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When the Thrill Is Gone:

By NAfME Member Robin Linaberry  

I remember having the greatest plan. “What a triumph—the concert last night was great! I don’t think the students have ever done better; I just can’t wait for them to hear their recording!” Yes, I was sure it would be a joyous day. It wasn’t just a disappointment, then, but a true heartbreak when I detected that the students weren’t interested . I had expected them to quietly analyze their performance; of course, they’d be charting a course toward their own improvement. But instead, the class period dissolved into an increasing hum of side conversations. The concert playback became just a secondary accompaniment to the students’ collective agenda. They saw it as “a day off.”

I’ll bet you’ve lived this day: Your greatest intentions and most innovative lesson plans simply fall flat. Students can just reach a limit, unexpectedly and inexplicably. What do we do??

In my case, I began to pay closer attention to each group’s level of collective maturity. By constantly assessing their capacity for attentiveness, I learned to predict whether a post-concert listening experience would work. Simultaneously, I began to build a repertoire of alternate activities that would still be engaging, educationally productive, and even fun for the students. Sure, my intention was to address the less-mature groups on the day after a concert. However, I discovered that some of these optional lesson plans are also superb for any ensemble class, on any day, for a variety of reasons. We frequently encounter situations that demand a restorative approach. Sometimes a well-timed diversion can propel students out of the doldrums, and help them leave your class thinking, “That was really cool … I can’t wait for tomorrow’s class!”

Photo: Lisa Helfert

Although these are specific suggestions, written from a band director’s perspective, my purpose is only to spark your creativity. You’ll be able to adapt some of these activities (and you can create your own innovative versions) to escort your students back toward their best learning with a memorable day. Here’s a short list to jump-start your imagination:

• Re-Record the Concert (or a single student-favorite piece): Then, play the two recordings in succession. What was different, and why? If the students performed much better on one recording than on the other, what’s the explanation? If the recordings are made in two different venues (e.g., the stage and the band room), can students hear the acoustic difference? If there are notable problems in either recording, can the students suggest improvements? If so, it’s also recommended to attempt a third recording , putting the students’ own suggestions to use.
• Simply mix up the seating, but be sure to provide careful instructions to avoid chaos! (e.g., when they may move; where they can/cannot sit; how long they’ll have to complete the move). Above all, “this is a quiet move, and protect your instruments!”
• Reverse the seating, moving row 1 to the rear, and the last row to the front. Similarly …
• Ask the winds to face the rear: They’ll be facing the percussion section, which also gives your percussionists a novel experience. Additionally, your percussionists’ performance (and behavior) improves, because you’ll be conducting from their location.
• Use SATB seating: Reorganize the instrumentation into choral-style groupings (e.g., put all Soprano- functioning instruments on the conductor’s far left, and move through Alto and Tenor groups to reach the Bass instruments on the far right)
• Rotate rows: 1-2-3-4 becomes 2-3-4-1 or 3-4-1-2. This process can be used many times to build students’ listening skills.
• Rehearse “in-the-round” with the conductor at the center of the room. Or, perhaps line the winds along the four walls of the room, and leave the percussionists in the center.
• Space out the seating: If you have access to the auditorium during class, the wind players might be seated at wide intervals throughout the audience-space, while the percussion section lines the stage apron, as you conduct in the pit area.
• “In the velvet envelope”: If possible, compress your ensemble on the stage with all curtains entirely closed around the group. This dry environment—with all echoes and reverberation reduced—allows a unique listening experience, and teaches an irrefutable lesson about note-lengths, ensemble phrasing/breathing, blend, and more.
• Recital Day: Some of the student soloists and chamber groups within your ensemble are ready for a “public” performance. Your Recital Day meets two important objectives. First, the recital performers get the thrill (nerve-wracking though it may be) of performing for a live audience. As importantly, with your careful guidance, the remaining students will learn all of the important components of appropriate audience behavior. When your students are behaviorally ready, consider a full department Recital Day with the band, chorus, orchestra, and other music classes all combined.
• “Expression Explorations”: Ask the ensemble to replay a known, comfortable piece (or a brief excerpt from one) several times. Each time, apply a different style, mood, dynamic, articulation, or other interpretive elements. A march-style excerpt in 2/4 might be played instead as a Chorale by applying a slower tempo and using 4/8 meter. Or, for example, something marked Joyously might be played with a replacement marking of Doloroso . For more engagement, ask the students for suggested alterations.

• Percussion Day : Although this project requires significant pre-planning, it is a very likeable one-day event. It may be essentially a percussion feature with a simple, thickly-scored band accompaniment. “Advertise” what the class is going to do, and then use salesmanship to get students to buy into it. A scripted version might sound like this:

“I’ll bet hardly any of the percussionists think, ‘Oh, I could play that clarinet solo better!’ but, at the same time, I’ll also bet that some of you sit there and think, ‘I know I wouldn’t drop my sticks,’ or ‘Boy, that pulse isn’t so good!’ , or ‘I can’t believe that kid can’t even crash two cymbals together!’” (etc.) “Well, I’m going to give you a chance to PROVE it! There’s a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for ‘ALL-PERCUSSION DAY.’ If you’d like to try a percussion instrument, put your name on the sign-up sheet. I’ll give you the music tomorrow, and you’ll have Thursday to learn your parts (they’re SIMPLE parts!). We’ll play it in class on Friday. Percussionists, you can be mentors if you want to help people learn their parts, or you can just sit out and listen to what they can do. After we play ‘All-Percussion Day,’ then we’ll re-play the same piece with YOU (percussionists) playing the parts. Should we record those two versions for comparison?”

As a specific example, I owned “Devil in a Blue Dress” from Row-Loff Productions. The piece has easy wind parts, and can accommodate snare drum(s), quads, bass drum(s), crash cymbals, bells, xylophone, marimba, vibes, tambourine, suspended cymbal, drum set, and timpani. Most of those parts can be doubled if you have the gear (even if you borrow from another building), so you could allow perhaps 20-to-25 wind players to participate as percussionists. It can be a mess for you as the teacher (think of the preparation: printed parts, instruments, sticks/mallets, etc.) so get your section leaders or officers to buy into it for the biggest share of the prep and clean-up. Still, in my experience, students really think this is a very fun activity. If nothing else, the wind players can develop a new level of understanding (and patience for) the percussionists’ many responsibilities.

• Body Percussion: It’s probably better to have notated parts available, but your entire ensemble will enjoy playing a rhythmic ensemble with finger-snaps, hand-claps, thigh-pats, foot-stomps, and other effects. With careful preparation, you might also teach the various parts by rote, and/or the students themselves can create ostinato parts which can be layered to create the full ensemble. For example, “We’re in 4/4 meter, and we’re going this  fast. Ava, can you finger-snap a two-measure rhythm? Great! Now, everyone in row 1, can you learn that please? One-two-ready-go.” Have fun!
• Part Rotations: This might also be described as reassigning parts within sections. For example, clarinet 1 plays third part; clarinet 3 plays second; clarinet 2 plays first. Some ensembles use this concept quite regularly. I’ve found this activity to be particularly effective. A scripted lesson plan might read like this:

“Let’s have all the flutes, clarinets, ALTO saxes, trumpets, horns, and trombones rotate to a different part within your section. If you were playing 2nd, move to 1st. If you were playing 3rd, move to second. 1st players, go to the bottom. Now, let’s replay the excerpt we’ve already ‘perfected’ … can you make it sound EXACTLY as good?” [“What did you learn from that?”]. Consider the value of recording the effort for playback.

• One full class-period is devoted to learning assembly, holding/posture/hand-position, tone production, and the basic fingerings required to play a Level I piece. I borrowed a beginner band tune from the elementary school, and gave each player the matching music for his/her “new” instrument.
• On the second day, we’d review in the same pairs of students (which can still happen without seating as a full group), and then assemble for the “full band” experience. I made it even more fun by pretending they were actual beginners, and I’d speak to them like band directors typically talk to 4 th & 5 th graders (cue the laughter and smiles).
• Finally, we performed the piece, which I would record and play back for them as they were cleaning and disassembling instruments, carefully and appropriately with their mentor-partner’s guidance.  
• Random (or categorical) sight-reading: Allow students* to choose a number or other file-description— “I’ll choose 721!” —which refers to a random piece in your major ensemble’s library. With your pre-trained assistants’ help, you can distribute the parts quickly. Then, take the ensemble through a standard full-ensemble sight reading sequence; search Texas and UIL Sight-Reading for descriptions. Not only does this activity focus the ensemble, but you can also discover pieces that your students might enjoy for next year. Moreover, you’ll be able to observe a set of concepts (especially meters, key signatures, and specific rhythmic figures) that will guide the future of your lesson planning. That is, if the students read cut-time poorly, or play wrong notes in the key of G-flat, then teach them cut-time and work at G-flat!

As an alternative, your library might have separate locations for marches, pop music, fanfares, contest pieces, transcriptions, etc. Or, perhaps your library is categorized into levels-of-difficulty. With such an organizational structure, you might say, “ We’re going to sight-read the seventeenth piece in that Marches drawer,” or because your band is currently at Level 4, “ Let’s sight-read and record a Level 2 piece … can you sight-read the musical markings while playing in tune AND making beautiful phrases?” 

* Students who choose might be volunteers, or you might select the student with the birthday closest to “today.” Or, perhaps you’ll ask a relevant question (“without looking, who can name the arranger of the first piece on last night’s concert?”), and select the student who provides the correct answer first. Use randomness, including a digital “random picker.”

• Revisit earlier repertoire: Students—almost universally—tend to enjoy this activity! Select and pre-organize a piece that the students have already played in their past. Perhaps it’s from a concert earlier in the year but, for a more effective activity, choose a piece they played long ago. If you’re directing the 8 th grade band, for example, consult with the elementary band director. Ask your colleague, “When they were in 5 th grade, what was their very favorite piece?” The students will love seeing the parts they played as beginners, and they’ll immediately notice their own development because they can observe, “What was once really hard is now easy .”

But a great objective for this activity comes by using the piece as a vehicle for exploration (specifically, “Can we read this music and apply your musicianship to it? Use your very best phrasing, and observe all dynamics really carefully. Let’s make this a fluent sounding version.”) If serendipity is on your side, you might find a years-old recording of them as beginners; with it cued up, you can then record today’s version of their accomplishment, and play both recordings for a fun comparison.

• Recording & Playback Experiments. Record and playback a lot! Take just a short excerpt (e.g., 16 bars) and record a baseline version. Listen to the playback:

“What are three IMPORTANT suggestions/goals? Good—now write those markings onto the music. Let’s practice it once and then we’ll re-record it.”

Then, play the initial recording and its follow-up attempt consecutively so they’ll hear the difference.

“Hey, do you mean if we determine what we want to sound like and then strategically attempt to meet our goals, we can actually IMPROVE?!? Wow!!”

• March single-file around the auditorium’s perimeter, with and without instruments. Perhaps your percussion section plays a cadence (or even a simple “Tap-Tap-Tap”) to keep a steady pulse for the marchers. You’ll be able to view and discuss the intervals (distances) between marchers from the inner, audience area of the auditorium. Students can look across the space to see, and hopefully emulate, others’ posture, step-size, etc. Add “Mark-time, Mark,” “Band-Halt,” and other such commands … which might lead to funny results while students bump into the backs of others. “Hey, that means you should stop marching forward!!” This activity is for skills development with basic marching techniques and common commands. Later, you can assemble students into ranks/rows to work at peripheral vision and precision guiding.
• Have fun with drill games using small groups. You might choose older, more mature volunteers who will enjoy this “guinea pig” role in front of their peers. As an example, assemble four students side-by-side into a rank, and give them a short series of commands strung together. The students must memorize the sequence: (e.g., “ Mark time for 8. Forward March for 8. Mark-time 8. Slow turn-to-the-left 8. Forward 8. Mark time 8. Halt.” ). Count them off, and the fun begins! Their success gives others confidence, and a desire to try it. Their lack of success leads to successive attempts. Keep the excellent guidance (as in “Recital Day”) to maintain appropriate full-group behaviors. Ultimately, you can use a large space (gym floor, stage, parking lot) to improve marching techniques for the full band.
• For example, provide the “Horns Up” command and allow the ensemble to play a simple whole-note scale while marking time in place. “Each time you play a new note of the scale, you should be on your left ”
• Or, using a Company Front on the football field—with all students on the goal line—play the known scale (e.g., B-flat or F), now in double-whole notes , as the students “Forward March.” This strategy builds the 8-to-5 step size; that is, 8 steps will cover exactly 5 yards. At the end of eight counts , the right foot touches a new yard line; the next double-whole note begins as the left foot takes the first step past the yard line.
• Create your own activity appropriate to your students’ age level or experience. The following example might be good for the middle school or high school level, in a band where students are already comfortable playing scales around the Circle of Fourths/Fifths.

This activity also solidifies the 8-to-5 step size. Finish by selecting volunteers who would like to perform this sequence with their eyes closed while their Peers look on. “Will they be on a yard-line on their 8 th and 16 th steps? Let’s see!!”

Clearly, this article offers only a short glimpse at the tip of an undiscovered iceberg. Your classroom, your students, your building/department, and especially your individual style as a teacher will guide you to create perfectly matched activities. There’s no doubt, however, that your students will appreciate these out-of-the-ordinary experiences. Moreover, the conversations at home— “what did you do in school today?” —will certainly produce enthusiastic discussions about your class. And tomorrow, your traditional rehearsal techniques will get better results from an excited, rejuvenated ensemble.

Please feel free to contact me ( [email protected] ) for clarifications or additional information. I’ll return within a few months with an article filled with suggestions to help your reach your school’s non-music students using music ; these will be ideas to serve your music students as well as those you’ve seen in the halls, cafeteria, and stairwells, but whom you’ve never met. For now, however, I encourage you to share your innovative ideas on today’s topic by using NAfME’s Amplify platform. In our music education community, we can all learn so much from each other!

About the author:

Did this blog spur new ideas for your music program?   Share them on Amplify!   Interested in reprinting this article? Please  review the reprint guidelines .

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Amplify member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees.

Published Date

August 29, 2023

August 29, 2023. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)

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No-Fail Beginning Band Retention Activities

Curated from Smartmusic’s Music Educator Blog – by Marcia Neel –

1. Success through the Partnership Halftime Show

Imagine high school marching band students standing in a semicircle on the football field. In one of the end zones, just under the goal post, beginning band students from the feeder middle/elementary school are lined up in uniform. ‘ You can sense the anticipation in the air.

As the name of each beginner is announced to encouraging applause, that student runs onto the field with their instrument, stopping in front of their mentor, a high school band student who plays the same instrument.

In short order, everyone is in position and ready to perform. Special parts have been written for the beginners that utilize just two notes while the high school students accompany them. Check out the young students at the beginning of the video below. They’re dancing on the field and bumping elbows with the big kids. They’re acting crazy and having a great time. Then, when their time comes to play, they shine!

After the performance, you’d expect their families to go wild, and they do! What’s more, the whole place goes wild with standing ovations all around. Imagine having an experience like this in your first year of band. You’d be hooked for life – and that’s exactly the point!

Prior to the beginning of the game, a pre-game pizza party could be hosted by the high school band parents so that the high school and beginning band students could mingle and get to know each other even better. The high school parents could also invite the parents of the beginners to meet and greet them and answer questions about being in the program.

Additional Partnership Halftime Show Components

Obviously, the key to success here is in creating a situation where every beginning student (and their parent) experiences success; that’s part of the brilliance of writing good parts that contain just two or three notes.

Success starts with collaboration. The high school and middle/elementary school band directors must work together to iron out the details of who goes where and how the beginners can easily find their mentor high school student once they take the field. (Of course, it’s really the job of the high school student to ensure that their younger peer ends up in the proper location.)

One other idea would be to end the halftime performance with the announcer acknowledging the beginning band parents: with “I’d like to ask that the parents of these future high school band musicians to stand. Please join me in congratulating them on a wonderful first halftime performance!”

It’s important for parents, as well as students, to see the goal line for the instrumental music program. It starts early and doesn’t end even after high school graduation. Parents should be led to understand that the joy of music-making can continue for a lifetime. Making this fun and exciting for the parents, as well as the kids, can’t hurt. Success and recognition are great motivators.

2. Modeling Through Student-to-Student Communication

In my approach to retention, I emphasize the importance of modeling. The above halftime show is one example of good modeling. Another was shared with me by a high school director in Georgia. His students write cards/notes to the beginning (and sometimes intermediate) students, focusing on their recent accomplishments.

For example, you might have a high school trumpet student write something like, “Congratulations on your performance at last week’s band concert,” or, “I heard you play at festival last week and you did a terrific job!” to a middle school band student who also plays trumpet. This can help inspire the younger students and keep their excitement level high. They get constant reinforcement when participating in sporting activities and this particular activity helps to provide the same for our music students.

Involve as many high school students as you can and try to send out the cards/notes via USPS to make it extra special for the young recipients (who likely don’t get a lot of mail). Work with the appropriate band directors to gain access to the students’ snail mail addresses. Check with your principals to be sure that there are no privacy issues with doing this and if so, simply give the cards to the directors to disseminate to the students. It’s important that there is two-way communication among the directors to make this work.

As the younger students do something extra special (like performing at solo & ensemble festival) the word needs to get passed along so that the student can be recognized. When a student is signing up or trying out for the high school band, make sure a card/note is sent along saying something like, “Looking forward to having you join us in the band program next year.”

You might think that the high school students are too busy to take on this task but experience shows that the high school kids enjoy it.  They come to realize that they are taking on the responsibility of retaining all of those beginning band students and it really works. It’s very exciting for them to know that through this type of nurturing leadership activity, they are leaving a legacy that will last for years to come.

The focus is to open communications between those students who have left the middle/elementary program and those who are just beginning. Maybe the older students could also play a role in a series of Saturday morning coaching sessions or a music camp for beginning players held for a week over the summer to get the beginners started on their instrument even before the school year begins.

The key is to promote regular, direct student-to-student communications. The younger students idolize their older peers and want to be just like them so demonstrating desired behavior through quality modeling activities like these is a great way to get them connected in a meaningful way. You’d be surprised how many of these young students can’t wait to get to high school so that they can become mentors to other beginners.

3. Activity-based Retention: Participating in the First Performance National Day of Celebration

The strategies provided in this post are primarily activity-based which is what contributes to their success, but this particular event is celebrated early each year to get the ball rolling.

The First Performance National Day of Celebration is a day that has been set aside to recognize the achievements of beginning instrumental music students. It is celebrated through the presentation of a demonstration concert that allows these young musicians to showcase their newly-acquired musical skills for the very first time in a successful public setting.

This scripted event provides parents with the opportunity to hear their child’s progress in a fun and entertaining setting that requires little or no extra work for the teacher as all materials are complimentary and available to download at www.musicachievementcouncil.org . The ultimate goal is to reduce beginner dropouts, encourage positive communication with parents, strengthen administrative support for the program, and create a memorable experience for the students. The sound of applause early in a musician’s life can encourage continued growth and eventually lead to a lifetime of music-making. This turn-key program will serve to provide an exciting first step in that musical journey.

Check out this video to get a sense of what the First Performance National Day of Celebration is all about and to hear the responses from both kids and parents about this innovative program.

Directors love the comment from the gleeful mother who said, “Yeah, they held the first note for four counts and we all applauded.” We have to remember what a big deal this is for the students as well as the parents. That comment really does say it all!

The Music Achievement Council (MAC) – an action-oriented 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization – has as it sole mission, “ to enable more students to begin and remain in instrumental music programs through the sharing of real-world, successful strategies developed by instrumental music teachers .” To that end, they’re making this program available to all music educators, free-of-charge.

When the original First Performance was first introduced many years ago by the legendary Sandy Feldstein, the world didn’t have the plethora of band and orchestral method books that now exist. The package MAC is sharing today includes everything but Dr. Feldstein’s music, for which all directors (including choir directors) can substitute their own music. For those interested, Dr. Feldstein’s music is made available for purchase through Hal Leonard.

The complimentary materials available to download directly from the MAC website include the following.

• Dear Director Letter which explains the program and provides ideas for implementation.
• Dear Principal Letter which explains the program but also serves as an invitation
 to the principal to serve as host for the concert.
• Dear Parent Letter which explains the program and serves as an invitation to bring the entire extended family to attend and support their budding musician.
• First Performance Script which is a fill-in-the-blank guide to help provide your host (the principal, in many cases) with appropriate data and introductory remarks for the short 15-20 minute program. (The script is intended only as a guide. It is recommended that directors make it their own. Many comic moments can be shared which only add to the fun of the experience.)
• Ideas to Enhance the Performance by Involving High School Students provides a number of ideas for involving the high school music students which demonstrates the long view of the district’s music education program. This frames the understanding that once started, music-making lasts throughout high school and, hopefully, beyond. This also reinforces the modeling approach to retention.
• Fillable PDF Certificate of Advancement that can be completed and printed out for each beginner signifying that the student has now “advanced” from beginning participant to full-fledged member of the band, orchestra, or choir program. These certificates could be presented “on stage” or at a brief reception in the music room immediately following the performance.

Items 2, 3, and 4 above are provided online in .docx format so that they may be customized with your school logo and contact information.

One band director from Connecticut suggested a great finale for the First Performance . Have the high school band come roaring down the aisles in full uniform playing the high school fight song right before or immediately after the final selection. This will create additional excitement and enthusiasm, particularly in the young students who will identify with the older students and want to do the same thing one day for other beginners.

Again, all the materials above – and other extremely helpful complimentary recruitment and retention resources – are available to download at no charge from the Music Achievement Council website .

4. Reflection— Why Do Kids Stay in the Program? Let’s Ask Them.

Let’s talk about reflection. Let’s talk about encouraging students to think about what music-making means to them. During the course of the year, provide a hand-out to your students with the following sentence stem repeated five times.

“Music makes a difference because…”

Ask your students to complete the sentences with as many answers as they would like and to feel free to respond anonymously. You will discover the most incredible responses, especially with younger students when they are still so honest about their feelings. There are many uses for these responses. They can be read aloud back to the class. They can be included as quotes in your school’s quarterly parent newsletter or on your school’s website. They can even be posted in the classroom to remind the students of the impact of music-making.

But the most important thing is that the students start reflecting about what music means to them in their personal lives and how they feel when they’re in the rehearsal room making music as opposed to when they’re not.

Some of the themes I hear from music students include:

…it’s brought me new friends …I experience joy when making music …it’s fun … it gives me a sense of unified purpose

While kids may not use the words “unified purpose,” they will make that point. They value being part of a team, they value achieving success alongside others. So that’s a really, really good one. When you receive comments like this, it’s important to share them as other students will readily agree although they may not have had that thought initially.

Here’s a fun example of students sharing their reasons for staying in the band program. The following video is from a high school in Florida. This is not a serious video. The students created it for fun, and I think it’s great. This could be done at the high school level and shared with your the beginning students. They’ll get the point!

Here are the 13 Reasons Why You Should Stay in Band

I just love this video! We didn’t hear the kids say things like, “Well, I learned to play a Neapolitan 6th chord” or comments like that. It was all about non-musical reasons for staying in band which also contribute to the overall enjoyable experience of creating something of beauty through hard work, tenacity and collaboration.

This next video was made by one of the Foothill High School band students from the Clark County School District located in Henderson, NV. This is another example of students telling their own story.

What I love about this video is that it is the students telling their own story; they decided what they wanted to “say” in this video, they wrote what you hear, and a video-savvy parent was kind enough to put it all together.

These band students are just amazing. Their video gives me goosebumps every single time because their message is so heartfelt. You just know that they understand the profound value of an education in music. No matter how it’s provided, it’s important to give students the opportunity to reflect on the significance of the experiences that come as a direct result of collaborative music-making.

5. The Total Picture: Teaching the Parents Too—They Don’t Know What Normal Is

Yes, teaching beginners also means that we have to teach their parents as well.

It’s easy to forget what we need to share with them to ensure that they are involved in the learning process but getting them on board as active learners side-by-side with their children is key. Everyone has their part to play.

Engaging parents can begin with something as easy as teaching them how to support their child’s practicing. Be sure they understand that their child needs to have a regular place at home to practice each day that will remain uninterrupted. It must be well-lighted, have a straight-back chair to promote good posture, and a music stand. Students should always have a pencil with eraser handy. We need to suggest that parents help students adhere to a daily practice schedule, including a specific time of day as well as a recommended length of practice.

Also, mom and dad should make the time to sit down and listen to their child practice once each week or so then provide encouraging feedback. When my nephew was starting to play trumpet, I’d receive smartphone videos of his playing and would always send back notes like, “Oh, wow! That note sounded so good and you held it out for so long,” to provide positive feedback. This helped him to realize (reflect upon) the fact that he was indeed progressing.  I also encourage families to video student practice sessions and send them to distant family members. This always adds to everyone’s level of enthusiasm and helps the student realize the significance that others also place on his/her musical achievements.

Experience Live Music

Another idea is to provide parents with ideas of how to keep their child motivated. Publish an ongoing list of free performances (like touring string quartets or wind and brass quintets funded by local arts agencies) that may be coming to the local public library. There are more of these performances than parents (and you) might realize and they are often free and of very high quality. Encourage parents to have their beginners sit in the front row then take them to meet the performers after the concert to ask questions. More than likely, the performers started playing their instruments at right about the same age and will be thrilled to share their experiences as young musicians.

I’m not sure that we do enough of this type of high-quality listening and therefore, our students are only hearing the same sounds produced by their contemporaries repeatedly each day and not hearing live music produced at an exceptionally high level.

The Parent Band

A fun way to encourage parents to play an active role in the learning process is to have them learn to play too. At the beginning of the year when the students receive their instruments for the first time, tell them that part of their overall assignment for the entire year is for them to teach one of their parents how to play their instrument. Their charge is thus to teach mom how to play clarinet, or dad how to play the flute, or the sax, or what have you.

Then, at the spring concert, the parents take the stage and perform as a parent band. They will learn what normal has become for their children because they’re doing it themselves. On the flip side, just think about how much your beginning students are learning in the process of teaching one of their parents how to play their own instrument! It’s a win-win situation and the performance of the parent band is always a hoot! They get dressed up – just like the kids. And even get nervous – just like the kids!

Check out the video below. The students have handed over their instruments to their parents and are now literally standing right next to them as the moms and dads perform their selections from the method book. (Pay close attention to the girl in the center whose father is struggling to play her saxophone. Her expressions are just priceless.)

You can tell that her dad didn’t get a lot of practice time and that she was trying to be as supportive as she could. This entertaining activity ensures that parents will walk away with a better understanding of what is involved when their child is learning to play an instrument.

So now you have an idea of how much fun this can be. You won’t get every parent but perhaps those students whose parents can’t participate could choose an older sibling or an aunt or even another teacher from the school to teach.

Just remember, parents need to be taught too! They need to know what their beginners are going through and become active in the learning process. It is our job however, to share this information with parents and not assume that this is something that they already know.

Your Enthusiasm

Kids are just amazing! We have the ability, the duty really, to “flip the switch” that can set the course of their lives on the path to a more fulfilled life.  So please also remember this final thought… your enthusiasm matters ! We have to be enthusiastic about all that we do so that our efforts come together to keep our students involved.

We want them to be music-makers. We want them to begin their adult lives with these experiences, to know how to build relationships and collaborate to build great things; all those twenty-first-century skills we’re always hearing about. We can ensure they get those skills in our music programs but the responsibility ultimately rests with us.

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• 2025 MSHSAA District and State Music Festival Dates James Melton 8/22/2024
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Band Camp Icebreakers and Team-Building Games

Icebreakers for band camp.

Band members may be shy and less open to approaching someone and starting a conversation naturally. Many freshmen have never experienced marching band and arrive at camp where they might not know anyone from the middle school band.

Jump In, Jump Out

Jump In, Jump Out is a classic marching band activity that students can do on the first day of camp and when meeting the bands from the visiting team’s school.

How to Play:

To play this game, have everyone gather in a circle and have the students sing “ Jump in, jump out, introduce yourself”  to start the game. 

Below is an example of how to play this game with cheerleaders instead of marching band members. 

Yes! Name Game

The Yes! Name Game is a classic summer camp introduction and name-learning game that works well for band camp.

It is a straightforward game; even shy individuals can join in because the motion can just be waving, putting an arm out in front of them, jazz hands, etc.

Below is an example of how to play the Yes! Name Game. The presenter introduced two ways to play in this clip by using names or locations. The first round can be names at band camp, and depending on the band’s size, a second round can be played using locations. This exercise is suitable for small and medium-sized marching bands (15 – 40 members). 

How to Play

This game is a great way to remember names and have a little fun at the same time. Check out the example below:

Remember, there will always be shy members of the band, and you should explain these games in a way that makes them low-pressure and sound fun. There are so many name icebreaker games, but these three are ones best suited for high school marching band members.

TEAM-BUILDING GAMES for Band Camp

The size of the band, space available, and time that can be put aside to play these games should guide your decision for what to play. 

Four Corners

Variations for Band Camp

This game has many variations; for band camp, assigning a word to a corner is fun.

“ Corner 1 is pizza; corner 2 is hotdogs; corner 3 is hamburgers; corner 4 is sandwiches.”

The director or drum major organizing the game should make it clear that each student must choose a corner to stand in by the time the timer ends.

Duck, Duck, Goose

If the band is small, you can play this game outside on the field or if your band is large, break the band into smaller circles that can play all at the same time. 

The game uses the aspect of competition to encourage students to play; there is no real winner or loser. The kids will have fun running around and reliving their elementary school days a bit and will become familiar with band members simultaneously. 

The Human Knot

For this game, you can give each group a time limit in which the task must be completed or played without any time limits. 

The players must untangle their arms and create a single unbroken circle. The only rule is that players must continue to hold hands at all times in the game.

Every person in the group will have to work together to untangle themselves. Everyone’s arms are scrambled up, so the students must twist and turn or crawl over and under others’ arms to form a single circle. This encourages other students to make suggestions and speak out to explain their ideas. This exercise is also a great way to promote critical thinking and creative problem-solving. 

Drum Major Says

This game is good to play at band camp because it requires students to listen to the Drum Major and focus on them when they speak.

Don’t Laugh

2. The Drum Major or an adult on staff should call the band to an attention position.

4. Then selected students or the Drum Major/leadership members will walk around the students and try to make them laugh. The students can not touch the person in the attention position, but they can say, move, or do something to make them laugh.

Why Play Games At Band Camp? 

The kids will bond over being in a band together, but if the students aren’t able to connect on a deeper level, their shared desire for a good performance doesn’t fully develop.

You often hear that the marching band isn’t just a musical ensemble but a family instead .

The students will spend hours after school at practice, Friday nights at games, and even all day on Saturdays for competitions together.

If the students do not feel like they are accepted or can develop friendships with other band members, they will not want to show up or put in any effort at practice or games. 

These team-building games at band camp help leadership members become good and strong leaders.

Being a leader is more than just barking commands and demanding excellence at all times. A good leader is respected by their peers, respects the people they lead, encourages a group, is serious, and is the biggest cheerleader of the band as a whole and for each student at the same time.

Having fun while encouraging skills like communication, creative thinking, focus, strategizing, healthy competition, and motivation, in a judgment-free and safe environment is why doing these icebreakers and team-building games during band camp can start the year off on the best (left) foot. 

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A Comprehensive Guide on Band in High School and How Colleges View it

Band is a great extracurricular activity to participate in during high school. With its long-standing tradition, band has helped create lifelong memories for students. Band is not just limited to music; it is also an excellent way to build leadership and teamwork qualities. It is quite common for students who were in high school band to continue in college with that same passion. In this comprehensive guide, we will go over everything you need to know about band in high school and how colleges view it. 1. Joining High School Band When you decide to join band, it is essential to understand that it is a significant time commitment. You will need to dedicate a lot of time to rehearsals, practice sessions, concerts, and performances. Be prepared to spend at least two to three hours in rehearsals every day. You will also be required to attend summer camps, weekend rehearsals, and several competitions throughout the year. 2. Benefits of Joining High School Band Aside from the passion for music, band offers several benefits that are essential for your development. The structure and discipline of band activities help improve your work ethic and accountability. You will learn teamwork and leadership skills, which are invaluable in any career path you choose to take. Participating in band also provides a sense of community and belonging. 3. Extracurricular Activities Band is an excellent way to stand out in college applications and scholarships. It adds diversity to your profile and shows that you are a well-rounded student who can balance academics with extracurricular activities. Colleges view band participation positively, as it illustrates commitment, passion, and leadership potential. Some colleges even offer scholarships specifically for music students. 4. Opportunities in College In college, there are several opportunities for band students. Many colleges have their band programs, including marching band, concert band, and jazz band. Joining any of these programs provides an opportunity to play with talented musicians and participate in several performances throughout the year. You can also audition for the prestigious Drum Corps International, which competes nationally and internationally. 5. Connect with Music Professionals Joining band in college gives an opportunity to connect with several professionals in the music industry. You will have the opportunity to meet and interact with music professors, alumni, and guest performers. This interaction can lead to internships and job opportunities in the music industry, which is a great way to make connections and establish a career in music. Joining the band in high school is a great decision, and colleges view it positively. Participating in band provides several essential benefits, including leadership, teamwork, and community. Band also helps you stand out in college applications and scholarships and provides several opportunities in college and even after college. If you are passionate about music and want to make a career in the music industry, joining high school and college bands is a great first step.

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Complete List of Extracurricular Activities: 100s of Examples

Other High School , College Admissions , Extracurriculars

How do you like to spend your time after school? Did you know that how you choose to spend this time could be one of the most important ways you shape your future?

Extracurricular activities are a critical component of your college application, and you need to impress colleges with your interests. But you might not know what good extracurricular activities look like or what you should be spending your time on.

We've got you covered here in our guide of hundreds of examples of extracurricular activities. Read on to get some inspiration for how to spend your valuable free time during high school!

What Is An Extracurricular Activity?

An extracurricular activity can be almost anything that isn't required for high school credit or paid employment that you do while you're in high school. These activities will become very important later, such as when you are applying to colleges, because they help you develop your talents, interests, and passions. They can also teach you practical skills like time management.

With so many options out there, all students should be able to find an extracurricular that they are interested in and can develop a passion for!

Remember that extracurricular activities do not have to be sponsored by your school, so you should also consider things that you do with your family or within your community as viable options.

Below I've listed many popular activities that you may not have thought of as extracurricular activities. Take a look at the list and see if your activities are already on the list, or if anything you hadn't considered before catches your eye.

Of course, this list isn't complete, because you can turn almost any interest into an extracurricular. If you are actively involved in something that you don't see here—meaning you spend a significant amount of time doing an activity that is allowing you to develop a talent or interest, be a leader, or help out your community—then you should definitely consider that an extracurricular activity, as well!

What doesn't necessarily count as an extracurricular? Any interest of yours that's very self-centered is probably not going to make the cut.

An extracurricular should be an activity that demonstrates a talent or primarily contributes value to other people. If you have to really contort to find justification for something being an extracurricular (my taking drivers ed will make the roads safer for everyone! Keeping my vaccinations up to date helps immunocompromised people!), then chances are, it won't count as an extracurricular .

There's a spectrum here, though—for example, improving your hair quality or braiding hair for fun isn't really an extracurricular. But starting a YouTube channel around beauty tips or creating a club for teen health enthusiasts definitely does.

But if you're still unsure if something counts as an extracurricular, or you need some inspiration, then read on for our complete list of extracurricular activities.

How Should You Use This Extracurricular Activities List?

Not sure how you should use this list of extracurriculars? Just follow the six steps outlined in this section, and you'll be on your way to choosing the best extracurricular for you!

Step 1: Brainstorm Extracurricular Ideas

What are your interests? Have you always wanted to try out something related to art, but weren't sure if it would be worth your time, or if it would be viewed favorably by a college admissions team? Keep in mind that colleges don't really care about what kind of activity you are doing—instead, they want to see that you are doing something that you are passionate about. So make a list of all of your interests—both things that you are already interested in and other areas that intrigue you and you'd like to learn more about.

Step 2: See Which Extracurriculars Fit Your Interests

Look through the list below and see if any of the activities match your interests. You may see some ways that you hadn't thought of before to pursue an interest! Keep in mind that there can be a lot of different outlets for each interest you have. For example, if you want to play an instrument, you can take private classes, play in your school's marching band, play in a community concert band, or work as part of the orchestra for your school's next musical.

Step 3: Research Different Extracurricular Options

Research to see if these activities are available at your high school or in your community. If there is something you are very passionate about that's not already offered, consider starting up a group of your own. But if you aren't sure that the interest will stick and you only want to try it out, it's probably best to find a different outlet for your curiosity.

Extracurriculars List by Category

This list is organized into categories to make finding an activity that matches your interests easier. However, we recommend at least skimming all the extracurricular options below, even if you think they're categories you're not interested in. You never know what might catch your eye!

Note: not all schools will offer formal clubs in all these categories. If you see something you're interested in that your school doesn't offer, try joining a community group or even a national or online group to explore the interest further! Many of these topics are available as summer camp activities, as well.

You can also consider starting a club at your school if you are looking for a way to get involved in something you are interested in while also showing leadership and initiative.

These activities are based on a certain academic subject, and include both clubs (groups to discuss and practice certain subjects) and competitive teams. Academic teams have competitions that take place at all levels, from local to national.

• Adopt-A-Physicist
• Architecture Club
• Astronomy Club
• Biology Club
• Chemistry Club
• Economics Club
• Electronics Club
• Engineering Club
• English Club
• Distributive Education Clubs of America
• History Club
• Life Sciences Club
• Literature Club
• Literary Magazine Club
• Mu Alpha Theta: Math Honor Society
• National Honor Society
• Peer Tutoring
• Poetry Club
• Physics Club
• Psychology Club
• Quill and Scroll
• Robotics Club
• Science National Honors Society
• Trivia and Quiz Clubs
• Web design/coding club
• Writing Club

Academic Competitive Teams

• Academic Decathlon
• Academic Triathlon
• American Mathematics Competitions
• American Regions Math League
• Caribou Mathematics Competition
• Chemistry Olympiad
• Clean Tech Competition
• Creative Communication Poetry Contest
• EconChallenge
• Educators Rising
• FIRST Robotics Competition
• High School Innovation Challenge
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
• Kids Philosophy Slam
• Math League
• National Academic Quiz Tournament
• National French Contest
• National History Bee
• National Spelling Bee
• Odyssey of the Mind
• Poetry Out Loud
• Questions Unlimited
• Science Bowl
• Science Olympiad
• Other Trivia and Quiz Competition Teams

These activities will allow you to express yourself artistically—on paper, through a lens, on stage, and through several other media. Unleash your creativity!

• Anime/Manga Club
• Art: drawing, painting
• Blacksmithing
• Fashion design
• Graphic Design
• Jewelry Making
• Photography
• High School Theater Program
• Community Theater Program
• Video Game Development Club
• Woodworking

Cultural and Language

These activities may help you reconnect with your roots, or allow you to get a taste of the world's diversity without ever leaving home. There are many other cultural and language-related activities that you can participate in. Some of the most common ones are listed below.

• African American Student Alliances/Clubs
• American Sign Language Club
• Chinese Club
• French Club
• German Club
• International Food Club
• Pacific Islanders Club
• Russian Club
• South Asian Student Society
• Spanish Club

These activities will allow you to get involved in your community.

• Community Festivals
• Do Something
• Habitat for Humanity
• Kids Helping Kids
• Mountaineers Club
• Sisters on the Runway

Interested in making a difference in your school, community, or on a larger scale, through policy? Try a government-related activity to see if this could be a career interest for you!

• Community Youth Board
• Student Council
• Student Government
• Community Government

These activities could be a fit if you're a natural leader, skilled at motivating, directing, and inspiring others.

• National Beta Club
• Peer Leadership Group

If you love writing and communicating, consider getting involved in a media activity to help bring news and information to your school or community.

• School or local magazine/journal
• School or local newspaper
• School or local radio station
• School or local television channel
• School or local web site
• Work on a movie
• Yearbook Committee

If you are interested in learning about discipline, teamwork, and leadership, then you may be interested in a military-based extracurricular activity.

• Civil Air Patrol
• Junior ROTC

If you want to try playing an instrument or singing, there are many opportunities to try music-related activities. These are usually available both in your school community and in your wider community.

• Any musical interest club
• School Chorus/Choir
• Community Chorus/Choir
• Church Chorus/Choir
• Chamber Music Group
• Concert Band
• Singing Lessons
• Marching Band
• Your own band
• Tri-M Music Honor Society

Performance Art

Love to ham it up? You'll find there are many outlets both in your school and in your community to get on a stage and make an audience laugh and cry.

• Comedy Club
• Choreography
• Classic Film Club
• Film Production Club
• International Thespian Society
• Slam Poetry Club
• High School Theater Group
• Community Theater Group

You can usually find these groups in your community.

• Church groups
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Jewish Student Union
• Missionary work
• Youth Groups

Roleplaying/Fantasy

Did you know your love of fantasy can also be an extracurricular activity? Participating in one of these groups can show a dedication to many different creative skills.

• The Civil War Reenactors
• Dungeons and Dragons Club
• Gamers Club
• LARPing (Live Action Role Playing)
• Renaissance Faires

Social Activism

These groups may have chapters in your school or in your community. If there's a cause you're passionate about, seek out the local group that supports it.

• Amnesty International
• Animal Rights Club
• Breast Cancer Awareness
• Cancer Foundation
• Environmental Club
• Fair Trade Club
• Gay-Straight Alliance
• Girls Lean International
• NOW —National Organization for Women
• SADD —Students Against Destructive Decisions

Special Interest

You will often find these groups in your school or supported by the community. If you have a special interest in something that you can't find a local group for, consider creating one or join a national group. You can communicate with other people who have the same interest online, and attend meet-ups throughout the year.

• Equestrian Club
• Entrepreneurship Club
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• Girl Scouts
• Horticulture Club
• Model Railroads
• Quilt Making

Sports and Recreation

You probably already know about the sports teams at your schools, but there are also many opportunities to participate outside of those. Try doing extramural sports, join a club league in your community, or consider coaching a youth team.

• Baseball and softball
• Bodybuilding
• Cheerleading
• Climbing Club
• Hiking Club
• Intramural Sports
• Martial Arts
• Ping Pong Club
• Quidditch Clubs
• Skate Board Club
• Track & Field
• Ultimate Frisbee Club

There are a lot of ways to make a difference in your local community. Look for volunteer groups in your school, your church, or elsewhere in your neighborhood. There are many websites, such as Volunteer Match , that can help you find a local community service project that is of interest to you.

• Adopt-a-Highway
• Animal rescue
• Best Buddies International
• Church outreach
• Hospital volunteer
• International volunteer program
• Red Cross Club
• UNICEF High School Clubs
• Volunteer Fire Department
• Work with a local charity
• Work with a local soup kitchen

If none of the above activities are for you, you're still in luck. Why? You can always create your own extracurricular activity!

Did you know that almost any hobby can be turned into an extracurricular activity?

Starting a business or a website, volunteering, or any unusual hobby can be turned into something that you can write about for college. And if it's unique enough to not be on this list, you can be sure that it will be something new for the college admissions committee, as well!

What matters most is that it's an outlet for your passion, creativity, and leadership.

So instead of thinking you don't do anything interesting, take the opportunity to find a new passion, or to turn something you already love into an activity you can share with the world.

If you think there's something we left off that you want to see something added to this list, leave a comment below.

What's Next?

Now that you know what extracurriculars look like, read about how to write about extracurriculars on your college application.

Did you know that you can use community service work to help pay for college? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to win community service scholarships.

Want your extracurriculars to really stand out? Check out our guide of three amazing extracurricular examples that are sure to impress colleges.

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Mary Ann holds a BA in Classics and Russian from the University of Notre Dame, and an MA from University College London. She has years of tutoring experience and is also passionate about travel and learning languages.

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Stevens High School football ticket sales revenue bolsters all extracurricular activities

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - The Stevens High School football team kicked off their season Friday night against Sioux Falls Lincoln at O’Harra Stadium. The stadium is big enough to fit thousands of spectators - which Stevens Athletic Director Nick Karn said is important for ticket sales revenue.

“Ticket sales obviously impact all athletics and activities,” Karn said. “So, it’s really great that we have this facility for football that we can actually have a lot of people come. There’s a lot of tradition here.”

Ticket sales revenue from football games and other athletic events go towards Stevens’s general activities fund, which benefits more than just athletes on the gridiron.

“It’s a huge benefit because I get the opportunity to be able to play tennis and do marching band and robotics,” said Stevens Senior Isaac Haar. “That might not be able to be done without the funding we get from ticket sales.”

One assistant football coach said he was happy to see students supporting each other’s sporting events, citing the example of football players working concessions at basketball games and vice versa.

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Band Directors Talk Shop

Beginning of the Year Tips from 60+ Band Directors

In our summer survey, we asked Band Directors Talk Shop readers “What is one thing you recommend to help with the beginning of the year?” With over 300 responses to the survey, we came up with these 60+ things that give you ideas about how to have a successful start to school!

Thanks so much  to all of our readers who took time to fill out the survey. We’ll be posting more Readers’ Collaborative Articles in the future!

Early Preparation

• A little work in the summer goes a long way.
• Be in the band room a couple weeks before the students.
• Study last year’s yearbook and know your students’ names as quickly as possible.
• Assign lockers, folders, etc. and post for the first day.
• Music, instruments, folders, handouts, assigned instruments, paperwork etc. should be ready on Day 1.
• Have all of your grading requirements and syllabi printed for the students before all of the other teachers arrive for school (have access to printers).
• Have you first semester of music selected.
• Have your band instrumentation figured out by calling students and discussing what you hope they will play so that the band can be successful.
• My building provides everything to students. Instruments, binders, books, cleaning supplies, etc. We preset EVERYTHING before school starts. For us it’s the difference between having students playing on the third day or the third week.
• Name tags (1/2 sheet of paper folded like a tent). Students write their first/last name and the instrument they play on the paper. Place it over the stand until the teacher learns all their names.
• Have your performance dates set, reserved and locked in place so that you can communicate that to your families in your hand book and not change them after school starts. This is the key to working well with busy families.

Organization

• Being organized helps with classroom discipline, class pacing, and student learning. It will really set the tone for the rest of the year.
• Organize student 3-ring binders so kids can follow and find music quickly.
• Plan EVERYTHING out. Be so organized that you are able to be flexible when, inevitably, things don’t go according to plan.

• Do something musical the first day. Hook them from day 1.
• Chorales, chorales, chorales at the beginning of the year and not being so anxious to start repertoire.
• Start content from the very beginning of the first day. (After going over all the first day procedures, school rules, welcome back and group building activities).
• Don’t stop until what you want is perfect. If you let them get away with mediocrity at the beginning, you’re setting up that expectation for the rest of the year.
• Lay the foundation, and take as much time as it takes. The first few weeks of lessons are NOT to be rushed through. The first few weeks will make or break the whole year.

Team Building

• Make the first few days fun, getting to know each other and don’t bombard the students with too many specifics.
• Team build before you play a note.
• Get to know your students.
• Calling students instead of asking for volunteers in front of the class can prevent hurt feelings of students who are not selected.
• Meet your student officers before the first rehearsal.
• Have student leaders explain rules and be role models for younger kids.
• Give students the responsibility of representing your program positively.
• Establish community as soon as possible.
• Have your older students “watch out” for the new kids. Discuss what it means to be an artist and a caring, responsible ensemble member.
• Do the things only you can do.
• Empower students and parents to help on things anyone can do.

Expectations

• Success for the whole year depends upon having everything up front so the students, AND PARENTS, know the expectations. Do not budge on your standards.
• Know your expectations for your classroom and teach them to your students.
• Have a serious talk with the parents that band is “hard but fun”. Don’t give your child the option to quit and they won’t.
• Go home! Don’t spend every waking moment at the school.
• Have the kids help set goals for the week, month, semester.
• Rules and expectations to start.
• Set up class rules that are accessible to everyone and make sense.
• Have them practice at home for the first week of school (it carries through the year better).
• Practice classroom procedures!!

• Routine is key before moving forward with basics and technique.
• Start hard with discipline. If you don’t get the kids on track immediately, you’ll never get there.
• Be consistency

Beginner Band

• Don’t allow beginners to take home their instruments until good habits are established.
• Don’t use books for beginners until students have control of instrument basics.
• Have beginners learn to play by ear first.
• Beginner band camp: divide the kids up for 1-2 hours and teach the basics for that specific instrument. Teach them to play hot cross buns so they have a song to play.
• Segregate flutes with the head joint only until they can do high and low note flexibility.
• Practice your mouthpiece only exercises.
• If your school has an online school store, use it for instrument rental fees, etc.
• I get all of my regular/annual travel forms completed for the whole school year, send them through our school system (principal, assistant superintendent, then the superintendent) for their signatures. This way they all come back signed for the entire year, so when I need to pay an entry fee or meals, I have the forms I need to attach to the requisition.   This saves a lot of time and I’m able to get all of my fees in on time.
• I have the kids answer a Google survey where they enter their instrument brand, model and serial number. Then I have an instant spreadsheet of everyone’s instrument in case something gets lost or stolen, or an unlabeled instrument is found and I need to get it to its owner. Easiest inventory ever, and it takes only 5 minutes per class.
• Keep a list of everything you do this year with the date. List if you should have completed the task earlier or later in the year and what you would do differently next year.  Use your list for next year.  The following year will be so much easier and less stressful not having to remember everything.
• Use “ Paperwork Folders .”

Miscellaneous

• Use memes to introduce class rules and expectations.
• Stock up on reeds
• Not my circus, not my monkeys (steer clear of other people’s drama!).
• Listen to good quality recordings.
• My motto is do something today for your future self. I complete many of the beginning of the year tasks at the end of the previous year like copy music, assign lockers, etc.  Makes the start of the year less stressful.
• Love and encouragement.
• Be firm but kind.
• The way you do anything is the way you do everything!
• Coordinating lesson schedules (pull out lessons) with classroom teachers … communication and cooperation are vital!
• Don’t smile till Thanksgiving.
• Treat every year like it’s your first year.
• If you fail to plan, plan to fail.
• The journey is about to begin!

Related Reading:

ONE Thing that Improved Student Performance in Your Band (well, really 64) Band Director Tricks of the Trade Proactive Classroom Management

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Football 8/30/2024 11:22:48 PM Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Sports Information

Chatfield football rushes to rivalry win over Dakota Ridge

LAKEWOOD — On Friday night at Jeffco Stadium, Brock Narva looked like the dual-threat running back that posted 848 yards rushing and 593 yards receiving two years ago.

“It feels great. I’ve had to learn to play with some stuff,” the Chatfield senior said of his injuries that limited him his junior season to play in just six games. “It means everything to me to be out here. This is what I put all my time and effort into. To be able to show everyone what I can do means so much to me.”

“We want Brock between the white lines as much as possible,” Chatfield coach Kris Rosholt said. “He is a very, very special player. A generational player. His instincts, cutting ability and vision are things you can’t coach.”

Dakota Ridge had cut it to a 1-score game — 31-23 — with a 1-yard touchdown run from its own special junior running back Landon Kalsbeck with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter. However, Narva carried the load on a key 73-yard scoring drive where he had five carries for 56 yards.

“To see him out on the field was really special not only from a game standpoint, but from a personal standpoint to see him back playing the game he loves,” Rosholt said. “He is really fun to watch.”

Narva said one of his goals this year is to put up 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving, along with not spending as much time with Chatfield athletic trainer Dan Martinez. 

“The offensive line kind of put the team on their back and let Brock do his thing,” Rosholt said of the Chargers closing out the win with a 73-yard scoring drive that ended with sophomore quarterback Cash Williams tossing a 11-yard touchdown to sophomore Jaden Zeller with 4:09 remaining in the game to make the final score 38-23.

Chatfield held a 17-10 lead on Dakota Ridge at halftime. Narva had touchdown runs of 27 and 1-yard in the opening half for the Chargers. Senior Andrew Astone kicked a 41-yard field goal to extend Chatfield’s lead before halftime.

Dakota Ridge’s first-half scoring was supplied by a 37-yard field goal by junior Colby Stewart and a 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Kellen Behrendsen that gave the Eagles’ a brief 10-7 lead in the second quarter. 

Chatfield — No. 8 in the current Colorado Preps 5A football rankings — is coming off a roll coaster of a season where the Chargers dropped their opening three games, but went on a 5-game winning streak to qualify for the playoffs. Rosholt had Chatfield one win away from advancing to the 5A state championship game, but rival and eventual state champion Columbine defeated the Chargers 35-16 in the state semifinals back on Nov. 24 last season.

“It’s always tough going against a rival Week 1. Especially with so much turnover in our program,” said Rosholt, who graduated several key seniors from last year’s team. “Dakota Ridge is always a great program and well coached. They are a class-act program over there and we knew we would get their best shot.”

There are also the usual high expectations for Dakota Ridge, who are No. 8 in the current Colorado Preps 4A poll. 

Jeremiah Behrendsen — math teacher and assistant coach at Dakota Ridge since 2004 — takes over the Eagles’ football program with the retirement of longtime head coach Ron Woitalewicz. Dakota Ridge had only one losing season during the 20-year stretch when Woitalewicz was at the helm of the Eagles’ program.

“I think there is always some anxiety in a new role, but we have so many kids with experience coming back and pretty much all of our coaching staff was returning,” Coach Behrendsen said. “I knew we had a tough opponent. It’s Week 1 and a measuring stick.”

The Eagles are back at Jeffco Stadium next Friday night (Sept. 6) to face another Jeffco school. Green Mountain (1-0 record) hosts Dakota Ridge under the lights. The Rams — No. 5 in the 3A Colorado Preps football rankings — got a big 19-13 road win Thursday, Aug. 29, against (3A) No. 2 Windsor.

“In general, I just want us to play good football teams,” Coach Behrendsen said. “Our kids are really excited to play a really tough schedule. They know we need to find some ways to win those tough games.”

The Chargers head to North Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5, next week to face Horizon (0-1 record). The Hawks lost a close game against Fountain-Fort Carson on Thursday, Aug. 29, in their season opener.