Henry David Thoreau said “the price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”  I like this a great deal because it reminds me that we all have the same amount of time in a day, and how we choose to spend it says a great deal about what we care about.   As band directors we exchange a lot of our lives to work with our students….and we are happy to do so.

I am always fascinated by the student who professes to want to get better and then spends all his free time doing something other than practicing.  I just finished a season helping my youngest son coach an AAU basketball team.  Interestingly, he had players who complained about the lack of playing time, yet they spent their practice time working on something other than those things that would make them better.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to help your students to understand the price of achievement.  Ask them how much they are willing to exchange for success.  And remind them, there is no such thing as “quality time.”  There is only time, and how you spend it exposes what you care about.  Just sayin’!

Make Today a Magnificent Day!

Gary L Rupert

Lead Mentor/COO

II:Leaders Creating:II Leaders

LCL Mentors @ Marching Arts Education