The guitar class is going okay. I'm teaching them how to read notes and about basic music theory. And they've been receptive. I just hope they are retaining the note names. My advanced band is going great. They are great group of 10 kids that are eager and are learning a lot, and we are having a lot of fun together.
The two music production classes are going pretty well, now that I have got them in a structured environment, but that structure is hard for some of the students to get used to...because they didn't have it before. So many of them aren't doing the projects I've assigned. And I have a lot more work to do now that I'm assigning things, which is grading. Of course, that's just part of the job. I've just never done it before!
The biggest challenge, though, is the beginning band. It's a group fo 20 kids, some of which 1st-year players and some 2nd-year players. There is a wide range of abilities in that class. And there's a lot of basic fundamentals that they weren't taught. So we have kids who play well overall, some who play their notes well but don't tongue or are really out of tune, and kids who cannot play or read music hardly at all. And the more successful kids just want to play pep band tunes...because that's all they have done a lot in class before I came a lot. So it's really hard to do stuff in that class that makes everyone happy. If I do super say stuff for the kids who can hardly play, the advanced kids complain and are bored. If I do more advanced stuff, the kids who can hardly play just sit there. And I don't want that to happen. So this class causes me a great deal of stress, and I haven't really been able to sit and figure out a solution for them yet. Bottom line is that those kids need an individualized practice plan, and then they need to practice.
And, of course, these are 6th and 7th graders, so they are rowdy at times.
It's not all bad, though. I mean, Most of them are doing pretty well and are getting my concepts. They just got off on the wrong foot at the start of the year, in my opinion, and developed bad habits. It's something in my individual teaching that I have tried so hard to prevent: bad habits.
So I need to think creatively, and come up with ways that will help all the kids in that class. And I need time to do it.
Another thing that is hard about school teaching for me is knowing that some of the students probably don't like me or what I'm doing. I mean, all the teaching I have done has been to students who have come to me directly, who want to be there. It doesn't really happening anymore, but if a lesson student ends up not liking me, then they quit lessons. And that's it. But at a school, kids are in your class for a good chunk of or all of a school year, whether they like you or not. And for me, who's used to everyone liking them, it's hard to think, "Don't care if they don't like you...just do you thing". Doing my thing kinda involves kids being "bought in" to what I have to offer them. So...emotionally this can be hard at times. I know, I sound like a big wimp here.
And I don't like that I have to teach some of my lesson students every other week now because of my school teaching schedule. I feel bad for those students.
Well, anyways, our region has Solo & Ensemble last weekend. I had a really fun time listening to my students...I was quite entertained by their performance. My star trumpet player, Jake, won the Trumpet Solo category, and a brass trio with 3 of my better players (Jake, Ethan on horn and Lola on trombone) won the Small Brass Ensemble category playing this really great arrangement I had acquired of renaissance music. Ethan and Lola got 1st alternate in their respective solo categories, and my little 9th-grade horn player Sophie got 2nd alternate, which is so cool.
The real crusher was the the Penn Cove Brass got second alternate. They played really well on this arrangement of the Russian Sailor's Dance I made for them, and I was so proud of them. But they just got flat-out beat by the Anacortes High School Wind Orchestra's brass section, as well as the Mount Vernon High School Brass Quintet. I mean, that Anacortes brass ensemble was good...I just didn't want to believe it once I heard it. So we lost to Anacortes again. I just feel really down about this...I really have admired the band teacher there ever since I first met him and played along with his band for a concert about 7 years ago. I had revered in the quality of his top band, and I still do. I attribute so much of that to the teacher and the culture he has built. The guy is a good friend now, and I'm really envious of what he has. So even though I'm called the "brass expert" by many around these parts, I can't put together a winning large brass ensemble. I'm living under the shadow of this fantastic band program and their teacher. It's just kinda deflating, y'know? I'm just not feeling as confident as a teacher now.
Being realistic, I'm at a disadvantage. These winning brass ensembles play together in band class almost every day of the week. They have class time to play together, and most of them are upperclassmen. The Penn Cove Brass meets once a week, has players from different school bands in it, and has 9-12 graders in it. They just don't get to play together as much, and are less experienced. So, how can I compete against that? I knew that going in, which is why I wanted to give my students a fun piece to play and for audience to hear. And I did that. And the kids loved it and they were proud of themselves...and when they found out the results they weren't upset. They took it well. They welcomed back the Anacortes members of the Penn Cove Brass with open arms when we started regular rehearsals on Monday. My students are so great...
So yeah, c'mon Sean...lighten up.
I know, I know...I eventually will. I guess with so much going on it's just hard to sort all this out in my head. It's hard to have humility when my students and their families treat me so well, y'know? It's hard not to think, "Yeah, I'm the greatest teacher of brass around". Because I'm not. There are many good music teachers in this area that teach their students well, no matter what they play. There are many great brass students that I don't work with. I can't go around thinking I'm the best solution for everything brass...
...but I'm still good. Otherwise, I wouldn't be who I am as a music teacher. This is all their fault...the students and their families.
My life is so different now. Performing and recording and composition/arranging has taken a backseat to full-on music education.
This is all so hard.
But you know what? I'm still having a blast.
Take care and value music.