Becoming A Band Director Essay

One of the reasons I am going for Drum Major this year is because of the growth that I have seen from the current DM’s throughout their high school careers. I met Emma, Madeline, and Tabby as a freshman and seeing how much they would mature to become strong, independent leaders is something I never initially expected. The personal growth that one gains from leadership is one of the reasons why I believe everyone should experience a leader position at least once in their lifetime. From my year as Drill Instructor, I was able to learn quite an impressive amount, however I believe that I still have quite a ways to go before I am satisfied with my skills as a leader. One of my aspirations is to become a Doctor and have the opportunity to help those

I invested a lot of time in classes that I didn’t even need for the degree I obtained. Despite everything, there were many leadership skills I developed as a growing adult in college. I recall numerous opportunities to make decisions, solve problems, collaborate, be disciplined, and be creative. With more focus, I eventually pursued and obtained the masters degree in music education from University of Georgia, earning a higher GPA than I did in my undergraduate studies. Both experiences, however, laid the foundation for my present pursuit.

Current State: I have been teaching at HCA for two years now and in that time I have been able to recruit 13 of our current 16 musicians. This means that out of a program that covers 5th through 12th grades the majority of the students currently in the program have been directly brought into the program by me. Part of the reason that we have so many young musicians is due to teacher turnover in the five years preceding my arrival at HCA. Due to various circumstances I was the fifth band director in as many years. This negatively impacted the program over time and caused huge gaps in participation, especially in the older grades. As a result I was hired to rebuild the program from the bottom up and that is what I have done. In the two years I have a nearly 50% recruiting rate and the retention of students has also been quite high. The band program serves a number of students who would otherwise not be engaged in other current programs. There are a number of students with learning issues who have benefited greatly from their inclusion and full participation in band. This is a program that engages students of all learning levels and helps them be a part of a team and work together with other students on shared goals. Students are not only learning instrumental

- I’m very passionate about my music, heavy metal, I’m experienced with some instruments and I would love for this genre to get the recognition it deserves.

Becoming a band director is a tricky job. Not only are you a role model for all the aspiring musicians that you teach but you are constantly on the job. Band is a hobby/job that requires alt of hours, hours for practice, lessons, etc. What doesn’t make this easy either is the constant criticism of people looking down at your major. Saying things such as “Music is a waste o a college degree,” or “teachers don’t get paid enough to make a living. Why don’t you become a doctor.” These things generally don’t bother aspiring music majors, but it genuinely makes you think about how valid the degree you are receiving is. But despite the criticism, music is amazing. That’s the real reason why I would like that to be what I want to do for a

Describe any past leadership positions in the QACPS Music Program and/or non-school related organizations. I used to be the trumpet section leader in Stevensville Middle School during 7th and 8th grade. I help out with the High School uniforms for choir and band ensembles. I got another person's solo in last season's marching show, because they were not able to attend a Tournament Of Bands. I had another solo during Jazz band last year, and worked very hard to make sure it sounded great.

I already have leadership experience within the SIHS band so I understand what is expected of me and what I need to do. When I was Flag Captain, I had the responsibility of keeping track of a section and I would like to do that for the entire band. One of my strongest traits is my musical abilities. When I started playing instruments, I played the viola. I did that for three years, but then once I got to high school, I wanted to not do just color guard, but concert band- so I taught myself the bassoon. Once it was time for jazz band I realized I probably couldn't play bassoon there (even though that'd be pretty cool) I decided I wanted to play saxophone so I taught myself that as well. Aside from my primary instruments if I can try any instrument to get a better understanding of it I definitely take the opportunity. With the different instruments I’ve been exposed to reading treble, alto, tenor and bass clef, which comes in handy when reading a score and helping certain sections. Since I can read and play different kinds of music I am able to help more people in band with playing and fixing their music which is beneficial for a Drum Major. I also like to listen to many styles of music like various classical genres or jazz. If I hear a song or solo, I get the music, then try to learn and perfect

There are very few positions in high school, or even as a teenager in general, that can offer such excellent leadership experience as serving as drum major. The role of a drum major is to conduct a marching band, essentially serving as a metronome to set the tempo for the group. While this is my

When I first joined marching band after seventh grade, I missed the first summer practice to see a concert. At that time, I had no idea how much band would come to mean to me nor the unexpected amount of dedication needed. Before marching band, music was merely a casual thing, but it has transformed this old hobby into a greater priority. After just one season, this shift was noticeable. I certainly did not consider missing two days of a Disney World vacation to march at nationals when first reading the schedule. But this beloved sport worked its ways in a few short months. Through two marching seasons and a winter concert, band became one of the most prominent activities in my life.

A minimum education for a director is a high school diploma, but a bachelors, associates, doctoral, or master's degree is needed. A master’s degree takes almost 2 years, a bachelors is 5 to 7 years, doctoral is 4 to 7 years, and an associates degree is 2 years. The only exception for a non-education requirement is if you want to write music. For this you do not need any specific type of education, you just have to submit a recording to a studio or school.

Freshman Band- Freshman is included in my curriculum because this allows the directors focus on the development of 9th grade students understanding of music and fundamentals. Skill ranges will vary but those that are “rising stars” will be placed in musical leadership positions that they may not obtain if they were in the upper level ensembles.

A few days preceding my official start of attending this brand new school, my guidance counselor promptly decided to give me a tour so I would somewhat able to to navigate myself. As she asked me question after question about what classes sparked my interest and the current state of my grades, band inevitably came up. As we travelled our

It is essential that we all help each other through every band camp and last minute rehearsal no matter what. The realization that no matter how well I performed on the field did not matter to the judges unless the rest of the band also performed just as well was very hard-hitting. To be successful we must help each other. My perspective and relationship with my bandmates grew substantially because of this, I no longer want to to be on my own, I no longer want an itty-bitty group of friends, I want to be apart of something big and I want to be apart of something

A Drum Major is someone dedicated to the music program in all of its aspects. Marching Band must be that person’s number one priority outside of school and their core values(family, religion, etc.). A Drum Major has leadership abilities and is able to work well with others and is able to convey the needs of the Band Director on the field. Communication is key as leadership are the ones keeping the flow of information within the

I found my passion for arts administration as a sophomore in college. Growing up, music had always played a big part in my life. I had always thought that I would become a music teacher. However, when I accepted an internship position in the summer of 2015 working for the renowned Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, my plans changed. Suddenly, the idea of working behind the scenes, and operating an arts organization excited me immensely. As I found internships working for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Jazz House Kids and Little Kids Rock, I became fixated on the business aspect of the arts. Planning and executing various performances, fundraising events and educational programs was exciting and gratifying, which led me to decide to pursue a career in arts administration and attend graduate school. I decided that attending the University of Cincinnati was the best option for me because of its academic rigor and because it offers a program in which I can earn my MA and MBA in Arts Administration. I believe pursuing an MBA would be an excellent opportunity for me to gain the educational experience needed to excel in this field.