Today’s Task - November 29, 2022 There was a day that I thought the measure of my success was based on how many trophies my marching band won and Superior ratings my concert bands attained. I was particularly proud of the high percentage of my students who went on to music schools thinking surely, this [...]
Today’s Task - November 21, 2022 There are not, and never have been, any wrong notes. If you live near the ocean, you may hear a seagull squawking in one key, a dog barking in another key, the roar of the ocean out of tune with the other two sounds, and birds singing in clashing [...]
Today’s Task - November 15, 2022 A conductor does not “conduct;” he, by the nature of his being and his spirit, causes people to sing; he evokes sounds that hopefully, are reflective of each person’s individual life experiences. Granted, technique and the mechanics of conducting must be taught and respected. However, the stuff that allows [...]
Today’s Task - November 7, 2022 Some things don’t make sense to me, such as why people don’t allow themselves a dream; why people just exist rather than choose to actively live life. It is a verb that requires action, “to live.” We can actively impact the direction of our lives; things don’t just keep [...]
Today’s Task - October 31, 2022 Having grown up in the Pittsburgh area, I am….and will always be….a Steeler fan. As you can imagine, it has been difficult to watch their games this year. Following today’s game I was watching the press conference when a reporter asked Kenny Pickett a question regarding risk and reward. [...]
Today’s Task - October 18, 2022 I recently watched a video of a speech by Duke University Ladies Basketball Coach Kara Lawson in which she said, too often we wait until “things get easier.” We say things like, when I get to be a senior things will get easier, or when I get accepted to [...]
Today’s Task - October 10, 2022 In a recent question we asked regarding the greatest challenges you are facing at this time of the year, one of the responses we heard was student commitment or buy-in. This has been a concern in working with students for as long as I can remember. So what is [...]
Today’s Task - October 5, 2022 In my 40 years in education I had numerous Principals. There was one who almost never left his office to walk through the school, one who lived by the “good ole boys” code, one who showed up in my room to listen to music when she needed a break [...]
Today’s Task - September 27, 2022 When you look at any professional athlete or musician, you see great talent. But the mind is what elevates the best to the highest level. Former tennis great Chris Evert observed, “The thing that separates good players from great ones is mental attitude. It might make a difference of [...]
Today’s Task - September 26, 2022 “What you think means more than anything else in your life. More than what you earn, more than where you live, more than your social position, and more than what anyone else may think about you.” Every problem introduces you to yourself. It shows you how you think and [...]