Recurring Dreams and the Job I Never Asked For


I have a recurring dream, several, actually. One happened just the other night.

It was my final semester before graduating college, and I needed just a few more credits to graduate, one of them being in math. The final exam was mere hours away, and I suddenly remembered that I had not been to class in months. Nor had I done any of the homework required to pass. I awoke panicked, believing my future career and life were in jeopardy. How could be so stupid and reckless? How could I have placed myself in such jeopardy? How did I let this happen? 

Then I slowly came about, realizing that none of this was real, and that I had successfully graduated college some thirty years ago. Ironically, I never even took math in college, choosing to double up on science instead. So, I was having nightmares about a class I never took and did not need to graduate.

I understand that I am not alone in this dream or any other of my recurring ones (someone chasing me relentlessly, or being naked in a public place). But having angst and anxiety about something that has never happened, nor ever will, is odd, right? Shouldn't I be having nightmares about real things, like a financial depression, a natural disaster, or an oboe apocalypse?

Why school? Why now? 

In an article in The Atlantic, Deirdre Barrett, a dream researcher at Harvard University and the author of Pandemic Dreams and The Committee of Sleep, explained school dreams in this way: "It's a common theme, not only for people who are still in school, but for people who are far into adulthood, and who have been out of school forever."

Barrett further explained, "These dreams tend to pop up when the dreamer is anxious in waking life, particularly about being evaluated by an authority figure, which makes sense based on my current life experiences and situation."

This is even true in music.

She found, "People who play music at an early age tend to experience anxiety dreams, not about school, but about auditions— where they dealt with authority figures who could most easily crush them. In each of these dream scenarios, we revisit the space where we first experienced success or failure based on our performance."

Wait. Say what?! You mean, not only am I having recurring dreams, I am a part of someone else's recurring dreams? After all, I auditioned students and assigned playing tests. I passed judgments every hour of every day. Is there a teacher on campus who judges more frequently than a music teacher? Pitch, articulation, balance, blend, timing, space, technique... We pass more judgments every day than Judge Judy did in 42 years on the bench.

Now I am to understand that my job is the source of someone else's midnight angst. Someone should have mentioned this in my practicum class.

Ok, back to my dream.

In the same article, Jane Teresa Anderson, author of The Dream Handbook states, "What might be behind that dream scenario (being back at school and having to take this final) is feeling tested in life, feeling that you have to respond to other people's expectations, and feeling that you're not meeting them."

She goes on to state that dream researchers believe that these dreams recur when they do to provide us with another lesson from a past experience. In the case of my dream of being judged, the lesson from thirty years ago is still the same one I need to learn today, which is not to be affected by what other people think (of me).

So recurring dreams are rooted in lessons I still need to learn from people that influenced me. Hmmm.

Does that mean that all of my students who don't have recurring nightmares mastered the lesson of self-analysis and evaluation, or was I simply not an influence on them?

Let's go with the former.

We all know the lessons of learning and making music extend far beyond our classroom walls, but to know that it extends beyond our waking hours is simply unreal. As a teacher seventeen years ago, it turns out that I wasn't just filling their days; I am currently still haunting their dreams. That is simultaneously super cool and super creepy.

I have a night job! But, I don't want a night job. How do I get out of this? How do I stop haunting my former students?

Jane Anderson states that you can attempt to resolve these issues by processing through the dream, but producing a favorable resolution. So to all of my former students, imagine yourself completing that playing exam or scale test, then turning to me and saying, "I appreciate you listening, but I choose to grade myself."

Perhaps the reason I don't haunt their dreams is the fact I did have my students grade themselves on every test. In fact, their grade was worth 50%, or as much as mine. In 16 years, on only two occasions were my students' grades higher than mine. My experience is kids are always tougher on themselves than I will ever be.

So I guess their dreams are safe from me after all.

Me? I will imagine myself in that state of panic, walking into the lecture hall, but envision the professor saying, "This test doesn't matter; you don't need it to graduate. But, would you please put some clothes on?!"

That will solve two problems at once.

Have a great week! 

Scott

p.s. I don't have any recurring nightmares about teaching. I wonder why? Do you?

Bach, Van Gogh, and My Life As Art.

Prologue: Thanks for your patience as I wander abroad with my family. A special shout out to Ashley, who specifically asked me not to write, and enjoy the time with my family. Your note was lovely (see what Europe is doing to me?). But for me, writing and speaking are how I think. I throw everything out there to assess, digest, and process. This particular communique is an attempt to do just that. It's a bit different - but, I like that I can be different with this special group. 

I hope you enjoy.

- Scott

Bach, Van Gogh, and My Life As Art.

As my family and I wandered the streets of Paris, we found our way into a centuries-old bookstore in the Latin Quarter called Shakespeare & Company. I was fascinated as I worked my way through the small, disjunct store where Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Salinger had all spent time. 

After spending time browsing the unknown and unfamiliar, I sought assistance from the owner and operator to find my go-to book, Illusions, Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach. It is a book I buy, collect, and give away to friends regularly.

Written in 1974 by author Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull), the book is equal parts fantasy and philosophy, and tells the tale of two wayfaring strangers as they travel, talk, and learn about life. Even after reading it more than a dozen times, I still find it hard to fully understand whether Bach is writing a fantasy/fiction piece, or if he is spinning a narrative of a historical documentary that is played out only in his head.

The book begins with grease-stained pages and a handwritten text... 

"There once was a Master, born unto the Holy Land of Indiana, raised in the mystical hills of Fort Wayne. The Master learned of the land in the public schools of Indiana, and as he grew as a mechanic, he grew as a student of life..."

At first, it is hard to tell where Bach is coming from. But, don't worry, his perspective of reality only gets more distorted (and interesting) from there. By the end, you will find yourself, sitting fireside with the two main characters, thinking about life, and the meaning of it all.

Even if you have not read the work in its entirety, you likely have read its excerpts, as it is among the most quoted books of the modern era. Bach's first quote in the book is among my favorites and set's the tone of what is to come in a masterful yet unrevealing way. 

From the very first page, the author challenges every pre-conceived notion associated with a conventional life, and challenges us to abandon all boundaries and set a path based on what we want to achieve, versus what we believe is possible.


"We are each given a block of marble when we begin a lifetime, and the tools to shape it into an artistic sculpture."

Our life is a work of art. Hmmm... 

What medium would I be? What colors or sounds would I use? What is the final piece meant to represent and achieve? I am not sure I can answer that just yet. But, let me try.

As a part of my family's travels, we visited the Van Gogh Museum. I was overwhelmed not just by Van Gogh's genius, but the sheer voluminous of his work. Talk about non-stop, he created thousands of works, large and small, in just ten short years. I was both inspired by his all-consuming passion & work ethic, and simultaneously embarrassed at how my body of work over a similar time frame might compare. This feeling was only magnified when I fully understood the depth, complexity, and nature of his work.

Let me explain. 

As a part of the exhibit, the museum displayed his famous work Sunflowers in various states of completion. First as a symmetrical layout, then a charcoal sketch, followed by a complete pencil drawing, and then the final step of color, texture, and paint. In other words, each work, was really four different works building on each other. I wasn't looking at two thousand words, I was really looking at eight thousand works. All completed in ten years. INSANE!

Let's get back to the work of Richard Bach. Life is a work of art. Now let's look at it through the lens of Van Gogh. Life is art + art is a four step process.

How do you view your (professional) life? What is your medium, and where are you in your artistic timeline? Are you just starting to sketch the symmetrical outline? Are you adding the final touches of color and nuance? Or, like most of us, are you somewhere in the charcoal sketch and pencil phase? Wherever you are, are you living a life of purpose? And, is it a life of your choice?

As music educators, we are blessed beyond most other professions. This (work) life is one of sacrifice and solitude, but also one filled with purpose and passion, which gives our days and nights meaning that others might not have. As Donald Shimoda (Bach's sherpa like main character) reminds us:

"An easy life doesn't teach us anything. In the end it's learning that matters, what we've learned, and how we've grown."

As music educators, our lives are anything but easy, and growing, musical and otherwise, is an unavoidable professional hazard.

So back to life is art...

For multiple reasons, I've been thinking a lot about this journey as of late. Where am I? What am I trying to say? Where do I want to be? And, how can I get from here to there?

These are not simple questions or answers.

Like many of you, I struggle between choosing the fanciful and fantastical, over the practical and applicable. I want to lead a life filled with purpose and passion, but have to be mindful of my riole a parent and provider. Where is the balance between living in bold strokes and strong colors? How do I be vibrant while still having subtle hues and soft corners?

I don't have the answers just yet, but I am working on it. After thirty-two years, the geometry is laid out. My hands are filled with charcoal and my fingernails with lead. But, I have yet to apply a single color or brush stroke. What stands before me is a black-and-white palate, mocking me to make my first move and complete the work. But, what it will be is yet to be determined. Picasso painted everything from the Abstract to the Impressionist. Whimsical to historical. Landscapes to people. What separated these works? Not the first three steps (symmetry, charcoal, and pencil), but the final step, color.

As Richard Bach reminds us, 

"Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't." 

I guess my work and life are still far from a masterpiece, but I am not even close to being finished. How about you?

Have a great week.

Scott

p.s. If you enjoyed this blog, consider picking up a copy of Illusions. If the interest is there, but the finances are not, email me your home address and I will send you a copy, my treat.

p.p.s. Spoiler alert - As a part of the book, you will experience a "What the HECK!" moment. You will know it when you get to it. Upon arriving there, if you are so inclined, reach out to me and let's compare notes.

p.p.s. I do feel better now Alicia. What did you think?

America First = School Music Last

This is not a political post - just a thought piece on why America does not support something so uniquely American.

American exceptionalism is a populist idea based on the belief that America (and Americans) are inherently different (and better) than other nations and people. As we approach the mid-term elections, you will hear this phrase often! 

The term's genesis dates back to the revolutionary war, in which a "new and different" nation emerged that was different from what the world had previously seen. However, recent events (and people) have brought about a resurgence of the phrase and the populist agenda accompanying it. Nothing exemplifies this value system more succinctly than the phrase "America First."

Listen, I'm as patriotic as the next person. I listen to country music, love me some apple pie, and even root for the Cowboys (not)! I love my country and the people who serve it.

But, I'm calling bunk on the term, and question 
if we REALLY put America first.

After all, if we are so star-spangled proud of our red, white, and blue awesomeness, shouldn't we make a bigger deal about band? Shouldn't we show more pride of ownership and support it at a commensurate level? In fact, in-school music programs are relatively unique to America as well. Where is the Music First agenda?

America First should = School Music First!


In the late 1800s, Lowell Mason helped to establish public school music programs across America. These programs emphasized singing as well as the teaching of fundamentals in music.

The evolution from music to band would have to wait nearly 100 years until the 1920's, when musicians trained in the service returned home from World War I. Aided by the nation's love of another uniquely American art form, Jazz, school music programs began a slow and steady ascent into our nation's cultural identity. Music groups taught by returning war veterans? Yankee Doodle YES! 

Can it get more patriotic than that? Nowadays, it is hard to attend any public or political event where some variation of live music isn't present.

Yes, there are public school programs in many other countries, but to be clear, they copied it from us! They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; all music educators should be flattered.

We can't take credit for the symphony orchestra or chamber music. Choirs and symphonies existed long before Betsy Ross and the Declaration of Independence. But, school music is something uniquely ours. America First should = School Music First.

So why don't we take more pride in it? Why do programs need to fundraise to buy instruments? Why are parents forced to buy music and help pay staff costs when no other curricula require that of their parents? Why are we needed to perform at football games but not given the operating budget to do it well? Why are kids playing on broken instruments and rehearsing in dilapidated rooms? Why do we set graduation requirements and build master schedules that make band all but impossible to participate in without summer school?

In short, why do we say America First and put school music last? Are we all talk and no walk? Is it all just hot air? Are we really America First, or do we just like the slogan?

As I write this blog, I am sitting in Terminal 4 at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. I am traveling across the pond for a family trip delayed two years by the global pandemic. The whole experience has me pondering the political, economic, and artistic differences between the countries and continents. Every country is unique and believes in its exceptionalism. And in most cases, rightly so.

I just want to ensure that we put our money and resources where our mouths are. America First SHOULD means school music first, and that's a platform I get behind.

Should we make some hats and tee shirts? 

Have a great week! 

- Scott


p.s. I am going to try and have a newsletter next week, but travel may make it tough.

Martyrs, Masochists, and Music Education's Quiet Quit

Quiet quitting is a term burning up the internet and spreading across every social media platform. Commonly understood as "not going above and beyond, or working outside the work day," the subject has become a lightning rod for supporters and skeptics alike. 

The once feared post-pandemic "great resignation" never fully materialized, and workers instead seemed to be opting towards keeping their familiar roles but approaching them in a different way. Vilified by some as creating a culture of laziness while hailed by others as a return to a better sense of work/life balance, the quiet quit is real and impacting the way America and the world operate.

A recent study showed that the trend that started during the latter stages of the pandemic has only grown. Currently, 32% of workers are actively engaged in their jobs, 18% are disengaged, and the remaining 50%? Well, they are just... MEH! 

FIFTY PERCENT.

Perhaps even more alarming, but not surprising, is the fact that the trend of disengagement grows as the workers get younger.

Specifically, when polling workers under the age of 35, analysts discovered that:

  • The percentage of engaged employees dropped by six points.

  • From 2019 to 2022, the rate of actively disengaged employees increased by six points.

  • The rate of younger workers who believe their bosses care has dropped by 10 points.

  • Fully remote and hybrid young workers dropped 12 points in engagement.

  • Less than four in 10 young employees know what is expected of them at work.

  • Education is experiencing a similar issue, not just with struggling teachers considering leaving the profession, but with struggling students leaving school. K-12 education in America is compulsory, but post-secondary schools are experiencing an alarming increase in withdrawals and a significant decline in admission applications.

Is music education experiencing its own quiet quit? And, who is it impacting more, the teachers or the students?

Anecdotally speaking, I am hearing from many teachers that while many kids are functioning at pre-pandemic levels, a note-worthy portion of students are doing the bare minimum and not willing to go the extra mile.

Is it just the kids?

I am curious how many educators are working the same amount of hours as they did pre-pandemic? How many have the same rehearsal schedule and are driving just as hard? How many spent as much time this summer in the building as before?In short, how many teachers are teaching the exact same way, and putting in the same hours as they did pre-pandemic? And more importantly, should they be?

If we are different? How and why? And, are we and our students better off because of it? Is this adjustment a thinly veiled pass towards laziness, or is it a return to a better work-life balance and personal health?

Can it be both? 

Is it possible that in all of the craziness of the pandemic, we were able to strip away the unnecessary and unimportant so we can do (work) less, but achieve the same or more?

Is it possible we learned that:

  • We don't need 107 pages of drill, 97 will achieve the same result.

  • Less time in the building during breaks makes for a better teacher for the students.

  • Notes and rhythms are the same in a grade 4.5 composition as they are in a grade 5, but the intensity of teaching it is different.

  • Kids can achieve the same results in nine hours a week that they did in 10.

  • Regardless of the level of demand, or difficulty of the source material, kids still smile, and laugh the same.

Most importantly, did we discover that we can be just as good, if not a better teacher, working 50 hours a week instead of 60? (And to be clear, 50 is still too much.)

Yes, the world is full of quiet quitters, and music education is no different. Similar to the workplace study, 32% of music teachers may have returned to full engagement and are embracing the grind.

Are they a martyr or masochist? You can decide for yourself.

Me? I don't want to be either.

Have a great week!

- Scott



Boys 2 Men and Being Held Back.

It has been a long-accepted notion that, as a general rule, girls mature faster and earlier than boys. As the proud father of two knuckleheaded boys, I can provide a laundry list of anecdotal and empirical data to validate this. 

An article in The Atlantic Magazine looks at this idea. Redshirt the Boys: Why boys should start school a year later than girls, author Richard V. Reeves writes, "The idea of a delayed school start—often referred to as "redshirting," a term borrowed from athletics—got a burst of attention in 2008, when Malcolm Gladwell presented evidence in his book Outliers that children older than their classmates do better on academic tests and in life generally. The value of a later start, which many educators call "the gift of time," is an open secret in elite circles." 

This delay in starting school is most commonly used with boys, as the disparity in development and the benefits of additional time are evident to parents and teachers. In fact, a Rand survey showed that teachers are three times more likely to delay entry for their sons than their daughters.

The article further states, "The maturity gap is now demonstrated conclusively by neuroscience: Brain development follows a different trajectory for boys than it does for girls. But this fact is entirely ignored in broader education policy, even as boys fall further behind girls in the classroom."

And it's not just in the classroom. 

My youngest son is a pretty good athlete. He recently went out for his junior high school football team—seventy-seven kids vying for twenty spots.

I went to watch the last day of tryouts, and I was stunned by the sheer disparity in the physical size of the boys. Some of the boys were not only a year older, but had gone through puberty and were closer to being men than boys. I thought, "How can my son compete with someone who is a year older and has a demonstrable physical advantage that creates an unlevel playing field?" 

So, we know the maturity gap impacts cognitive and physical development, but what about music? Specifically:

  • How do delayed motor and cognitive development impact the music-making process?

  • Does lack of physical development and dexterity make playing an instrument more difficult?

  • Are boys less musically mature than girls? Are they able to understand phrases and attach emotion to making music at the same level as girls?

  • When does the music achievement gap close (if ever)?

  • Would boys benefit from starting the music-making process a year later than girls?

  • Or, would having boys start a year earlier/later level the playing field?

Additionally, and perhaps even more critical, is the impact of puberty, both cognitively and physically. Girls typically start puberty a full two years before boys. TWO YEARS! How does that change the way kids learn and create music?

Tomorrow night, I will attend my son's first middle school band concert. The father in me will sit there and be a proud father. The teacher in me will be in awe of how his band director corralled seventy 7th graders and put together a concert in eight weeks. But the advocate in me will wonder, is there a similar but less apparent musical disparity between the boys and girls on stage?

In short, are we hurting boys by not recognizing these differences and teaching accordingly? And, are we holding girls back by placing them with boys who might not process information in the same way or speed as they do?

Should we separate our ensembles not on ability or instrumentation, but by maturity? And if we did, how would that impact not just the music, but our student retention rate?

I know that not every child matures at the same rate, and every person is different. I'm just saying, I just finished arguing with my son about how Vans don't qualify as dress shoes, and joggers, albeit black, not being dress pants.

I doubt my friends with girls are having the same argument. 

Scott



Divided We Fall and Being Different Than Me 


Our nation's academic achievement scores (NAEP)were released this past Thursday, and the results were not good. The scores are the first real empirical evidence of the impact of the pandemic.

The tests were administered nationwide during the first quarter of 2020 and 2022 and showed reading scores plunging to their lowest levels since 1990 — and math scores dropping for the first time in history, dating back to the 1970s. 

Daniel McGrath from the United States Department of Education stated, "Students in 2022 are performing at a level last seen two decades ago. These are some of the largest declines we have observed in a single assessment cycle in 50 years."

The greatest decline in learning outcomes among lower achieving students was even more concerning. Higher performing students — those in the 90th percentile — only showed a three percentage point drop in math scores, compared with under-performing students — those in the 10th percentile — experiencing a 12-point drop. Math scores for Black students fell 13 points, compared to a 5-point decrease among white students.

Plummeting test scores and a widening socio-economic and ethnic achievement gap? Like I said, not good.

I am sure that somewhere in the land of music education, there is someone who teaches like me or speaks like me. Someone who infuses leadership lessons into their classrooms, and enjoys a bit of levity. I know others faced similar struggles and achieved similar results. 

As I said, music and academia are in lockstep in some ways, but in others, we differ significantly.

The similarities between music and the rest of academia are striking. The achievement/skill mastery has declined significantly, with students in underserved or remote areas more significantly than those in high-performing suburban regions. Not just in achievement, but in enrollment as well. 

We see students for multiple years, which means we experience the impact for multiple years. Furthering the pain, in music, we often utilize peer-to-peer modeling to help teach and guide other students. In that sense, we are not only experiencing learning loss, but leader loss as well.

Last year, you likely had many students who struggled due to lost instructional time. The younger ones may have only played in person for six months before the pandemic hit and struggled to regain their lost skills. Fortunately, you likely had older students who had played for many years before the pandemic and returned to form in no time.

Now it's a new year, and it should get better, right? Not necessarily, as you now likely have TWO highly impacted classes and only ONE class to model and help move the group forward—double the number of affected students, half the number of leaders to help. 

Next year could be even tougher for high school teachers, as your program will likely contain 100% impacted students!

Why do I share this? So that if you are feeling the added weight and drag, know that it isn't you, and you're not alone. 

Maybe this is not your experience. Perhaps you and your program are humming along at top speed with no added drag.

But, I can imagine myself back in a classroom, frustrated and confused, feeling like I am stuck in neutral while everyone else is moving forward. I know I would benefit from someone reminding me to invest in the fundamentals (musical and leadership) and focus on growth, not achievement. I would need to structure this in a way that would require me to invest real rehearsal time to ensure future success (timed warm-up, leadership lesson Monday, etc.). And I would want an occasional reminder that the rating, score, or grade level of music does not necessarily reflect the quality of the instruction. 

I would need this because I know me! I would run before I walked, push too hard, and leap before looking. I would pick too much music that is too difficult. Thinking it would solve the problem, I would spend too much time on the music and not enough on fundamentals and be frustrated with myself after every failed rehearsal.

You wouldn't make those mistakes. You wouldn't be that hard on yourself. You would understand that student success is all that matters, no matter where and how it is achieved. You would be able to disassociate your measure of self-worth from a score or trophy. You would clearly understand that more (drill/music/concerts/etc.) is not better; getting better is better. And, as long as your groups improve, you are killing it. Finally, you would understand that while these are among the most challenging years of your career, they are also among the best, because you are having a REAL impact, and are making a REAL difference. 

Of course, you would know all that and more because you aren't like me. 

I just thought I would share in case you are.

Have a great Wednesday, Patrons. 

Scott

Teens vs. Toddlers and Killing Time 

Hey Patrons:

This past weekend, I was chatting with a friend with several young children. He asked me what the difference was between parenting toddlers versus teens. I told him, "Parenting toddlers is physically draining; parenting teens is emotionally draining."

Like every parent of a teenager, I worry. I worry about how he is doing academically, socially, and emotionally. I worry about him making smart choices. I worry about who he hangs out with and what choices they make. I worry about what he watches and see online. I even have an app that tells me where he goes and how fast he drives. Yep - I worry.

But, my worries are justified.

Rates of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use among teenagers are concerning, and the impact of fentanyl alone will scare the living bejeesus out of you. 

Yea, binge-watching Breaking Bad, Ozark, and Better Call Saul, aren't helping things, but holy smokes, it's scary out there.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "about one-third of high schoolers consumed alcohol in the last month, and 18 percent had five or more drinks when they did so. One in five had used marijuana in the past month, and more than 5 percent had used cocaine or hallucinogenic drugs. Just over 10 percent of high schoolers smoke cigarettes."

A pair of Washington State University professors think they know the answer to dealing with teens making bad choices, increased academic rigor, and accountability. More math, more science.

Professors Zhuang Hao and Benjamin Cowan examined the number of math and science courses required for a high school diploma and the relationship to risky behavior among high school students. Their data spanned from 1993 to 2011 and included over 100,000 students across 47 states.

According to the study, these increases in state math and science high school graduation requirements reduced alcohol consumption without any offsetting increase in marijuana or cigarette use. More demanding academic standards decreased the number of days teenagers drank and the rate at which they engaged in binge drinking (defined as more than five drinks at a time).

The study doesn't explain why greater graduation requirements might reduce risky behavior, but the authors offer two hypotheses. First, greater demands at school take more time: longer hours doing homework and studying. Students who spend more time on schoolwork have less time to do other things.

(Ok - I have had you endure this long enough, so let me rip the band-aid off.)

WWWEELLLL DDUUUUUHHHHH! (Sorry my inner 7th grader just came out)

Seriously? You needed eighteen years, and not one, but TWO college professors to figure that one out? Well, that should make the list of dumbest studies ever. 

Let's review these revolutionary findings.

  • Kids who spend more time studying have less time to make bad choices.

  • Kids more invested in academics are less likely to act in a way that jeopardizes their standing.

  • Kids who are surrounded by other good kids tend to perform better academically.

  • Kids who attend academically challenging schools/and are more successful.

I didn't need a multi-decade study to know that. I know that - because that is what we do every day in our music classes.

  • Music places students in an environment of accountability.

  • Music increases the rigor and demand every year.

  • Music requires far more out-of-school time than math, leaving them less vulnerable.

  • Music surrounds kids with other invested students and families.

  • Music places them in events that push them to be better than their sister schools.

The question is not does increased rigor/demand make kids better; the question is, where are the rigor and demand the highest?

The answer? Music!

Physical, cognitive, emotional, tactile, etc. It's all there! It is the complete package of rigor and demand. I don't understand why people can't see this.

I propose a study. I want to take 10,000 highly performing/successful students and compare their class schedules. Let's look at their non-required courses and see if these students have anything in common.

My study doesn't aim to find out what makes kids great; it seeks to find out where it is happening.

That's a study worth reading. 

Have a great week Cuppers. 

Scott 

An Island Unto Yourself, Wilson, and Your Doppelganger 


When you hear the word Doppelganger, you think of someone who has a strong resemblance to someone else, almost to the point they look like a twin.

There is growing evidence that despite the fact that almost everyone has a Doppleganger, and that they might even share some similar DNA structure, they are not the same person.

According to a recent study in Journal Cell, Dr. Manel Esteller, a researcher in Barcelona, Spain, said, "We were able to see that these look-alike humans share several genetic variants that may explain the similar physical and facial features. But that does not necessarily mean they will behave the same."

Doppelgangers look similar, but are not actually the same. (This is important moving forward.)

The author further states that Doppelgangers likely have always existed, but genetic testing and the internet have made them easier to find and identify.

The study makes me wonder about my Doppelganger. 
Not my personal one, my professional one. 

I am sure that somewhere in the land of music education, there is someone who teaches like me or speaks like me. Someone who infuses leadership lessons into their classrooms, and enjoys a bit of levity. I know others faced similar struggles and achieved similar results. 

I am not unique in that way. I am certain that I have Doppelgangers, perhaps many of them. But, I am not them, and they are not me.

Most music programs look the same to the untrained eye of the parent, administrator, or even adjudicator. But, if you are trained, and know what to look for, the differences are as apparent as they are significant. 

So while everyone else sees a sea of Doppelgangers, we can feel isolated, alone - and an island unto ourselves.

WIILLLLLSSSSOOOONNNNN!

Yes, from the outside looking in, your program may look similar to others, but it is not.

Yes, we all deal with similar issues (funding, access, facilities, engagement, enrollment, parent support, etc.) We all struggle with underachieving students and the impacts of the widening socio-economic gap. But as much as we deal with the same issues, we deal with them differently. Ways only you can handle, serving children on you understand.

It's only natural to compare yourself to other teachers or programs, and it's understandable to question or doubt yourself. It's a natural and unintended consequence of being in the performing arts. Just know that you are seeing them, just as they see you, as a Doppelganger.

You may not be the only version of yourself. On some days, you may not even be the best version. But, you are THIS version of yourself. And that is enough!

Yes, you likely have a Doppelganger, personal and professional. And yes, they may appear to be very similar to you in some ways. But, to me, that is not a Doppelganger; that is an imposter. And your students need the real thing! 

Have a great week.

Scott

ELIUD KIPCHOGE AND MY MILESTONE - PART 2

As I mentioned yesterday, for the past couple of weeks, the impending double "fives" has had me thinking about "what's next." I've been thinking about this for a while, but Eliud Kipchoge helped clarify what was bouncing around my head. 

What is my 1:59:59? 

Where is my next mountain to climb, or goal to achieve? What task or obstacle is so uniquely suited to my skill sets and life experiences that I can help move the needle in a meaningful way? What is the problem I see differently because of my vantage point? What thoughts keep me up at night and then consumes my days?

I catch brief glimpses of it (my 1:59:59) as I work, think, and write, but don't yet fully understand it. I see its parts, but don't know how to put them together, or what the completed picture will look like. So there I sit, grasping to find it, desperately reaching for it, and failing to put it all together. 

I don't entirely know what it is, but I know what it's not.

It's NOT a world record, or any record at all. It's NOT even a number or milestone. It's not that concrete. And let's be honest, at 55, I am not likely to challenge the limits of human endurance and physical achievement. It's NOT challenging something that already exists. It's creating something that doesn't. It's NOT something I can do alone. It will require others, which means it's NOT about me, but about US.

As I said, I know what it's NOT. But I also know a little bit about what it IS.

It IS rooted in music education. I am sure of that. It IS grounded in advocacy and IS aimed to provide a voice for teachers who are overwhelmed and overworked. It IS wanting to provide a common understanding and language around what music IS and does for young people. It IS trying to show people that in order to fix what is wrong and broken, we should start with what's right and working; MUSIC. It IS rooted in truth and fact, but shared with zeal and enthusiasm that IS both righteous and unapologetic. 

I know what it's NOT. I know a bit about what it IS. But Elian shows us that the why is just as important? 

“People ask me why I run. It is for life and to inspire the younger generation to love sport and live a happy and full life. I can't imagine a life without running.”

As I mentioned yesterday, I am a runner, and distance is my thing. But, I am no Eliud Kipchoge. But we may be similar in some other ways. We share a WHY.

People ask me (Scott) why I teach music. It is for life and to inspire the next generation to love music and lead a happy and full life. I can't imagine a life without music.

Maybe we're not that different after all.

I want people to see music the way I do, as the single greatest transformational activity in our schools today.

The how is a bit more complicated and where I can't connect all of the pieces.

  • I want everyone in our industry to understand that we are concerned/threatened by the same issues, and need to fight them with a cohesive and combined effort.

  • I want people to understand that while we are (understandably) fractured by time, space, curricula, and levels, we must speak as one.

  • I want everyone to know that as teachers, administrators, manufacturers, marketers, composers, and publishers, our metrics for success may be different, but our end goal is the same; kids in chairs making music.

  • I want us to be unapologetic in stating that music us not a byproduct or elective and is not scheduled to make other adults lives more convenient.

  • I want people to understand the value proposition of what we do, instead of fundraising to do it.

  • I want the world to know that while we have the same amount of time to teach, we teach more things, to more children, that have more life use than anyone understands.

I WANT MUSIC ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY CHILD EVERY DAY! That is my 1:59:59!

I want to do this for, me, and for you. You don't have the time, energy, or resources. You are overworked, undervalued, and underfunded. You are doing the real work. You are the one running the marathon. You are Eliud Kipchoge!

I do this at 55 because I couldn't do this at 25. I was too attention-seeking, selfish, inexperienced, and immature. These 55 years of roaming, growing, failing, watching, listening, and experiencing were all part of the preparation process. A marathon must be trained for, and this is my marathon. I have trained for this moment for over thirty years.

I know what it is NOT. I know mostly what it IS. I know my WHY. Now I need to know the WHO.

Eliud Kipchoge may be the only record-holder, but he did not race alone. He had a large team and support system; trainers, nutritionists, pacers, scientists, doctors, and more. He may be the one have crossed the finish is solitude, but if you watch the documentary, until the final 100 yards, he was NEVER alone. Not in life, not is his belief. Every member of his team BELIEVED that they would achieve it, and they did.

Remember what Eliud said, "To do something, YOU have to believe that you can."

You are the one running the marathon each and every day. My 1:59:59 is to make your marathon easier.

I believe that WE can. What about you? Do YOU believe?

Yesterday, I told you I would ask for a birthday present. I would love it if you would send me a selfie with your poster and your 1:59:59. Email me, text me (480) 577-5264, DM/FB me. It does not matter what your 1:59:59 is, I just want to know we are in the same race and not alone.

In the meantime, have a great day.

- Scott

ELIUD KIPCHOGE AND MY MILESTONE - PART 1

Eliud Kipchoge is the uncontested king of the marathon. He has no equal, either in real-time or in history. His skill set is so far separated from the rest of the pack that his only competitor is himself, and a record considered the Holy Grail of long-distance running: the two-hour marathon. On par with the four-minute mile, this feat was once considered unachievable by a human athlete. 

I say "was" because Eliud recently broke the record by completing a marathon in 1:59:49.

For those of you who are not runners, let me give you a bit of perspective. Remember Roger Bannister and the four minute mile? Well, Eliud ran a 4:34 pace per mile - for 26.2 miles! As a further frame of reference, people who "run for their lives," typically run 12 miles an hour. Eliud was ran at 15 mph, FOR TWO FULL HOURS!

Kipchoge: The Last Milestone is a documentary that chronicles Kipchoge's second attempt to complete a marathon in under two hours. Directed and produced by acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott, The Last Milestone shows Eliud not only to be a world-class athlete, but a world-class mind as well.

When he broke the two-hour barrier, Kipchoge wasn't competing against other runners; he was competing against history and the perception of what a human being can do. To accomplish that, he had to train his mind as much as he did his body. Train to acknowledge, understand, and endure unthinkable agony for hours. Eliud stated, "Mental strength plays a huge role in running marathons or competing in any other sport. Where there is pain, there is success."

Through accented English, Kipchoge makes it clear that he doesn't believe in human limitations, and if he did, he could not have broken the record: "Life is hard. Running is hard. Both are filled with ups and downs. I'm trying all my best to throw away the terminology of giving up. Everyone needs to believe in their own ability." 

Reread it.

"Everyone needs to believe in their own ability!"

Eliud's mind is as strong as his body. He is singularly focused and unrelenting. He knows what he wants and what it will take to get there. He is willing to endure pain and understands it is required for gain. Above all, he has the unflinching belief that HE WILL GET THERE.

Then there is me. I fancy myself a bit of a runner, and distance is my thing. I even mentioned in a recent e-zine that completing a marathon is on my bucket list. Even if I were to achieve it, I am no Eliud Kipchoge.

Today is August 24th, and it happens to be my 55th birthday. I do not feel 55 and don't think I look 55 (maybe 52 or 53), but the calendar and Father Time are pretty clear on how long I have been walking around this planet, even if I am reticent to accept it. 

I share this NOT to receive well wishes or celebratory notes (please don't, I am going to ask for something else), but because the passing of another year puts me in a place of contemplation. So I sit here, 55 years old, deep in thought. Not in reflection, but in ideating. Not looking back, but gazing forward and asking myself one seemingly simple but confounding question:

What is my 1 hour: 59 minutes: 59 seconds? What is the Holy Grail that I am chasing?

More importantly, what is yours? 


I'm 55 and have been in music education for thirty-two years. How did this happen? I still feel like a first year teacher trying to get his oboes to play in tune. I should know more by now. I should be better at this by now. Can someone please show me how to get an oboe to play in tune?

Some of you may already know what it is, while others may need time and space to process.

We all need a 1:59:59. It can be personal or professional, short or long term, big or small. It may be physical or something you can achieve within your mind and spirit. It can be solitary and singular, like climbing a mountain, or done in tandem and as part of a team, like raising a child. Either way, it is there to challenge, motivate, confound, and inspire you. 

If you would humor this birthday boy, perhaps you could take the rest of today and think on that question. Let it roll around in your mind and your soul a bit. Ruminate, ideate, or just quietly contemplate. If you are so inclined share with a colleague or discuss with a class. But, let it sit for a bit. 

To help get your creative juices going, and not let the busy day take you away from your thoughts, I am attaching a picture/poster for you to download, print, and hang in your office for the next twenty-four hours. 

DOWNLOAD POSTER

So for the next twenty-four hours, ask yourself the question, "What is my 1:59:59?"

I will return tomorrow with my answer and ask for yours. In the meantime, remember the words of Eliud Kipchoge, "In order to achieve something, you must first believe that you can."

Wise words Eliud.

Don't wait, download the poster and hang it in your office right now. I will be back tomorrow to tell you what to do with it.

In the meantime, have a great day.

- Scott