I found this picture of me sitting on a podium during a band clinic rehearsal.  It made me happy to remember these times when I get to work hands on with students and staff members, trying to make a difference in their show, their season, and hopefully their lives.

It also reminded me just how hard these young people work.   In this day and age when people are lamenting how entitled and lazy students can be (and honestly, there is a lot of this around in our world), I remind myself that there are many young people really working hard and dedicating themselves to be a part of a group to make a difference in some way.  And of course, those in the band are in this group also.

Marching season is a long way off now, though gyms today are filled with color guards and indoor drumlines starting their competitive seasons, not to mention basketball players, wrestlers, cheerleaders, and many other hard working and dedicated young people.  So if you see these folks, make sure and applaud them and let them know in some way that you realize they are part of the SOLUTION, not the problem.  I look forward to being on a field again soon.