth was a spec of dust, I believe I may have over-estimated our size. (Editors note: What?! Scott guesstimating?! SHOCKER!).

I have never been to space, nor have my neighbors in the Solar Interstellar Neighborhood invited me over for a barbecue, so it is hard for me to conceive of the scale of it all. The Earth is my home and is my only frame of reference, so I am sticking with my story. The Earth is HUGE! (Editors note: Notice how hard concrete evidence fails to sway Scott. Is anyone else concerned by this?)

When I taught, I was convinced my band program was HUGE as well. I saw everything through the lens of my four walls and the students that passed through it.

Sure, I knew that there was also a really good choir and orchestra program just down the hallway, but the band was my epicenter. Yes, I was fed by two middle schools and six elementary schools, but we were a big deal! Yes, there were five other highly successful high school music programs in my district, but they weren't like us. Yes, I know that Phoenix is the fifth largest city in America and just one of fifty states, but my program was special. Yes, I know that music making exists from birth to death and that is it supported by industry partners, manufactures, record labels, and traditional and social media. And yes, I know that the financial size and scope of all of this is equivalent to Black Friday at Amazon. Of course, music education exists on every continent, but not like it does in America.

But I remember us as being HUGE... Weren't we?

• Yes, we were huge... to a bunch of kids who had nothing else to do.
• Yes, we were huge... to a bunch of kids who had nowhere else to go.
• Yes, we were huge... to a bunch of kids who had no one else to look up to.
• Yes, we were huge... to teenagers in search of success and achievement.
• Yes, we were huge... to a bunch of parents who were trying to raise good kids.
• Yes, we were huge... to a school community that needed something to be proud of.
• Yes, we were huge... to twenty four year old teacher wanting to make a difference.

Even when compared to the vastness of music education, to the people that mattered, we were HUGE and so are you!

Now if you will excuse me... I need to take care of something that's bothering me.

(Editor's note: Scott left to empty the vacuum.)

CAUTION! Children NOT at Play!

America's school yards, playgrounds and ball fields are becoming increasingly barren as decision makers look to increase their student performance by squeezing out recess in favor of more desk time. In short, more and more American schools are willing to sacrifice children's "play time" for "academic time."

In a desperate attempt to increase academic achievement, many schools are abandoning, or reducing, time spent outdoors in hopes that it will lead to increased standardized test scores. They do this despite the growing body of evidence suggesting restricting time at play is in fact restricting student learning.

In a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly, Jack Shonkoff, the director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, makes the case for more play, not less. He states, "It's not taking a break from learning when we talk about play," while rattling off a litany of cognitive, physical, mental, and social-emotional benefits. "Play is one of the most important ways in which children learn."

In the mid-2000s, the federal No Child Left Behind education law, which emphasized test scores, prompted some schools to scale back recess (along with art and music) to spend more time on math and reading. Some schools went so far as to eliminate recess for the lowest academic performers, who, some would argue, need the physical break the most.

Yes, there are multiple studies which speak to the importance of "play." And there is NO substitute for recess. But I can't help but wonder that as student mature and recess is no longer an option, if the same benefits don't hold true for musical play. While I am not aware of any academic studies, I know that similar to recess, music reaches parts of the mind untouched by desk learning. In addition, the "soft skills" associated with personal and social interaction found in music ensembles can not be easily replicated while sitting in rows of desks.

To my way of thinking, playing music is play time! Music education is more than learning a language or training ones embouchure. It's more than notes on a page for pressing the right spot on a fret board. Music is about PLAYING an instrument. You can not participate in music without PLAYing an instrument. Beyond the play, music teaches the WHOLE CHILD in a comprehensive way not found anywhere else.

• Music is where the physical meets the intellectual. 
• Music is where cerebral moments and emotional ones occur simultaneously. 
• Music is where academic and aesthetic go hand in hand. 
• Music is where every individual is challenged but done so in a group environment. 
• Music is where learning through play is playing while you learn.

Music isn't a substitute for other coursework, nor is it an impediment. Music can and should stand side by side with any other course when it comes to academic weight and rigor. Music can reach children in a way that other curricula can't and reach places in children that would otherwise remain untouched. In short... music matters.

Yes, in music we play... And according to the latest studies, so should everyone else.

Just my thoughts, now stop reading and go play!

My Exhaustion and the Fulghum Pharmacy

"You look tired Scott. I've never even seen you look like tired, much less THIS tired! Everything okay?"

Joel was the third person to say that to me in as many days. He was right. I was beat down dog tired and struggling to keep up.

I thought I was doing a better job of hiding it. I thought my game face was better than that. After all, I make my living putting on "the game face." I am good at the game face, heck, I am MISTER GAME FACE!

Well, at least I thought I was.

Listen, I lived a blessed life and I am grateful for every moment of it. And I understand that I am in a world of my own making and that I am free to change it at any time.

But knowing all of this doesn't make me feel any better. My problem wasn't what I knew, it was what I was feeling... Overworked, overwhelmed, and overlooked.

I am fully aware that as we approach the end of September that I am in good company. It's likely that many of you share these emotions. You know what you do is important, but you don't FEEL that way. Knowing is not always feeling.

When I am at the bottom, when I am beat down, when I need help, I have a drug of choice that I turn to... Robert Fulghum. Yes, the author of All I Really I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. I have all of his books, have read them multiple times, and have even had the pleasure of seeing him speak live.

The effect he has on me is as inexplicable as it is immediate. His writing speaks to me. He makes me think, and perhaps more importantly, makes me feel. He is my spiritual sherpa, surrogate grandfather, and kindred spirit.

In desperate need of a pick me up, I slumped up to my office in a sullen mood, grabbed one of his books and started to read. Almost instantly I felt better. Panacea or placebo? I don't care! I FELT better.

Wanting more of this drug (and who wouldn't?), I went to his website in hopes of finding a new book to read or a new morsel of goodness to chew upon and there it was... Right there on the front page. It was like he was waiting for me to arrive and had written me a personal note.

---

Why do I continue writing? To be useful.

Often, without realizing it, we fill important places in each other's lives. It's that way with the guy at the corner grocery, the mechanic at the local garage, the family doctor, teachers, coworkers, and neighbors. Good people who are always "there," who can be relied upon in small, ordinary ways. People who, by example, teach us, bless us, encourage us, support us, uplift us in the daily-ness of life.

I want to be one of those.

You may be one of those, yourself. There are those who depend on you, watch you, learn from you, are inspired by you, and count on you being in their world. You may never have proof of your importance to them, but you are more important than you may think. There are those who couldn't do without you. The rub is that you don't always know who. We seldom make this mutual influence clear to each other. But being aware of the possibility that you are useful in this world is the doorway into assuring that will come to be true.

My way is to keep writing and sharing that. What's yours?

-Robert Lee Fulghum

---

My way is to serve music education and the people who call it their profession.

I would like to believe that out there, in a classroom somewhere, there is someone, young or old, who depends on me, learns from me, is inspired by me, and counts on me. I may not always KNOW it, but I always FEEL it. I am useful because I have you!

Thank you, Robert, for reminding me of that.

I'm GREAT with numbers but BAD at math!

It's true. My lack of love for all things math related has been well chronicled here and in my workshops throughout the years. Why started as a rough patch in the 8th grade became a bad break up between me and geometry during my sophomore year of high school. We haven't spoken sense.
I'm not saying that I wasn't at fault in the breakup, but let's just say to my way of thinking, I was more Katie Holmes than Tom Cruise in this relationship. I would use the more topical Brad and Angelina reference, but I'm not sure who I would be in that case.
As I said, I am bad at math but great with numbers. I'm kind of a data geek. I am fascinated by numbers and how they shape (or don't) our decision making process, specifically in music education.
For instance:

• If I told you that 9% of students and 7% of teachers are absent on Mondays, would you change learning new drill to Wednesday?
• If I told you that student learning is optimal at 72 degrees, would you change the thermostat setting in your room?
• If I told you that 35.77% of music was written in just four keys, would it change the way you practice scales and arpeggios?
• If I told you that 58% of students who start an instrument quit prior to high school graduation, would you approach recruiting differently?
• If I told you that New York has the highest average median wage and lowest unemployment for a music educator, would you put your house up for sale?
• If I told you that color pallets (numbers) change the way students learn and process information, would you change the light bulbs when you rehearse certain pieces
• If I told you that 50% of you are going to leave the profession, would you change the hours you work?
• If I told you I get sleepy after lunch, can we just schedule all of my productive meetings for morning and my afternoon meetings at Starbucks?

You might find these factual tidbits interesting. It might pique your curiosity or validate something you have long suspected. You might even want to call me Cliff Clavin. But, will it inspire a call to action or invoke a significant change? More than likely, not.

l do believe a better understanding of how we learn is important. I believe that better data can lead to better outcomes. I believe that understanding scope and sequence matters and that teaching through better literature makes a difference in how and what students learn.

Yes, I believe in all of this because I believe in numbers, but I don't understand the "math."

Math [math-uh-mat-iks] noun. (used with a singular verb) the systematic treatment of magnitude, relationships between figures and forms, and relations between quantities expressed symbolically.

I want to understand the systemic questions of greater magnitude and the relationships between them. In reference to the above points, I want to understand:

• Why we still teach on a traditional Monday-Friday, 8-2:30 schedule.
• Why we have kids in outdated facilities that impede learning.
• Why our approach to pedagogy is based more in history than science.
• Why some students quit music and others don't.
• Why some places/cities/people in America value music education more than others.
• Why we still believe that teaching and learning occurs only in rooms with numbers.
• Why we have done so little to keep ourselves from self-destructing as a profession.
• Why I don't just quit and get an afternoon job as a barista.

Numbers provide data. Math provides context. Numbers provide information. Math provides perspective. Numbers tell the science. Math tells the story. Numbers are finite and concrete. Math is infinite and convoluted.

Numbers are information. Math is the treatment of magnitude, relationships between figures and quantities.

The NUMBERS I understand. It's the MATH that has me perplexed.

But then again, I am good with numbers, but bad at math.

Have a great week!