BUS DRIVERS AND OUR SHRINKING VILLAGE


For years, a bus has been parked at the corner of my son's school with a banner attached saying, "BUS DRIVERS NEEDED." 

I have no idea why anyone would apply for or want to do that job. Bad/irregular hours, poor pay, no benefits, rush hour traffic, and ill-behaved children do not sound like the makings of a solid professional pathway to me. 

Heck, driving my son's carpool is enough experience to know that this is a career pathway I am not willing to explore. It is about kids' safety, more than just personal preference, as I have been known to forget a child in carpool once or twice (or three times).

I understand the constant need for bus drivers. It is an overwhelming and under-valued job that has little upside. But, the pandemic and its economic impact have magnified the problem to unimaginable levels.

And the problem doesn't end at the folding yellow doors either. According to a survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center, there have been reports of shortages of cafeteria workers, custodians, substitute teachers, and paraprofessionals nationwide. The study stated that "40 percent of district leaders and principals said they were experiencing "severe" or "very severe" staffing shortages." The shortage of bus drivers is part of a more significant, more extended problem in schools — one that extends beyond the school building. 

The bus driver shortage isn't just a bus driver shortage — it's an endemic problem resulting from the pandemic. These jobs are about service and care, at pay scales that simply aren't competitive with jobs that use similar skills. 

Add to this that amid the pandemic, individual workers make choices for themselves and their families that affect other people's families and jobs in ways nobody quite expected.

Schools are filled with essential workers whose difficult jobs were made more challenging and their ranks even thinner by the pandemic.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and our village is contracting at an alarming rate.

As music teachers, there is little we can do to fix this. But, for one day, we make sure that everyone is seen, heard, and valued.

Years ago, I created an activity that allowed my students to thank those who had helped make my program and students successful. This gratitude note helps foster a sense of gratitude among your students and establishes goodwill among your school colleagues. 

The document is attached to this email. All you have to do is print, hand out, and deliver. Keep in mind the following:

  • Encourage your students to write as many notes as possible. Handwritten is preferred.

  • I typically would give 20-30 minutes of class time to complete the letters.

  • Give yourself a day or two to sort and deliver the notes (write this Friday, deliver next Tuesday)

  • Restrict recipients to people on your physical campus.

  • Encourage your students to think outside of the box (grounds person/admin/assistants/tech)

  • Eliminate yourself from receiving notes. It will make it feel more genuine for the kids.

  • Write some letters yourself.

Trust me, you will be glad you did this activity, and so will your school community!

NOW MORE THAN EVER, MEMBERS OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

PLAYING PIANO AND EMBRACING REGRET

My two boys and I have an almost daily battle. What is our daily battle about? Food, hygiene, chores, manners, time spent on electronics? Nope. Well, yes, but that is not what I am talking about right now.

Piano.

As many of you know, the rule in my house is, "As long as you live under my roof, you will play the piano." 

After more than a decade, my older son has acquiesced. He understands that this is just a part of his bill for food and rent. I dare say he has even come to enjoy playing. My younger son? Not so much. He would rather spend forty-five minutes arguing over fifteen minutes of practice. During one such sparring session, I told the younger one that he and his brother would fight over who gets the piano when I am gone. My younger one, Evan, said: "NO, I WON'T!" 

He shouted upstairs to his brother, "Hey Brayden, the piano is all yours!" As he walked away, he mumbled under his breath, "See – no fight!" 

That kid... 

The piano rule is not an absolute one. There is a single golden key to earn your release from my musical handcuffs. You have to find someone who has quit playing and does NOT regret it. They have yet to find someone.

And regret is what I am trying to avoid.

In his upcoming book The Power of Regret, best-selling author Daniel Pink states, "Regret is a universal and healthy part of being human. And understanding how regret works can help us make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and bring greater meaning to our lives."

Through research in social psychology, neuroscience, and biology, Pink's World Regret Survey—which has gathered regrets from more than 15,000 people in 105 countries— defines for us the power of regret and the impact it can have on our lives.

In an interview with the Atlassian, Pink further states that, "Regret is an emotion. It's an emotion that has a lot of cognition behind it, and it's that kinda stomach-churning feeling when you realize that the decision you made, the choices that you took, the path you decided to pursue resulted in a suboptimal outcome." 

What I find most interesting is that Pink states, "The research tells us that people tend to regret inactions more than actions, especially over the long term. Sometimes in the short term, people will regret actions more than inactions. But over the long term, it's pretty clear that we regret what we didn't do more than what we did."

The notion of living a regret-free life is non-sense. Regrets are necessary and are reminders that we took risks and made tough decisions. They show that we care and are involved in meaningful activities.

We have all heard it a million times. You tell people what you do, and it is immediately and universally followed by, "I used to play ____________, and I quit. I regret that!" Pink (I believe) would say that this statement/feeling of regret validates what we do as music educators and proves that music is important and matters. That feeling of regret is an understanding that the decision to quit music has negatively impacted lives.

Yes, our job as teachers and mentors is more than teaching music. It's more than filling the world with music and developing a child's creative abilities. It's about killing regret and showing students and their parents that the past mistakes don't need to be future regrets and that standing steadfast now will yield benefits in the future. This is why when my boys say they want to quit, I simply say no.

My son, Evan? Well, he's still looking for someone who doesn't regret quitting. Just the other day, I heard him say to his older brother, "I'll give you $50 to tell Dad you regret learning piano. Then I can quit!"

That kid...

Have a great week. 

- Scott 

p.s. If you have not taken the State of Music Education Survey, please let your voice be heard. After just two emails, we have had over 1,000 responses. But we need to hear from everyone. Click the button below to share your thoughts.



Twitter Trolling and My Solution to a National Problem

In a surprising but not altogether shocking move, on Monday, billionaire businessman, entrepreneur, and space junkie Elon Musk announced he would donate six billion dollars of his money to the United Nations Food Bank.

There was one catch. The UN had to prove their plan would work.

The announcement came as part of a war of words after the UN Director for the Food Programme challenged the ultra-wealthy, particularly the world's two richest men Jeff Bezos and Musk, to "step up now, on a one-time basis" to help solve world hunger. 

The Tesla chief executive said in his Twitter post on Sunday, "If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6 billion will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it."

I found the exchange odd. Not because of the staggering sum of money. Not because it was all happening on Twitter. Not because they were talking world hunger at the exact time we discovered Space X Astronauts would have to use diapers because of a leaky toilet. 

I found it odd because Elon Musk doesn't ask people how to solve problems; he simply solves them. 

He didn't ask NASA how to build a better rocket, or Ford how to make a better car. He didn't reach out to Comcast or Cox to get their thoughts on creating a better internet (he probably did, but gave up after 4 hours on hold). He just built it. Musk didn't ask any of those groups because he didn't need to. He already knew the answer! 

Musk's offering six billion dollars if the UN can show how it will end world hunger demonstrates that Musk doesn't know how to end it either. History has shown that if he did, he would have done it already.

Trolling Elon Musk is apparently an effective strategy to get his attention, so I thought I would try it.

So what do you say, Elon? You in? I have a plan and can prove my results.

Do you want to:

Raise academic achievement?
Raise graduation rates?
Lower drop-out rates?
Raise test scores?
Lower drug and alcohol abuse?
Increase school and community involvement?
Create engaged and creative learners?
Increase teacher satisfaction and longevity?

If you got the coin, then I'm the guy to join! GO ALL-IN ON MUSIC!

Listen, it doesn't HAVE to be you. Warren, Jeff, and Bill are welcome to join in. We don't care who is included, just that you are involved. We got the plan, and you are the man! Tweet me back, and I will get you my digits!

In all seriousness... We know that music does all of those things and more. We see the impact it can have and the way it can change a life. We know that we have verifiable and incontrovertible evidence that music will make young people more successful even if they do not continue in music.

So why isn't anybody listening? And why do we even have to ask? The problem and solutions are undoubtedly prevalent enough and solvable. You don't need to be Elon Musk to see and solve this problem, although it would help.

More importantly, how have we not created our own version of Elon Musk? How is it possible that none of these people were either involved in music or are willing to support it in a meaningful way? For all we say that music does, shouldn't we have cultivated this person or developed this relationship?

We see athletes give back to sports programs and people in business give back to the schools. That's how athletic fields get names and buildings get built. But what about affluent musicians and pop stars? It doesn't have to be money. It can be using the position and place of prominence to say, "THIS IS HOW WE MAKE OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COUNTRY BETTER!"

For years I have wondered (often aloud): how is it possible that something that does so much good is so under-appreciated? Where is our Elon Musk?

So if you are listening, Elon, you have the money, and I have the plan. We should talk.

Have a great week!

- Scott

South of France and Our Familects!

I have a coffee mug (and hydro flask) that have the words "South of France" emboldened on them. The mug and tumbler were Father's Day gifts from my wife and children and serve as tacet but tangible reminders of the people I love.

Why South of France?

One night at dinner a couple of years ago, Leah and the boys were mocking me about some small and meaningless thing when I suddenly shouted, "SOUTH OF FRANCE, PEOPLE... SOUTH OF FRANCE!"

When asked what that meant, I retorted, "That's where I would be right now if it weren't for you knuckleheads."

Since that day, "South of France" has come to mean, "I am frustrated." My wife. She doesn't have a saying. She has a look!

It's like our own secret language, and it turns out that Langs aren't the only ones who have this secret code.

Many of us have secret languages; it is a part of the daily fabric of your life. You have it with your partner, parents, children, and yes, even your pets. Perhaps you have a unique nickname or shared reference that means something only to you and your loved ones (mine is Skittle). A memory or meme that evokes laughter from only those who have seen or experienced it. These words/moments are sometimes known as familects, and are familiar to only those with whom we spend large amounts of time in close quarters. 

And no one spends more time in close quarters than music groups. During rehearsal, on a stage, in a bus, during the week, on the weekends, during winter, summer, spring, and most especially fall. It would be impossible to spend as much time together as we do and NOT have our own jokes, memories, and yes, language. 

Familects help us feel like family. This "dialect" helps to foster friendships, establish an identity, and foster a sense of love and belonging. There's even a study that states that "When people use familect terms, they reinforce the stories, rituals, and memories that hold them together as a group. These words reaffirm their 'familyness' in a way. It re-creates their relationship." 

Some words are musical while others are not. Some are new this year, while others are from years past. Some were created by you, while others were created by your students. It is different for every group, but for every group, it is the same. You can not have "familect" without family.

Every October, I become nostalgic about teaching. This month is no different. Maybe it's the cooling of the weather or the turning of the leaves (or cactus needles). I miss the memories, the performances, and the competitions. But more than anything, I think I miss the "familect." The shared jokes, love, and laughter, based on shared experiences.

(sigh)

South of France, people... South of France.

Scott 

p.s. Thanks to everyone last week who shared thoughts and suggestions about teaching beginners. I ended up subbing the rest of the week and learned a lot. There is a blog article coming about it soon...

Beam Me Up Baby

Last Wednesday, in what could best be described as television coming to life, 90-year-old William Shatner blasted into space. In a convergence of science fiction and science reality, the world-renowned actor slipped the surly bonds of Earth to experience in-person what he had been portraying as James T. Kirk, Captain of the Enterprise.

In a flight lasting just over ten minutes, Shatner was able to experience prolonged weightlessness as he viewed the Earth's curvature.

Upon his landing, as Shatner emerged from the capsule, he proclaimed to Jeff Bezos, "What you have given me is the most profound experience; I hope I never recover from this. I hope that I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it."

I was never a Trekkie. My lack of fandom stems both from an under-appreciation of science-fiction and because I spent most of my formative years hearing "Beam me up Scotty," every time I met someone new.

Fan of the show? No. Fan of the actor? Yes. 

Strapping himself in an unpiloted, experimental, barely tested , tiny capsule, with 75,000 tons of rocket fuel beneath him took some guts. But more importantly, it took imagination and a sense of wonder. Think about it. After living a life of pretending to be something, he decided to stop acting and start living in his ninth decade on this planet.

So why am I sharing this with you? Because in a similar, but less poetic fashion, I am doing the same thing. Yes, as you are reading this e-zine, I too will be going where no man has gone before." Well, at least not where this man has gone before.

I will be substituting in my son's sixth-grade beginning band class (cue dramatic music). 

While slightly less dramatic (but just as dangerous), my visit to the Jacobson Elementary School Cafetorium does have a "Shatner-esque" quality to it.

Like my pal Bill, for the past 17 years, I too have been on a stage talking about the importance of something I have never done, taught beginners. Not even during student teaching.

Yep, you read it right. I have never taught someone how to put an instrument together or place a reed on a mouthpiece. I have never had to instruct someone on proper bow placement or what a correct embouchure should look like. Let me be clear. I am NERVOUS.

I want to think that I could rely on my 15 years in the classroom or my experiences parenting my own two boys, but we both know that would be foolhardy. I'd like to believe teaching beginners is not THAT different from teaching older students, but even I'm not that dumb. Yes, despite thirty years in the profession, two children of my own, and a couple of college degrees, this is likely to be a total trainwreck.

And my acting doesn't stop there.

As someone who spent fifteen years in a high school band room, I don't actually know what it is like to teach a beginner, conduct a choir, or choose literature for a middle-school orchestra. And like William Shatner, it's time to stop acting, even if it is only for 10 minutes. What about you?

Perhaps sometime in the next couple of weeks, you can follow his lead, and spend ten minutes in someone else's space, with someone else's students, and see education from a new perspective. In short, to go where you have never gone before.

We all know that teaching involves acting. Acting like we heard, saw, or knew something we didn't. To be clear, I spent the better part of the first five years "acting" like I had all of the answers, when I was largely making it all up as I went along. But that all ends tomorrow.

Exactly seven days after William Shatner stopped acting and started living, I will attempt to do the same. Let's hope I end my experience with the same sense of euphoria as Mr. Shatner did and not wishing that someone would BEAM ME UP! 

Have a great week.

Let's Begin Anew Again

Hey everyone:

I'm baaaacccckkkk! Did you miss me?

True, I never really left, but after a six-week summer break and a nine-week video series (re), the blog is back! It is the longest break from writing I have taken in my seventeen years since leaving the classroom.

In preparing for this week's post, I went back to where I left off. Not this past June... I went all the way back to March 1st, 2020, and the last thing I wrote before the world turned upside down.

I had forgotten what I wrote in the twenty months since I penned that article, so I re-read it. And honestly, the message might be more important now than when I first wrote it. 

The post is a simple reminder that there is so much going right despite all that is going wrong.

So as a way of beginning anew, I start with the old. I hope that given all that you have experienced, you find it even more meaningful now.

The pandemic has changed all of us in good ways and in bad. And I am no different. I am not the same speaker, teacher, or person I was twenty months ago. I hope you have noticed the change. One thing that has not changed is my belief in the power of music and my mission to serve you. 

With that being said...

If you have feedback, thoughts, ideas, topics, questions. or suggestions on how I can do that better, I remain ready, willing, and able to change. Just hit me back.

In the meantime, join me as I begin anew with where we last left off.

Enjoy!

Scott

February's No Good Month and Our Factfulness

February is a no good, awful month. It's cold, dark, and everyone I know is sick and tired. SICK AND TIRED OF FEBRUARY, THAT IS! 

What? You think February is the month of love and celebrating our past presidents? Well, my kids hijacked my Valentine's Day (since when did kids get gifts from Cupid?), and as for Presidents, without my wallet in front of me, I can't name more than a handful.

It's not just February I'm tired of, this whole year has been a stinkbomb. 2020 has underwhelmed my expectations while overwhelming my delicate sensibilities, and I say we get a do-over!

You beg to differ? Oh, how sweet, you are a Pollyanna and see the good in everything? Well, in just seven weeks we have had:

  • Toxic politics.

  • An Impeachment trial.

  • Uncontrolled Fires in the Australian Outback.

  • The passing Kobe Bryant and his eight passengers.

  • Massive melting glaciers.

  • Crop eating locust swarms.

  • And the creme-de-la-creme, the virus in Europe.

And don't even get me started on the whole Prince Harry and Princess Meghan Brexit! That's BANANAS!

All of this tragedy has me sitting in a corner, sucking my thumb, and mumbling to myself in a way that my wife calls "deeply concerning." 

Yes, as far as I can see, 2020 stinks!

But not everyone agrees with me. It turns out there is a family of well-regarded Nordic researchers that believe the world is not going to heck in a handbasket but that it is actually getting better. And they have facts to back it up.

In the landmark book, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World-and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, authors, and TED Talks phenomenon, Hans, Ola, and Anna Rosling offer a radical new explanation of why we forgo positively oriented data in favor of negatively biased opinions.

According to the New York Times, Factfullness, "...reveal[s] the ten instincts that distort our perspective—from our tendency to divide the world into two camps (usually some version of them and us) to the way we consume media (where fear rules) to how we perceive progress (believing that most things are getting worse)."

As the author Rosling put it, "Our problem is that we don't know what we don't know, and our guesses are informed by unconscious and predictable biases."

To prove their point, they gave a ten-question test to tens of thousands of people about the state of affairs in the world today compared to our recent past, and the results were alarming. What was so troubling was the average person's complete lack of understanding about the world around them. In fact, our ineptitude was so laughable that they gave the same test to a group of chimps, and the chimps scored higher! CHIMPS!

You can take the test here. 

It turns out that we modern humans are a dark lot and are wanton to believe the worst in people and our world, even when evidence to the contrary is as abundant as it is obvious.

For instance, did you know that in our world:

  • Literacy is at an all-time high?

  • Female educational levels are at an all-time high

  • Childhood vaccinations are at an all-time high?

  • 80% of our world now has a liveable income?

  • 80% of our world population lives in a first or second-world country?

  • In the last 20 years, the number of people living in poverty has been halved?

  • The number of deaths due to natural disasters has been halved?

  • There are fewer deaths due to global conflict than ever before?

Despite what politicians and pundits would have us believe, our schools, country, and planet are doing better than we give it credit. And the evidence supports it. EVEN THE CHIMPS KNEW THAT.

Yes, there are still very real and pressing concerns that we as a people face, but let us not forget that our ability to innovate, communicate, and collaborate is limitless and has served us well in dark times before.

I think what happens in the world also happens in music. I think sometimes we tend to see the bad in our profession instead of the good. We focus on our feelings instead of our facts. We see our jobs and students with the filter of what's not right instead of what is. We look for what we want and not what we have.

It might be human nature, but it's not natural. Remember, the CHIMPS were able to figure this stuff out.

If Dr. Rosling were here, he would remind us to take a breath, turn off the news, and go hang out with some kids. That should cheer us both up. 

But he passed away last... February. 

UGH. I need my blankie.

Have a great Febru (er...) March everyone!