This year certainly started a little differently than I had planned. Just when I thought the pandemic was coming to an end, we are dealing with a new variant that has presented new challenges and difficult decisions. Honestly, there have been days where I have allowed myself to fall into a funk due to the unknown and daily quarantines. Your perspective has a profound impact on your purpose. Considering different lenses will help you navigate yet another challenging year and give you the will to persevere.
Director’s Lens: Band directors are some of the hardest working professionals in the world. Countless hours are spent planning, rehearsing, and participating in band activities. We see the value in the activity and push students to heights they didn’t even know were possible. Regardless of the circumstances, we have focused on providing as close to a normal band experience as possible for our students. We know the value of the activity and keep the student’s well-being our top priority. During the pandemic, we have had to make decisions in areas that none of us are qualified. We have had to keep a healthy balance of musical achievement, student life, health, and safety to operate a successful program during a global pandemic.

Student’s Lens: As bad as we hate to admit it, most of our students are in band for reasons other than musical achievement. Many of our students do band for the social outlet that it gives them. Others do band to have opportunities that they wouldn’t have without being involved in the activity. Many of our students are finding a place where they belong for the first time in their life. There are the few students who have found their true passion and we have to provide them with the experiences that will push them as well. Students, at the end of the day, want to please their directors. Students are pulled in so many directions. We have to make sure we are giving them an experience with realistic expectations to avoid disappointment and burnout.

Parent’s Lens: It’s easy to forget that this season is the first for several of our students. This past fall brought about a new experience for me. My oldest son was spending his first year at a high school band camp. I have been a part of band camps for many years and never thought much about the parents who were leaving their kids in my care for eight hours a day. As I watched him walk in I had some very interesting thoughts:

• I hope he likes it.
• I hope he makes some new friends.
• Did we do all the things? (Hydrate, Sunscreen, DEODORANT)
• Will he want to go back?
• Will it be fun?

This event made me question what was important to my students and parents. Do we spend as much time thinking about our kid’s experience as we do musical excellence?

Which Lens Do You Look Through?:
To truly be a successful music educator, we have to be able to see through all three lenses. As bad as I hate to admit it, my definition of success once centered around marching contests and performances. As I have aged as a music educator, I have seen trophies and accomplishments come and go. The relationships and experiences we give our students are what will go with them for the rest of their lives. What is important to us is sometimes not the same things that are important to our kids and parents. Finding the correct balance of these lenses will lead to a more positive experience for students, parents, and even us directors.

Take Note
• Please make sure you have registered on our new website: www.alaband.org. You must be a member of NAFME to register. In the near future, you will not receive correspondence from ABA if you have not registered.
• We are now accepting applications for collegiate / professional performing ensembles for the 2022 All-State Band Festival. The application can be found on our website.
• Registration for All-State auditions will take place on the director’s side of our website. This registration will open on Nov 1, 2021.
• Please make plans to attend the Summer Conference. It is being held June 28-30, 2022 in the newly renovated Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama.