Band Room Therapy

State of Band: ColoradoColorado band directors share how the state’s music scene is organized, from its governing bodies and region structure to concert festival, marching band, honor band, and all-state opportunities. The conversation also highlights the strong culture of mentorship, collaboration, and practical support across the state.Sponsors:Sight Reading FactoryRCP Drum CompanyBetterSax https://geni.us/bettersaxclassicsaxTimestamps00:00 - Welcome to Colorado and introductions from Andrew King and Melissa Ellenberger01:55 - Colorado’s music governing bodies: CBA, CHSAA, and CMEA05:01 - How Colorado is divided into regions by geography and access06:52 - Region meetings, representation, and communication with directors09:26 - Colorado’s band conferences, including the Broadmoor-hosted state conference11:47 - School classifications from 1A to 5A and what they affect16:54 - Concert festival requirements for high school and middle school21:20 - Colorado’s yearly calendar from marching season to spring events23:07 - Region honor bands, ski festival, and winter conference season25:45 - Middle school recruitment, fifth grade outreach, and instrument test drives27:41 - Large middle school band programs, summer band camp, and class management30:44 - What marching band looks like in Colorado, including scoring and state events34:50 - Individual achievement pathways: honor bands and all-state opportunities36:13 - Middle school honor band auditions and ensemble makeup38:24 - High school honor band audition music and statewide consistency40:21 - Video auditions and selection for all-state42:09 - Colorado’s all-state band, jazz band, orchestra, and choir structure45:51 - Solo and ensemble expectations and why it stays at the regional level46:53 - Mentorship through CBA and district support for new directors54:12 - Colorado’s culture of sharing, observing, and helping other programs56:59 - What the guests want people to know about teaching band in Colorado58:48 - A mindset of appreciating every festival and ensemble like art

This episode digs into what band culture actually means, how it shows up in rehearsal and daily routines, and why it matters for student buy in, trust, and community. Mr. Morgan, Miss Gates, and Mr. Haim compare middle school and high school experiences, share the traditions that shaped their programs, and talk honestly about discipline, parent communication, and the balance between teacher leadership and student ownership.Sponsors: Standing O Marching www.standingomarching.com ⁨SightReadingFactoryBetterSax - SweetWater RCP Drum CompanyTimestamps:00:00 - Opening mix-up and welcome to the culture conversation01:03 - What band culture means to each director03:06 - The band is bigger than any one person04:01 - Students helping define the culture each year05:02 - Signs of a healthy band room08:35 - Red flags that culture is drifting13:44 - Different expectations for middle school and high school17:54 - How culture gets established in the first weeks20:03 - Building community with student buddies and section leaders24:57 - Culture is visible to the whole school25:44 - Traditions, sayings, and class identities29:41 - Alma mater, Friday night branding, and student leadership32:03 - Passing the baton with senior notes and varsity jackets35:16 - When students say band is about becoming good humans36:38 - Jazz lunch as a recurring tradition38:22 - Director driven or student driven42:41 - Shifting the balance of ownership over the year45:05 - Moving past the iron fist model49:49 - Honest, fair, and calm discipline52:37 - Trust, vulnerability, and being human with students56:41 - Handling behavior that hurts the culture60:57 - Parents, communication, and shared support66:45 - Positive calls home and celebrating small wins68:39 - A parent partnership that improved student practice71:07 - Weekly newsletters and consistent family communication72:08 - Highlighting non band achievements too75:06 - Advice for first year directors78:12 - Adapting if the program already has a culture79:07 - Make students feel they belong and make good music80:55 - Final thoughts on authenticity, growth, and evolving culture

This episode of Band Room Therapy Podcast is all about color guard and why it matters to the full marching band experience. Mr. Ashley is joined by Dalton Stout, Mrs. Lavonne Pearson, and Jeremy Williams for a practical conversation on recruiting, inclusion, fundamentals, leadership, and building a healthy guard culture.We discuss how to value color guard as artists and educators, not just as an add-on to the band. The conversation also digs into what band directors should know if they want their guard to succeed, especially when resources are limited.SponsersSight Reading Factory www.sightreadingfactory.comRCP Drum Company www.RCPDrum.comBetter Sax https://geni.us/bettersaxclassicsax00:00 - Welcome to The Art of the Guard02:00 - Guest introductions and color guard backgrounds03:50 - What to look for in color guard tryouts07:10 - Why willingness and presence matter more than experience08:38 - Recruiting middle school students through high school leaders09:58 - How color guard builds leadership naturally13:21 - Why visual design is central to marching band storytelling15:20 - Color guard as storytellers across the whole show17:28 - How guard helps casual audiences connect with the music19:52 - How directors can make guard feel valued in rehearsals22:37 - Respecting the work guard actually does on the field24:53 - Why transitions and reset time must account for equipment26:29 - Using set numbers and clear language to reduce stress28:07 - Helping newcomers survive the first season31:59 - Don’t compare yourself to upperclassmen34:11 - Common challenges band directors may not see36:36 - Finding experienced help through schools, videos, and alumni38:24 - Communicating changes in closer, tempo, or stand tunes42:25 - Why color guard learns slower than most band sections44:47 - Preventing toxic culture and cliques in the guard47:36 - The block system as a simple antidote to drama52:47 - How to use a color guard instructor effectively when time is limited56:39 - What to do when guard is with the band instead of separated58:52 - Advice to your younger self: keep it simple62:22 - Final thoughts on community, expertise, and asking for help64:02 - Uniform, makeup, and shoe choices that support confidence66:51 - Reach out for help and ask guard questions anytime67:39 - Closing thoughts and episode wrap-up

California’s band world is anything but one-size-fits-all. Host Mr. Ashley sits down with Southern California director Jimmy “Jimm3rz” and Northern California director Jacqueline to unpack how music education, festivals, all-state auditions, marching band, and local leadership work across the state.They compare the organizations that shape opportunities for students, the differences between Southern California field shows and Northern California parade culture, and how concert festivals, jazz, solo and ensemble events, and regional honor groups fit into the picture. The conversation also gets practical about mentorship, teacher retention, arts funding, credential transfers, and advice for directors considering a move to California.Sponsors: Sight Reading Factory www.Sightreadingfactory.comBetter Sax https://geni.us/bettersaxclassicsaxRCP Drum Company www.RCPDrum.com 00:31 – Meet the California band directors01:02 – The organizations that govern California music events03:17 – How California All-State auditions and ensembles work05:20 – Where statewide conferences are held06:55 – Regional events, festivals, and local honors bands08:30 – Opportunities for rural and smaller programs10:05 – Director conferences across the state11:06 – Marching band and concert classifications12:40 – Why Southern California’s marching scene is so distinct15:26 – Northern California parade competition vs. Southern California field shows17:00 – Judging, guard scoring, and marching-band awards18:07 – Show-style bands, HBCU marching, and physical demands19:10 – Is there a statewide marching-band champion?20:42 – Indoor guard and drumline opportunities24:28 – Concert festivals, ratings, and required repertoire29:55 – Choosing festival music and avoiding novelty programming32:03 – All-State audition material and honor-band pathways33:40 – Northern California, the Bay Area, and regional identity35:14 – All-State jazz, choir, orchestra, mariachi, and modern band37:21 – Jazz festivals and solo-and-ensemble opportunities40:02 – The California band-director community and mentorship43:18 – Teacher retention, funding, and arts education45:25 – Advice for new and out-of-state California directors47:33 – Final thoughts on supporting music education

This episode is a practical conversation about how band directors choose repertoire that fits their students, their instrumentation, and their audience. Rick Schwartz is joined by Cooking With Valve Oil, aka Mr. Morgan, and Megan Vinther to break down how they balance educational value, enjoyment, and realistic rehearsal time when programming concert music.In this episode, Rick Schwartz introduces the topic of repertoire selection as the ongoing challenge of finding music that is challenging, playable, and enjoyable for students.Megan Vinther shares that her first question is always what her students need skill-wise and where she wants them to grow by the end of the year.Mr. Morgan explains that having both middle school and high school bands gives him a long-view approach, letting him think about what the students have already done and where they are headed next. Instrumentation comes up as a major factor, especially in schools with unusual or incomplete sections, and all three agree that arrangers and directors often have to rewrite or adapt parts.Megan describes using score study and sight-reading to see whether a piece is actually balanced, especially when one section has more exposed or difficult material than the others.Mr. Morgan and Rick both describe adding or rewriting parts for missing instruments, including horns, oboe, bassoon, percussion, and even piano.The episode closes with a discussion of how important it is to keep buying new music, while also digging into older repertoire and library gems that may still be great teaching pieces.Sponsors:Sightreadingfactory.comhttps://geni.us/bettersaxclassicsaxThebandblueprint.netTimestamps00:00 - Opening gag and why choosing repertoire is so hard04:51 - Sight-reading as a way to test difficulty and student interest06:18 - Knowing your audience and what parents will respond to09:04 - Does instrumentation influence repertoire choices11:14 - Strong sections versus missing color instruments13:15 - Rewriting parts for strong players and unusual personnel16:11 - When and how often they rewrite or modify parts18:28 - Rewriting concert band and orchestra music for combined concerts21:21 - Rebuilding percussion parts when a section is too large or unbalanced23:44 - Writing extra parts in orchestra and mixed ensemble settings26:51 - Why Mr. Morgan opposes forced themes29:44 - Holiday concerts, Krampus, and avoiding a dark seasonal vibe32:38 - Using repertoire to reinforce tone, air, and fundamentals34:21 - Event-based themes versus overly conceptual concert themes36:39 - Limited Hanukkah repertoire and rotation of strong existing pieces40:29 - Why a piece can be fun without being filler43:50 - A program note project that lets students write about the music they love46:20 - Why a whole concert cannot be all grade 4 and 5 music50:28 - Warning signs that a piece is too easy53:36 - Programming easier in the fall and building difficulty through the year56:21 - Easy music can still teach tone, phrase, and intonation58:12 - Planning concerts around what the ensemble needs to succeed61:34 - Common mistakes: overprogramming and selfish programming64:34 - Underprogramming and not trusting the ensemble enough67:22 - Using concert preparation knowledge from marching season68:51 - A student-requested Omar Thomas piece that grew into a strong performance70:46 - Searching for new music by listening passively and building a purchase list73:01 - New composers writing directly for current music education practice76:03 - Do not buy everything just because it is on a list78:18 - Final recommendations: what to program now78:32 - Mr. Morgan’s picks: Sunbloom and The Summoning79:31 - Megan’s picks: Country Club Stomp and Shine On Me80:46 - Rick’s personal recommendation: Havana Knights and its sequel81:39 - Closing thoughts on choosing music that students will enjoy#band #banddirector #bandroomtherapy #musiceducation