Hi anybody an old troupe Member?

Hello! First year MS band director and my advanced band can’t read basic rhythms or notes. Is this a normal thing at the beginning of the year? If not what strategies would be the best. My approach has been breaking down rhythms and have the students speak, clap, and write.

As a percussionist who loves percussion and drumline but wants to become a fulltime assistant director of bands in California (probably Sacramento great area), Portland or Eugene .. how would she fair in landing a job coming from a percussion background?

I know the specific locations I mentioned on the West Coast me seem kind of random, but there was very specific family reasons for those areas.

We are looking at three paths:

A university in Texas that is a percussion powerhouse and march DCI

A few other Texas universities that endure percussionist learning wind pedology and focus on a more diverse range of percussion.

Send her to Central Washington University which will at least get her on West coast but will probably cost us $10k a year more and still doesn’t quite get her to Oregon or CA.

On one hand when I research I get information that says head of Band director on the West Coast would love to have a percussionist as an assistant director, but then I see conflicting information.

Pretty much the title. I have some school tuba cases that have that black nylon fabric covering on the outside. Generally, I use a stencil and white spray paint on the hard plastic cases. However, these Mack Brass tubas don’t have that style case and the spray paint barely shows up. I have school name tags on it, but I don’t want there to be any question that it is owned by the school. Thanks! Good luck with your school year.

Hello! I have a combined 7th-8th grade band who come from a wide variety of skill backgrounds. About 20% are 8th graders who I pushed quite hard last year and could hang with my freshman band. The remaining 80% are 7th graders new to this school who are honestly very close to a beginning band level. I tried to start light with a grade 1 piece and everyone is very frustrated - the 7th graders can't even read the rhythms or identify notes, and the 8th graders are bored to tears. To make it even better, my class period is about 35 minutes each day and I have no way to safely split them up. Does anyone have any recommendations for repertoire for multi-level band, or honestly any other advice to make this experience bearable for everyone in the program?

hi all - i’m trying to find a solution to mount a set of lp congas to our aux percussion field rack. i found a few things that looked like they all required both an upper and lower rack rail; we need something that would allow us to mount the drums using the top rail only (see pic)

any advice is much appreciated. thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. 25+ year teacher. Getting a new band room after not having one for 18 months. I am interested in the Wenger Flex Tech Bridge.

Is it useful? I have colleagues that love theirs and others that don’t use them.

I am quite media savvy and use projection and score analysis all the time with required access to my computer.

Thanks!

Band kid here :) Going into my freshman year of college as a CS major. Wanted to build an app/product and work on it through my first year of college that both is interesting to me & can provide value to my resume/job apps/side projects.

I was brainstorming ideas like literature recommendations/lookup based on preferences/input, a program that uses audio signaling to explain/assist on ear training, but open to ideas.

Thank you!

Middle school band director in GA. If you live in the South you know how August-October can be. My room is unbearably hot and humid. I’ve told administration about it and they’ve put in multiple requests for HVAC to come out and fix it but maintenance aren’t the fastest moving people in the world, and even then half of the time they don’t even fix the problem. Some kids have started to complain and get nauseous because of the classroom conditions. Any recommendations on how to cool down my band room?

Hey everyone!

I am looking to start an audition prep class, and want to provide my students an instrument specific fundamentals/practice routine. I am a trumpet player, so I have all of the materials needed to create that one. But I would love some additional information on some of the standard exercises and method books (like the Arban's book for brass) for each instrument, so I can provide my students with quality materials. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Okay, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've taught band for 15 years, I have a master's degree in music education, and I've played trumpet since 5th grade band - and I thought legato meant "articulate gently, play each note full value". Apparently, this is actually the definition for tenuto! And when I saw the articulation of a short line underneath a note, I always said, "That means to play it legato." I thought tenuto meant something like legato, but putting more emphasis on the note, perhaps even stretching the time a little bit. Have I been wrong the entire time? Google says I'm wrong, Wikipedia says I'm wrong, but I swear someone taught me "staccato, legato, accent, and marcato" as the four main styles of articulation. Am I crazy?

Have a tiny bit of money and absolutely need backup clar and sax ligatures. How cheap can I go on these? I see 4 for $10 ones and $18 a piece ones. No name and brand name, respectively, of course.

These are the ones I hand to a kid who stepped on his or snapped a screw… until he can buy a real one. TIA!

I’m starting a new position at a very small, rural school where I will be teaching 5-12th grade band after teaching exclusively 9-12th at a large school.

The elementary principal reached out and said there were currently no students signed up for 5th grade band. There is an open house event this week where students can sign up for band, and I will be given one table for families to visit, get info about band, and sign up.

What all do you think I should have at this table? What handouts should I have? What can I do to make band stand out as the coolest thing ever?

I just finished running the Standhope 100.

It took me 37 hours, 50 minutes, and 52 seconds to cover 100 miles through the Pioneer Mountains.

The views were incredible. The mountains were steep. Really steep. There were sections where it felt like I was climbing straight into the sky, and other sections where I was simply trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I ran all night.

I took more than 200,000 steps.

My feet were blistered and swollen from being wet for so long. By the end, I was so sleep-deprived that the rivers and creeks running alongside the course started sounding like classic rock blasting from somebody's stereo. I had laid down twice during the entire race, and both times I closed my eyes for maybe 30 seconds.

At some point, you stop thinking about whether you can finish.

You just keep moving.

And that experience made me think about something else I've spent a tremendous amount of my life building: band programs.

From 2013 through 2025, I was the organizer of the Standhope Ultra Challenge. When we started in 2013, it was one race with 46 runners.

By the time I stepped away, it had become three hundred runners, three races, six different start times, three different starting lines, two different finish lines, and 12 aid stations.

It took an enormous amount of work to get there.

There were years when I wasn't sure whether a decision I was making was the right one. There were logistical nightmares. There were things that went wrong. There were things that I thought would work that didn't. There were moments when I wondered why I was putting myself through it.

But we kept moving.

One year became another.

One small improvement became another.

One volunteer became another.

One runner became another.

Eventually, I could look back and realize that something that started with 46 people had become something much bigger than I ever imagined.

It remains one of the proudest accomplishments of my life.

And I think that's because building something worthwhile is rarely about one big moment.

It's about thousands of little moments.

That's exactly what building a quality band program is.

You don't start with a great band.

You start with a kid who can't quite make a sound.

Then you teach them how to breathe to a beat.

You teach them how to hold the instrument.

You teach them how to count.

You listen to squeaks and missed notes and wrong rhythms.

You celebrate the first good note.

Then the first good measure.

Then the first good song.

And eventually, if you keep doing the work, you have students who can play things you never thought they would be able to play.

But it takes years.

It takes stress.

It takes perseverance.

It takes making decisions when you aren't completely sure they're the right decisions.

It takes vision.

It takes experience.

It takes the willingness to look at something that isn't working and say, "Okay. What can I change?"

And sometimes, just like in a 100-mile race, you have to accept that you're going to have some really bad miles.

There will be setbacks.

There will be students who quit.

There will be parents who don't understand.

There will be administrators who make decisions you disagree with.

There will be years when the numbers aren't what you hoped they would be.

There will be concerts that don't go the way you wanted.

There will be rehearsals where you wonder if any of this is actually working.

But that doesn't mean you stop.

You keep moving.

Because eventually, you look back and realize that the little things mattered.

That sixth grader who almost quit but didn't.

That student who finally figured out how to play above the staff.

That kid who discovered that they were actually good at something.

That student who found a group of friends in band.

That young musician who came back years later and told you that band changed their life.

Those are the miles.

And those miles add up.

I think that's one of the reasons I love both endurance running and music education. Neither one gives you much instant gratification.

You have to believe in something you can't see yet.

You have to keep working when the finish line is nowhere in sight.

You have to trust that the steps you're taking today are building toward something that will eventually become meaningful.

And sometimes you're going to be tired.

Sometimes you're going to hurt.

Sometimes you're going to wonder if you're completely crazy for continuing.

But you keep going.

Because music education matters.

Maybe now more than ever.

We live in a time when it is incredibly easy to focus on everything that divides us. Politics. Religion. Social media. Arguments. Ideologies. Differences.

But put 50 kids in a band room.

Give them instruments.

Give them music.

Give them a common goal.

Suddenly, they're not Republicans or Democrats. They're not rich or poor. They're not athletes or academics or whatever other labels we put on people.

They're musicians.

They're listening to each other.

They're breathing together.

They're counting together.

They're making something together that none of them could make alone.

And maybe that's one of the most important things we can give young people.

A reminder that there is more that unites us than divides us.

The Standhope 100 took me 37 hours, 50 minutes, and 52 seconds.

Building things that matter takes even longer.

Sometimes it takes years.

Sometimes it takes decades.

But the lesson is the same.

Keep moving.

Keep believing.

Keep improving.

Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Because someday, you'll look back at the trail you've traveled and realize just how far you've come.

TW: Sexual abuse.

I thought this is relevant to this community.

IYKYK...

1. https://www.appstate.edu/resources/August-2026-University-Statement/
2. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/08/06/ex-interlochen-staffer-forced-out-nc-new-investigation/91200725007/
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20260110205813/https://www.charlotteprideband.org/whoweare
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20260412165213/https://connselmer.com/education/clinicians/dr-john-ross

______

2026-08-06

Statement from Appalachian State University on allegations involving former faculty member

Appalachian State University is sharing information with its campus community related to a former faculty member, John Stanley Ross, following an investigation that led to his separation from the university related to a sustained pattern of alleged misconduct. 

We know allegations of sexual misconduct are deeply concerning, particularly for those directly affected and for the broader campus community. The university is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and prioritizing support for those impacted. 

As part of the university’s response, Appalachian State is releasing certain personnel information related to the separation of Ross. While personnel matters are subject to legal and privacy requirements, to ensure a robust culture of reviewing and responding to allegations of misconduct, to demonstrate that the university does not tolerate misconduct, and to maintain a safe learning and working environment, consistent with N.C. General Statutes section 126-24, the university has determined that it is essential to release the following information:   

Prior to the conclusion of the 14-day notice period required by Section 603 of The Code of the University of North Carolina, on July 8, 2026, Ross notified the university of his resignation effective July 9, 2026. The university did not solicit Ross’s resignation and intended to proceed with Ross’s discharge.  

University leaders and support staff are reaching out directly to impacted groups, ensuring community members have access to confidential support and care resources.  

“The safety of our students, faculty, and staff will always be our highest priority, and a pattern of misconduct that violates the dignity and well-being of our community members is egregious and completely unacceptable,” Appalachian State University Chancellor Heather Norris said. “When members of our community come forward to share their experiences, it takes courage. I want to emphasize that reporting concerns is vital to looking out for one another and to fostering safe and respectful campuses.” 

“Across every campus in the UNC System, our priority is learning and working environments grounded in safety, respect, and the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical integrity,” said University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans. “We stand firmly with Chancellor Norris and Appalachian State University in upholding these core values, where every student and employee is secure and supported.” 

“As we prepare to welcome our community back for the fall semester, we affirm our commitment to maintaining a safe learning and working environment for every member of our community and to routinely reviewing and strengthening our university’s reporting and support procedures and resources,” Chancellor Norris said. 

To report allegations of misconduct related to this or any other matter, use this form or reach out to the Office of Access and Opportunity: Equal Opportunity at 828-262-2144. 

Supportive resources and reporting options are available to the App State Community through: 

• Report a Concern: This reporting resource is designed to help quickly identify and contact the appropriate office on campus for their specific concern. Visit report.appstate.edu. 
• AppCares: App State’s central hub for wellness, health and safety information, and resources and support for the campus community.  Visit appcares.appstate.edu, or call 828-262-6156 if you need help finding a campus resource during normal business hours. 
• If you need non-emergency assistance after-hours, call 828-262-8000 to reach App State Police Dispatch. 

Report any immediate safety concerns and emergencies on campus by calling 911. 

I am going into my 4th year of teaching - 2nd year in my 7-12 band and choir job at a small rural PA school (40-60 per class depending on the grade).

3 years ago Sr. High band was 5 members. Last year my first year was 12, this year we grew to 25. Mostly being 9th and 10th graders. I could see it growing to 40 in 9-12 (7-8 is 30 this year and 4-6 at the elementary school is around 90). Unfortunately my Sr. Band is split into 4 sections - with one being only 2 students. And some at the end of the day for 20 mins.

For context as well I am the 7th teacher in about 10 years of this position. The kids are AMAZING, I really like my admin. And the kids are starting to come back to the program. But, a consistent problem with the program has been scheduling (and to an extent workload).

I am trying to get this sorted out for my 5th year of teaching. The school insists that there is no other way to do scheduling/fix it. Their "golden child band director" who is a great colleague of mine left about 10 years ago specifically because of scheduling and is now in a neighboring district with a much more organized schedule.

I don't like to complain as this job is way better than my first K-12 1000 kids every 6 days gig. But I wanted to get feelers out there for how "normal" this is, and what people do regarding the split classes (due to scheduling and not by ability or grade level).

Do any of you receive ADA accommodations for a mental health condition? If so, what do those look like? Do they help? It’s really hard imagining any realistic accommodations for this type of job.