AS 515 : Soul – A Review
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In this episode we discuss and review the movie Soul through the lens of a public educator and band director.
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In this episode we discuss and review the movie Soul through the lens of a public educator and band director.
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In this episode we eventually talk about balancing, engaging, and creating a band culture when our kids are split over virtual and in-person settings. We also talk about a lot of other random stuff because #2020.
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In this episode we re-readdress the need for an off switch within not only the band profession but within education as a whole. Teaching in the COVID era has magnified the problems of public education as well a brought a new onslaught of issues to navigate.
THAT DOES NOT GIVE US PERMISSION TO BECOME MARTYRS FOR THE JOB.
Darcy, Jenna, and TJ discuss their concerns for teachers in general, not just band directors.
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In this episode Darcy and Jenna talk about ways to listen critically to your band during a rehearsal.
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In this episode we talk about what MUST be in place first before you can be “mean” plus Alex’s UIL recap.
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In this episode, we talk about one of our major program overhauls that is NOT working…
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In this episode we talk about reclaiming your personal time!!!
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In this episode we talk about kids that are too involved to be in band… or stay in band.
If you enjoy our podcast, take 2 seconds to share it with a friend or 15 seconds to review us on iTunes… Okay maybe a solid minute for the review. Your word of mouth helps band directors like you find our voice with which to commiserate, learn, and just relax.
Thank you for sharing your car, band hall, and earbuds with us. #trypod
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In this episode we talk about our New Year’s resolutions for BAND.
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In March every Texas band director received a survey from TMEA about our health/sanity/balance/burnout. It was a survey fueled by questions about exercise, diet, and what we do outside of the school day. Jenna, Alex, and I have talked about this a lot over the course of the last two years as none of us want to find ourselves in the place in which band simply is overwhelming to the point of a career change (as many of our friends have reached).
The Texas band system is one on steroids. To say that we brag about how many hours outside of school we spend at the band hall is maybe an understatement. Early in my own career, I decided that was not a path in which I was interested, and therefore efficiency vs. time on the job became the goal.
Each of us physically active outside of work. I (Darcy) exercise 5-6 days a week in addition to the yard work that centers me more than maybe anything. Alex spends his evenings alternating between basketball, jumping rope (for real), and video games. Jenna miraculously manages to find time to work out most days of the week after putting the two tiny Yees to bed. And all of this in the name of not hating our lives or our jobs.
So many of my college friends have already left the profession. While I attribute much of that to kids majoring in music simply because they liked playing their instrument (as opposed to teaching), I strongly believe that music educators create an environment of success by working more. If I worked at Chili’s and chose to show up 2 hours early and leave 2-4 hours late, people would look at me like I was crazy. But band directors arrange their own schedules dictating 12+ hour days for pennies on the hour with pride.
It’s not sane. It’s not healthy. And it’s not heroic.
Despite what we may tell ourselves.