COMPARISON ENVY & CELEBRATING ONE ANOTHER

The education system in the United States is experiencing an extreme mental-health crisis. According to a new CDC study, "from 2009 to 2021, the share of American high-school students who say they feel persistent sadness or hopelessness" rose from 26 percent to 44 percent. This is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded.

The government survey of almost 8,000 high-school students, conducted in the first six months of 2021 found a great deal of variation in mental health among different groups. More than one in four girls reported that they had seriously contemplated attempting suicide during the pandemic, which was twice the rate of boys. Sadness among white teens seems to be rising faster than among other groups.

In the past few years, sadness among teens has been pervasive across every idiom and subgroup. Despite other teen indicators that have behavior trending in positive directions, this is happening. Graduation and college attendance rates are up, and drinking and driving are down 50%. School fights are down 70%, and acceptance of students' diversity and individuality is at an all-time high. 

So it begs the question, if kids are doing so good, why do they feel so bad?

The problem seems to originate from not feeling that their lives are filled with as much meaning and shared experiences as their peers. Fueled in part by their phones and social media, today's teens are constantly exposed to people who are seemingly prettier, smarter, funnier, and stronger than they are. To further the damage, very personal terms that used to be vague, like friends, likes, and seen, are now quantified, measured, and displayed for all the world to see. In other words, we have quantified terms associated with human worth.

These numbers have nothing to do with someone's worth and in no way measure the quality of their lives. But, when we don't see tangible, quantifiable evidence to the contrary, it's hard not to be affected.

This usually is where I would go into a section where I talk about how music makes this better. And it does. Music forces students to put away their phones and work as a group. It forces integration and breaks down barriers. Music unifies people and provides students with shared experiences based on equal worth. Yes, music does all of that and more.

But, that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about YOU (and me).

A recent poll showed that more than 50% of teachers are considering leaving the profession immediately or earlier than they had planned, and music teacher attrition rates are already higher than regular classroom teachers. I wonder if comparison envy plays a part?

That group has more students or teachers. Another group got a higher score at contest. My colleague gets more attention and has a bigger budget. You see other music teachers with more friends, more likes, and more posts talking about how amazing they are at their job. And while these are indicators of their lives, they don't tell the whole story. 

These posts rarely cite struggles at home or with their own children, and they don't mention that they are often comparing themselves to others.

In music, we create shared experiences, with all participants having equal value. We force everyone to interact with every person through the good and bad times and provide the exact same outcomes. There is simply nothing to envy because we all have the same things.

I wish this were true for the teachers providing these experiences, but I fear it is not. In this, we are often alone, and we facilitate a shared experience for our students, ironically isolating ourselves.

I know I was guilty of it. So, I thought you might be like me and want to do something about it.

As we approach Teacher Appreciation Week, I thought we might celebrate each other as others are celebrating you. We have created a form for you to tell us about another teacher that you think is pretty terrific. Not someone you envy, but someone you admire. For your time and effort, they will have a chance to win a nice dinner out, a tank of gas (more expensive than dinner out), or a $250.00 Music & Arts gift card. We will have 50 honorees that will be announced next week.

So, maybe you could take a minute and look at friends/colleagues and help them see the incredible person you see. They can't see it because they're too busy being envious of you.

Have a great week,

  • Scott

WHOSE IN YOUR WALLET?

If you were to open your wallet (purse/money clip/etc...) What would you see? More specifically, who would you see. What faces would be staring back at you? (seriously, open your wallet and look).

If you are like me, you're seeing some Washingtons, Lincolns, and perhaps a Jacksons or two (Jackson 5 would be nice). 

My wallet hasn't seen many Grants or Franklins; they don't hang out a lot with me. They run with a different crowd. Me? I am more Lincoln and Washington-type dude. And not the paper, the coins.

The concept of faces on money is as old as time itself. Civilizations have put people on money since the 13th century, and the United States is no different. 

And yet, we pay no attention to the things we use to pay.

We see these faces multiple times a day, which is more than we see most friends, and yet we ignore them. It's easy to forget who they are and what they represent because they are not relevant to our everyday lives. But they serve a purpose. More than just a face, they remind us of where we came from, and the people that helped shape us as a nation.

Our currency is akin to a national Hall of Fame. Somewhere we celebrate and honor our past, but ignore our present. Our national currencies are almost exclusively of dead white men.

Many countries are moving away from portraits and are instead displaying architecture, flora, and fauna on their bills. Currencies that have made that change include the Danish krone, the Euro, and the Swiss Franc. And, other countries that do celebrate individuals have a far more diverse representation (see chart below),

Educators. Yes! Musicians. HECK YES! Music educators? DOUBLE HECK YES! I wanna pay for my gas with my bill! I look great in green!

But let's get real... Never gonna happen with a treasury note. But why not a musical note?

I like the idea of commemorating our past and honoring those who helped shape this profession and activity. We don't have a Hall of Fame, and each constituency only honors its own. 

So...

What if we named middle C in honor of someone? What if we called it a (John Phillip) Sousa? What if "A" below middle C was in called a Duke (Ellington - Take the A Train). Or, how about "F#" being a (Paula) Crider, (Linda) Moorhouse, or (Mallory) Thomson?

If we did this, we would not only be teaching music history but also musical literacy.

We wouldn't have to stop there either, and we could do the same thing with rhythms. Seriously, we call our rhythms "ratamacues" and "paradiddles”, is that any sillier? Who named those things, and what were they drinking?

What about key signatures, or commonly used chord progressions? Heck, we could even name intervals (we could call a 7th "a Bernstein," and a sixth "a Williams)." So many possibilities. But, we would first have to ask some important questions like:

  • Do low notes only get named after tuba players and double bassists?

  • Same question for high notes and piccolos.

  • Do chord progressions get named after composers?

  • How do we select great teachers who don't necessarily have spectacular ensembles when honoring educators?

  • How do we ensure representation for underrepresented groups in a profession that lacks diversity?

  • How do we remember the past but honor people doing incredible work in the present?

  • How do we balance the art of performance with the art of teaching?

So many things to consider. So many possibilities. But, they all boil down to this question. Who are the people that helped build, develop, and shape the profession of music education and how to honor them.

The United States? Nope, we only include heads of state and politicians. I don't mind paying for things using my benjamins; I just wish it was Britten and not Franklin. Wait, he's English! Crud. You got any ideas? 

Have a great week.

- Scott


p.s. You should have gotten an invite to register your students for next week's student leader event—just another benefit of being a Patron.

The Emperor's New Clothes and Pluralistic Ignorance

In Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes, two con artists enter the kingdom and convince the Emporer that they make the finest clothes in all of the land. They further hoodwink him into believing that anyone unable to see these clothes (and their beauty) was too stupid to see it. 

The con artists continued to require gold, silk, and other precious items for the king's new outfit, only to use them for their own ill-gotten gain. 

They eventually produce nothing but, fearful of being thought of as stupid, the king pretends not only to see the outfit, but to appreciate it for all its beauty. Once word leaked of the situation, the king's men and townspeople kept silent and agreed with the king so as not to be thought of as stupid by their peers.

Finally, a small child comes forth and screams "The emperor has NO clothes!" The child's unwillingness to go along with the ruse forced one and all to admit that they had been tricked and duped by two swindlers.

The Emperor's New Clothes is a perfect example of pluralistic ignorance. The emperor believed that everyone agreed with him, when actually they did not.

Pluralistic ignorance abounds in our society, and it is linked to everything from global warming, political affiliations, and even the War in Ukraine. Wherever there is power, there is pluralistic ignorance, even in your classroom.

Maybe you think your students like a piece of music more than they actually do. Or, they are more excited about next year's show or new uniform design than they actually are. Perhaps you think your jokes are funnier than they do!

On a more pragmatic or instructional level - maybe you think a passage is more accessible than they do, or your rehearsal pacing is spot on, when they feel overwhelmed or bored. Perhaps you think they are practicing more or less than they actually are.

Remember the emperor? His inability to see what was right in front of him (the mirror) was the genesis of his foolishness, and his pride and vanity made him unable to see the truth for what it was.

When I look back to my days in the classroom (and perhaps my current days on a stage), I clearly see the emperor in me. I was so sure, so certain, so in control. I believed I had all the answers. And when I knew I didn't, my pride wouldn't let me be vulnerable enough to admit that I couldn't see what was right in front of me. I couldn't hear what others heard and was at times unable to solve problems that others had. 

In short, I was making it all up and pretending that I had all of the answers when I didn't. Youthful inexperience? For sure. Self-preservation? Likely. Ego? Most certainly! Whatever the reason, early on, I was more comfortable being the emperor, the fool, than I was in being honest and humble.

I imagine some of my students saw right threw me and knew of my tomfoolery; fortunate for me, they were kind enough not to point it out, thus allowing me to continue with my pluralistic ignorance.

Have a great week.

- Scott

p.s. I am doing a free virtual student leadership workshop for my Patrons and their students next April 26th. Stay tuned for details.

ALL THE WORLD'S A RAGE

Have you noticed that people seem just a bit crazed, a tad furious, and a little on edge lately? Have you seen more finger-pointing, chest-pounding, and "birds" flying than you used to? Do you see less selflessness and more selfishness in your world?

Well, you're not alone.

During the pandemic, disorderly, rude, and unhinged conduct seems to have caught on as much as Ozark and making sourdough bread. Everything from rudeness and selfishness to physical violence has increased. There are fistfights in parking lots, assaults on planes, and armed parents coming to school board meetings.

During the pandemic, disorderly, rude, and unhinged conduct seems to have caught on as much as Ozark and making sourdough bread. Everything from rudeness and selfishness to physical violence has increased. There are fistfights in parking lots, assaults on planes, and armed parents coming to school board meetings. 

Why is this happening and how do we fix it? Answer incorrectly and I will slap you across the face! (jk - You're a Patron, I only slap the people who get the free version!)

Best exemplified by Will Smith's "slap heard round the world," the source of it all is much deeper, darker, and older than you might think. In fact, people have been behaving with increased aggression for the past several years. And schools are not immune to this. 

None of us are immune to it, and I am sure my sixteen-year-old would swear it's true. Me? I just swear. My son claims to be the victim of my rage, while I point out he is the source. We are not alone in our battle. Since the pandemic, teens are becoming both the source and the target of increased aggression. 

A recent report from Education Week states, "Sexual assaults, physical attacks, and other hostile behaviors in schools rose significantly during the pandemic. Hate crimes, in particular, which frequently involve students targeted based on their race, national origin, or sexual orientation, increased by an estimated 81 percent in recent years. And an estimated 20 percent of students in middle and high schools were bullied in school in recent years." 

This report doesn't factor in pistol-packing parents storming board meetings, screaming expletives, and insanity towards volunteers serving their community.

Of course, people like you and me are always cool, calm, and collected. But, others around us are blowing their lids and turning America into an indig-nation. How did rage against the machine turn into rage against teens, and how do we fix it? 

(You know where this is headed, right?)

Music.

Yep, music is the answer to this problem. Think about it. When was the last time you read a headline about a music kid committing some heinous act? When was the last time one of your rehearsals had an open drill spot because a student got suspended for selling drugs or fighting? How often do you write referrals or have to call parents compared to your colleagues?

I could argue it's having a creative outlet or calming influence. I could talk about the culture of respect and having caring adults and role models. 

Yes, music reduces stress, anger, and anxiety in young people AND the adults who teach them.

I could make a well reasoned, passionate, and convincing case that our student leadership development and culture of respect are the root reason for this.

I really don't care why it is. I just care that it is.

If your school community wants kind, hard-working, respectful, and responsible kids, they should surround them with more kind, hard-working, respectful, responsible kids.

I have never understood why education spends so much time, money, effort, and attention on those who do wrong instead of those who do right. And to that same end, it is an ineffective route to develop new programs rather than using programs that are already in place and have a track record of success. Do you invest in stocks that continually yield bad results? Do businesses invest in sectors that perform poorly? Do you invest more money in products or services that do not perform as promised?

It's maddening that many students have to take summer school to keep music in their schedule while less academically focused students get free periods or study halls. I do not understand why there is a fee for music classes, but the turnaround class for students who fail is free. I can't make sense that music students fundraise to serve their school while we invest in programs for those who defile it. 

And yes, I realize these are kids, and we must do what we can to save them, which is why we need to invest in music.

If we want excellence, then we must invest in excellence. If we want academic achievement, we must invest in academic achievement. If we want our young people to be involved, engaged, and enthused about school, we must invest in the programs that keep them engaged and enthused. 

If we are to be successful, we must invest in the people and programs that reflect the very best of who we are and reflect the type of school we want to be. For these reasons, and so much more...

We must invest in music.

Otherwise, I'm gonna get mad and slap someone. It's been a while since I was in a band.

Have a great week! 

-Scott


Rental-Health and the Go Home Game

There's no shortage of things to write about this week with so much happening globally. Almost immediately after hitting the send button on Wednesday mornings, I start looking for next week's topic. Given current events (pandemic, Ukraine, and the slap heard around the world), there is no shortage of things to discuss. Yet all week, I was uninspired.

Yesterday, sitting in front of a blank word doc in a writing malaise, my wife and I bounced ideas back and forth, yet I felt nothing. Then, I found this story about a man who does just that, NOTHING. 

I hope his story of doing nothing has you feeling something. 

Enjoy!

Rental-Health and the Go Home Game

For years, in Japan and South Korea, there's been a cottage industry of renting strangers to impersonate friends, family, or significant others to save face at social functions where plus-ones are expected.

One man stands above all the rest in this small, but growing, industry: Shoji Morimoto. 

Morimoto is in every way an unremarkable man. He is average height, average weight, average looking, and has a remarkably unremarkable past. He is known as Japan's "do-nothing guy."

Over the last few years, Shoji Morimoto, 38, has offered himself as a warm body who can be there, keeping people from being isolated or alone. Morimoto, nicknamed "Rental-san," is known throughout Japan; he has inspired a television series, written several books, and has drawn worldwide attention through his viral social media posts, where he has over half-million followers.

Morimoto's gigs have run the gamut and show no consistent pattern other than he fills a void. He has waited at the finish line of a marathon, sat with someone while they finished their thesis, listened to health-care workers describe the mental health toll of the pandemic, and quietly sat with divorcees who were not used to eating alone.

He will go wherever you want and be a passive spectator whenever you like. He's there for people at a significant moment in their life, who want to rewrite a traumatic memory, or experience a vulnerable moment without being alone. Shoji fills that void with no judgment, explanation, or no need to justify. 

Mr. Morimoto has a cult following and built a business by offering himself as another human who can simply be there. 

He has fulfilled roughly 4,000 inquiries and has one to two clients a day, down from three to four before the pandemic. 

Shoji's tales and wide following make me wonder how many people out there wish they had, or need, a Rental-san in their life. Someone to accompany, witness, or be there when someone doesn't want to be alone. I also wonder how many young people use our rehearsal spaces and hallways for this exact purpose. 

As a teacher, I experienced this virtually every day. I would see kids who would rather sit in my band room and do homework, read a book, or do any other host of non-musical activities, in the presence of others rather than in the solitude and privacy of their own home. Almost daily, when my work was done, I would grab my things and say, "Hey kids, let's play a game!" The 10 or 15 teenagers would respond in unison, "The go-home game!"

These students didn't use their time to practice their music or master a skill. They were not working on theory or performing service projects for the organization. They were simply there, chatting with friends or doing their homework in the presence of others.

I probably knew what they were doing in the back of my mind, but I never put a name to it. More importantly, I don't know that I took any action to see if I could help. And, if I am being candid, as an over-worked young teacher, it is possible that from time to time, I was doing the same thing, filling my late afternoons with happy music kids, rather than going home to an empty apartment. 

Although there were some regulars, they weren't always the same kids, and the times and durations of their stay varied. I had before-school rental-sans, lunch rental-sans, and after-school rental-sans. Each one had a different story and reason for being there.

But for the most part, and on most days, I was a passive spectator whose only role was to provide the space and time for the experience to occur.

We all know that most of our students will not be professional musicians, and that many young people join groups just to be in a group. Most of us actively foster this family-like feeling and encourage our students to treat our facilities as a second home. We know and put names and faces to the students who spend all of their free time roaming the halls of our facilities looking to fill their time in the presence of others. We just never knew coming out of college that this was part of our job.

Does anyone need a Rental-san? I have thirty-two years of experience. How many years do you have? 

Have a great week!

-Scott

ELMORE AND OUR SINGING HILLS

ELMORE AND OUR SINGING HILLS

High in the hills of Vermont is a little town called Elmore. Elmore is as quaint and charming as you might imagine it. Sitting on the edge of Lake Elmore, the city is a mere 14 miles north of Stowe, a popular ski destination and home to the Trapp Family Lodge. Elmore and the resort are known for their connection to the relatives portrayed in The Sound of Music.

Closer to Montreal than Boston, the less than one thousand residents enjoy a quiet and rural lifestyle that can't be found in larger cities. There are no traffic jams because there are no traffic lights and shopping is a breeze at the two-aisle town store.

If you were to drive through the center of town, you might think that you had traveled back to a different and simpler time. And it would be true, at least if you were to stop off at the town schoolhouse.

You see, the Elmore School is the last remaining one-room schoolhouse in America, and the community is fighting to keep it that way.. 

In a recent article, teacher Diane Nicholls describes her experience at the school founded in 1850, "I don't feel like I'm living in the 19th-century, but it is charming."

She further explained, "In many ways, our school is not that different from other schools. Last week, my students practiced nonfiction writing. A first-grade student wrote about chickens, while a few desks over, a third-grader wrote about her favorite animal, polar bears. Kids write and draw on paper, with iPads handy on their desks to research questions."

Yes, this quaint and charming school reminds us of a simpler time. A time without global warming, global conflict, and a time without music! Well, at least music in schools.

In a 2019 article, David Guion wrote, "The earliest documented American school instrumental music program began in 1857 at Boston's Farm and Trade School. A few other similar programs existed in the last half of the nineteenth century, but they had no standard instrumentation and offered no academic credit. 

These various ensembles of stringed and wind instruments hardly count as orchestras or bands, as they were poorly instrumented, barely instructed, ad-hoc after-school programs."

World War I, and its requisite military bands, provided visibility and viability to modern concert bands, demonstrating the value of structured music-making. Shortly after that, music programs began emerging in schools. But, only after veterans returned home from World War II and the following baby boom occurred did we see band programs explode.

Jere T. Humphreys, writing in 1989, concluded, "Although the golden age of bands was from 1870 through Sousa's death in 1932, we are now living in the golden age of school instrumental performing ensembles."

Yes, despite being at the tail end of a global pandemic and all of its mitigating strategies, we are still in the golden age of music education.

Music education is a relatively young activity. Our entire profession is only seventy-five years old; we barely qualify for Social Security! People walking around today went to schools that did not have a band or orchestra.

Most instrument manufacturers, publishers, retailers, uniform producers, and furniture manufacturers are born of the same era. When you think of more recent adjunct businesses like drill design, electronic tuners, and assessment software, you see the infancy of our profession, the immensity of our future, and the impact it will have.

Music education has been growing since the first band in 1857, and despite this minor blip in time, it will continue to grow for another one hundred and fifty years. I know this because even in the one-room Elmore School, they have general music. So, in Elmore and beyond, the hills really are alive with the sound of music.

Have a great week! 

-Scott

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Scott Lang Leadership 505 South Camellia Drive Chandler, Arizona 85225 United States

DICKEY V. AND MARCH MADNESS

I hope you enjoyed last week's webinar. I really enjoyed sharing new content with you. For those of you who could not make it, you can see a recording on our Facebook page.


It's time to put on your dancing shoes because it's that time of year. The Big Dance, a.k.a. MARCH MADNESS.

Everyone loves this time of year, as winter turns to spring, and most of us indulge ourselves in the madness that is the NCAA Tournament. What started with James Naismith and some peach baskets in 1891 has evolved into something very different in 2022. 

Whether you follow college basketball religiously or only watch the games during March, you likely have at least a cursory understanding of who's hot and who's not. You probably know a good Cinderella story and secretly hope Coach K wins one last one on his way out the door.

The crowds, the games, THE PEP BANDS! There is nothing quite like it.

You don't have to know anything about college basketball to enjoy the tourney—and even the most casual fan can enjoy the collegiate game. Behind the recruiting, practicing, and extensive training, there is still a certain innocence to college sports, including basketball. And, it's easier to believe that behind the big-time business that is college athletics, the old motto of, "anyone can win on any day," still rings true. 

Initially conceived by then Ohio State Basketball Coach Harold Olsen, the season-ending tournament and subsequent National Championship was created in 1939 and saw his Buckeyes defeated by the Ducks from the University of Oregon.

The NCAA Tournament is the crown jewel of collegiate sports, and dare I say, even more important than the college football playoffs. More teams, more cities, and more hope helps to fuel the imagination and ignite the passion of every fanbase.

March is a time to believe, dream, and hope. But not just in sports, and March is a magical time in music as well. 

Just as with their athletic counterparts, March Madness also applies to music. The hype and hysteria may not be the same, but the frenzy is. Contests are held, ratings are awarded. Auditions lead to All-State bids in which the best of the best collaborate on a stage of a different kind. 

Just like in college basketball, for music teachers, March is busy. March is non-stop. March is MADNESS.

The hardwood court is full, not with 6'10 athletes guarding the paint, but with Winter Guards battling just as fierce to defend their titles. The school musical is in flight, and you are busy recruiting next year's class just as hard as a coach might recruit his incoming class.

There is no bracket. There is no cutting of the net. There is no Dick Vitale screaming, "how do you like that baby?" But that does not make it any less important and challenging.

The grind of seven mon

ths is real. The toll that it takes on you is nothing to be ignored. But, like your athletic counterparts is finite and has an end date. You are almost there. You are advancing and winning like a champion. You will prevail.

Because you are a champion, and that's what champions do during March Madness.

Now, where's our Dickey V? We could use an, "Oh yeah, baby!"

Have a great week!

Scott





For the first time ever - the Wednesday newsletter is on Tuesday. Why? Because this is what I am going to be talking about during my webinar tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST Join me and bring a friend!

(https://guitarcenter.zoom.us/my/bepartofthemusic)

NOSTALGIA AND OUR FRIENDS.

In recent years, our world has become more tense and uncomfortable, and the future is growing ever more uncertain and unpredictable. No one knows what will happen next, but the general trend is not pointing towards a better tomorrow, next week, or next month.

It's during times like these we need Friends. Not friends like Steve, Beth, and Kelijah, but Friends like Chandler, Monica, Joey, Rachel, Ross, and Phoebe!

These are stressful times, the pandemic, war in Ukraine, rising prices, and political uncertainty are enough to send even the heartiest among us running to hide under the covers... with our iPads. It turns out that for most people, nostalgia serves as a pacifier, a hug, and a warm blanky.

It's why we're seeing so many reboots; Friends, Sopranos, Sex in the City, and Fresh Prince of Bel Air, just to name a few. And, rumor has it that Frasier, Night Court, and Beavis and Butthead are not far behind (heh heh - FIRE FIRE). 

All of this serves to remind us that what's old is new, and what's new is old. 



The love of all things old is not a new phenomenon. But, nostalgia is magnified in times of uncertainty. In an article for the New York Times, Melissa Kirsh explains that, "Nostalgia is easily packaged and sold because it promises to create a community out of a cohort. We experience this every day on social media: Strangers become momentary pals when you swap stories of the music you loved or the clothes you wore when you were both in sixth grade. The internet is an endlessly renewing nostalgia mine from which anyone can, at any time, extract a cultural gemstone — a music video from the early days of MTV, a jingle for a product long out of circulation — and post it for all to appreciate."

The word nostalgia comes from the Greek language and roughly translated means, "a longing to return home."

For the moment, nostalgia is serving a purpose. It provides a retreat, a respite, a way to feel less alone. It makes sense that some of us would seek and find comfort now in pop culture that feels homelike, that's reliably soothing and predictable, in a world where so much is not.

But it is also limiting.

As I mentioned last week (and will do a deeper dive tonight), clinging to the past means not progressing into the future. The past is comfortable and predictable, while the future is the exact opposite. The pandemic and subsequent war have us all wanting to "return to normal," but no one aspires to be normal. You don't teach normal, program normal, or aspire for kids to be normal. You teach daringly, program creatively, and aspire to greatness.

Normal is limiting. Normal is boring. But more than anything, "normal" implies the past and not the future. The Pandemic has changed us, both professionally and personally and we should learn and grow from it. 

As the word nostalgia states, we all want to return to home, but that might not mean the home of our past, but a new home. A better home. You would not want to return to a home without indoor plumbing, air conditioning or a dishwasher. You wouldn't want a home void of a TV, computer or Wi-Fi. Yes, you could return to that home, but it would not be a better home. 

Yes, we need to be nostalgic, but nostalgic for things to come. Nostalgic for what's to be. And nostalgic not for what we were, but what we will become.

Tonight, I will be presenting I Teach for Me; A New Pathway Forward. During this forty-five-minute presentation, I will guide you through a reflective process that will remind you of the best that your past offers, but inspire you about what the future has yet to bring.

Bring a beverage, something to write with, and a friend.

NO, not Friends, they can wait. 

Just a friend. 

See you tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST

- Scott

RISE AND FALL – FALL AND RISE

Mikaela Pauline Shiffrin is an epic Alpine skier. And, when I say epic, I mean EPIC! Mikaela is the most decorated American alpine skier in history, having won eleven Olympic medals with a record six of them being gold. Additionally, she is a three-time overall World Cup champion, a four-time world champion in slalom, and a six-time winner of the World Cup.

Still not impressed?

Mikaela is also the youngest Olympic slalom champion, has won 47 World Cup races, and is the first and only athlete – male or female – with wins in all six FIS Alpine Ski World Cup disciplines. Her achievements demonstrate that she is the finest American downhill skier ever. 

But, even great athletes have bad days. Recently, Mikaela had a VERY bad day.

Reporting from the BeIjing Olympics, ESPN's D'Arcy Maine said it best when she wrote, "Just two days after crashing 11 seconds into the opening run of the giant slalom race, the 26-year-old American skidded out of control and missed a gate after about 5 seconds on the second run. In short, she slipped. But slipping is a tough way to go when you've spent your life working towards a moment." 

In an interview just after falling for the second time, you see her fighting back the tears and, with a quivering voice, said, "It makes me second-guess the last 15 years, everything I thought I knew about my own skiing and slalom and racing mentality." 

If you were her best friend, what would you tell her? If you were her parent, what would you say? After four years of preparation, seeing her dreams wiped out in a mere sixteen seconds, how would you respond?

As her friend, you would likely shower her with love and remind her that one race does not define her. As her parent, you would acknowledge her pain, but tell her it does not change your love for her. As her coach, you would not speak of the mountain she is on, but the ones she has yet to climb (and come flying down).

You would be right to say these and many more things, because they are true. And they need to be heard.

You may or may not be a skier. And I seriously doubt that you have traveled down a mountain going ninety miles an hour. But you still may have more in common with Mikaela than you might think.

It won't change the hugs, high fives, or Friday night hangs that are going to happen (in and out of school). In my opinion, following the guidance would profoundly impact my sons without providing a profound benefit. The cost is far too great and the benefit far too small.

You trained for years to do a job. You likely have dedicated your life to the pursuit of it. You probably started as a child, became hooked, and decided to make it more than a hobby or sport, but a profession. You learned new ways to play, developed new techniques, and competed against the best. You are at the peak of your career and are admired by many.

And then you slipped.

You did nothing wrong. You were prepared. Just not for this. 

The volatile and unpredictable nature of the pandemic and its TWO major variants have you struggling to stay upright and run (ski) full speed ahead. There are missed rehearsals (slip), prep hours spent subbing (slip), school closures (slip), absence filled classes (slip), enrollment declines (slip), strained budgets (slip), your own absences (slip), canceled events (slip), or any number of the many obstacles that no one saw coming.

You could not have possibly been prepared for this.

For some, after a lifetime of training and development, like Mikaela, you find yourself wondering what the past fifteen years were for and if you want to keep doing this.

If this describes you, know that you're not alone.

According to an NEA (National Education Association) survey, teachers are fed up and burned out. Specifically:

  • 90% say burnout is a "serious problem."

  • 93% say schools should hire more teachers.

  • 86% say they've seen colleagues leave the profession since the start of the pandemic.

  • 55% say they want to quit teaching.

  • Burnout is also not a factor of age or experience: 56% of teachers under 50, 54% of teachers 50 and up, 50% of those with less than a decade teaching, and 57% with more than two decades teaching all say they're likely to quit sooner than they planned.

Half of America's teachers are thinking of leaving the profession. Music education had a burnout problem before the pandemic. Slipping is one thing. Slipping at ninety miles an hour magnifies the impact of the fall tenfold.

Like Mikaela, many of you go ninety miles an hour and feel like you spend more time on the powder than the podium. You are tired, disappointed, and bewildered. You are beat up and beat down, and you're not sure if you want to pick up a baton tomorrow... Or ever again.

What do we do? How do we find the will to rise and try again? How do we heal the heart, rest the body, and find the fire that once burned so brightly?

You need to be reminded that one year (or two) does not define you. And, that the quality of the performance does not change the love your students feel for you. Most importantly, let us not look to the mountain where we have fallen; let us look to the ones we have yet to climb (and come flying down).

Have a great week.

- Scott






GETTING BACK AND FINDING MY BILLY PRESTON

Forty-seven years ago, on January 30th, 1969, the Beatles went to the top of Apple Corps headquarters and played their famous last concert together. Let It Be, the album and film were ultimately released in May 1970 as a prophetic and appropriate title for what would be their final appearance as The Beatles. They announced their break-up six months later.

The now (in)famous Roof Top Concert was a project designed to return to the band's musical origins in rock and roll and their roots as boyhood friends. The band-mates agreed to meet, write, and rehearse for twenty-one days, record an album, and perform a concert—an astonishing feat for any group, much less the world's most famous band.

The band's strife was well documented by this point, and the group was on the borderline of dysfunction. Whether the differences were musical, personal, or just that the band had grown apart, it was clear that the group was struggling. On day six of the project, George Harrison quietly rose from his chair, said the words, "I'm done," and walked out of the room. Done with the project? Done with the band? Both? No one knew for sure.

After a six-day absence, George would return to Apple Records Head Quarters and the Beatles, but he did not come alone. He returned with friend and keyboardist Billy Preston.

Harrison later stated, "He got on the electric piano, and straight away there was 100 percent improvement in the vibe in the room. Having this fifth person was just enough to cut the ice we'd created among ourselves.

According to an article in Rolling Stone Magazine, Harrison said, "Billy didn't know all the politics and the games that had been going on, so in his innocence, he got stuck in and gave an extra little kick to the band. Everybody was happier to have somebody else playing, and it made what we were doing more enjoyable. We all played better, and it was a great session."

Preston's musical contribution on Let It Be speaks for itself. Lennon even lobbied to make Preston a full member of the band — an actual fifth Beatle. "It's bad enough with four!" McCartney supposedly replied. Even so, the Beatles recognized Billy's importance on the single release of "Get Back," which is credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston." This is the first and only time the Beatles credited anyone besides themselves on their records.

The album credit (and desire to add Preston to the band) showed that no matter how talented and successful the Beatles were, they needed something, or someone, new. Someone to bring them together, eliminate the tribalism, remind them of their manners, and provide a musical spark.

We all need some Billy Preston sometimes.

The pandemic has stopped us from traveling and seeing other groups. It has stopped or changed the way we go to festivals and contests. It has limited or eliminated guest conductors and how we recruit from our feeder programs. It has isolated us physically, emotionally, and musically. We are stuck on the same island (music education), but isolated to our own tribes and growing weary, anxious, and perhaps a wee bit irritable.

Teaching music has always occurred in a vacuum. Few of us have co-directors to collaborate with, and while other curricula (band/choir/orchestra) and age levels (ES/MS/HS) are similar, they are not the same. 

We need Billy. 

We need someone to remind us to be on our best behavior. Someone who can challenge us and spark our musical and teaching skills. Someone who thinks and conducts in different ways than we do. Someone who can help us navigate the reopening and bring us back together.

Who is your Billy Preston, and when was the last time you had a cup of coffee or had them in front of your group?

I don't know about you, but lately, I have been in a bit of a funk. I have pandemic fatigue, and I know I'm not the only one. Except for a small window this past summer, I have been off the road and on an island for over two years. 

Between the Two of Us, I've Got a Feeling, and I can't Let it Be. It's time to Get Back from this Long and Winding Road. 

Where are you, Billy? I need you. 

Have a great week.

-Scott

p.s. Save the date of March 8th. I will be holding a live – virtual Patron event and would love to see you there.

p.p.s. If you have not joined the FB group, here is the link: https://fb.me/g/39FGGE4Ig/r6O66P42

p.p.p.s In researching for this article, I discovered that Billy lived about 10 miles from me before his death. Small world.