After more than a decade as a high school band director and seventeen years in administrative leadership, I returned to the classroom. This essay examines why proximity to students—not titles, credentials, or organizational distance—defines the hardest work in music education.

Dr. Earnhart delivered precise, timely, and practical feedback for our contest program, all with a signature blend of professionalism and humor. Garrett Adams, Assistant Band Director, West Brook HS

Large ensemble music programs are not a cost center. They are among the only courses in a high school that save districts money when participation grows.

How Arlington ISD built a first-in-the-nation musical instrument repair class, creating workforce pathways through fine arts education

Editor's Suggestion, First Read: The Cost of Not Playing: How Music Participation Shapes the Financial Health of a School District A Look at Arlington ISD and Irving ISD What if removing a fee actually saved your district money? Two Texas districts—Arlington ISD and Irving ISD—made instruments and uniforms 100% free to students. Participation surged. And the economics that followed surprised everyone. Arlington ISD: $1.6M projected annual savings (2024 dollars) by filling se

Fine arts wasn't an afterthought in Arlington's $663M bond. It was the emotional anchor that helped carry it. Here's the strategy—from someone who was in the room.

A case study of how Arlington ISD differentiated itself by solving enrollment and facilities challenges through Fine Arts and Dual Language Academies.

When IB arrived in HEB ISD, most elective programs braced for impact. We chose alignment. By embedding band into IB’s structure, participation became completion—not competition. The result: 42% of IB Diploma students were in band, and enrollment grew from 190 to over 300.

This week, I’m heading to the Midwest Clinic in Chicago beginning on Wednesday, December 16. It will be the first time in many years that I attend primarily for professional growth, listening, and recalibration . I’ve been to Midwest at many points in my career, and in many different capacities. This one feels different. Not lighter. More intentional. Midwest, 1999: Inside the Sound My first Midwest Clinic was in 1999 , as a performer with the L.D. Bell High School Band . I

My father kept me out of drum corps. Growing up on Long Island, I was the high-note trumpet player—the soloist, the kid who could deliver. The Cadets came calling every year, asking me to audition. And every year, my dad said no. Mind you, back in the day, he played horn at Michigan under Revelli. “Learning three songs all summer is not music education,” he told me. “If you want to do things during the summer—camps, clinics, whatever—I’ll pay for those.” And he did. I went to

From 1998 to 2004 were the gigging years with Soul Tsunami & the Hurricane Hornz!

Success rarely looks glamorous when you’re standing next to it. Sometimes, it’s a box truck, a basement, and people showing up again and again long before anyone is watching. Sometimes the soundtrack of your childhood is heavy metal. Sometimes it’s a lesson you only recognize years later. When my parents split, my dad had to find a place to live that kept him close enough to Mineola High School, where he was the band director. That meant West Hempstead—the part of Long Island

JensenLearning.com Video from an Irving ISD interview during a district-wide staff development Who is Dr. Eric Jensen—And why educators listen Dr. Eric Jensen is a former classroom teacher turned researcher, author, and trainer best known for translating brain science into practical strategies teachers can use the very next day. He has written widely adopted books such as Teaching with the Brain in Mind , Teaching with Poverty in Mind , and Arts with the Brain in Mind , and h

Music and arts coursework is being used as a necessary balance to increase the observation and empathy skills of medical students.

MARCHING BAND VIDEO TALK-UPS! Start & Stop Video Feedback 🎥 Send a video link — Get back a link with improvement-based Feedback!📈

Things I would be thinking at this time of year over the years... The Backstory During the fall of 2023, I found myself at an evening...

The Texas Eight-Hour Rule . And yes — it’s a real thing. Texas limits marching band rehearsals outside of the school day to eight hours...

Growing up in the Northeast, I had no real concept of “Friday Night Football.” I knew it existed, but the sheer size, energy, and...

In 2000 (VHS), we produced our first marching fundamentals video  with  and  for  our students. It was never about creating a flashy...

Becoming a music educator can be a wise, sustainable, and rewarding career — financially and professionally.