“It’s Just That Simple” A Friendly Note
The band staff enjoys their
jobs as much as our band members enjoy and have fun being a part of the
band. No one has fun dealing with
members who don’t try or refuse to show. While there will be official
handbooks, formal contracts and a lot of
other information sent home, almost everything boils down to two simple things. 1.
Try as hard as you can and 2.
Show up where you are supposed to.
Let this friendly note serve as a motto or creed on how to be
successful. We have a lot of very smart people in our program. Because of that,
if you do the two things above, we will be great and have a great time. It’s that simple!
This could be one of the best things you ever
do. Don’t mess it up for yourself. All across the country more students are
involved in band than any other activity.
Why so many? Why do many of our
own students treat the band room as a second home? Why do they consider the friends they have in
band almost like family? Show up and try
hard, and you tell me. It’s that simple!
All attendance policies are designed to help
insure that the two things I mentioned above happen. Maybe this will help. When “Summer Band” begins, each member
should be present. Why? Are we
trying to be difficult? Of course
not. Are we trying to be mean? No. Along with every other quality program in our
state, we will not only learn to march, but begin the show as well. Yes, we will learn a very large portion of
the show before school begins. It is
not possible for someone who has never marched before to not attend “Summer
Band” and still be successful. I wish it
was, but It just isn’t possible. Like it
or not, that is how band works. In
fact, it is the way sports work as well.
The football team will not wait till school begins to start making
decisions like who will start and what positions they will play. My comparison with sports could be taken a
little further. Even if the perceived
starter at any position misses practices due to even something that may even be
excused, will he necessarily start when he has missed learning the game plan
for the next opponent? Once again, of
course not. What? Excused absences aren’t OK? No absence is OK. Some are just tolerated. Every effort is made to help and deal with
illness, and other unforeseen things, but most other things can be avoided if
thought out. Instead of making an absence the first option, make it the last.
Instead of coming to the office with “I can’t do…” try “I have a problem…What can I do”.
Let me bring one more things to your
attention. This may also seem sort of
“mean spirited”, but if you think about it long enough you’ll see exactly what
I’m talking about. Each time any member
of the band staff has conversations with students or parents not about how they
can perform better, but rather how to get out of something, it is a waste of
our time that could be better spent planning for the next days rehearsal not to
mention a waste of time for the student or parent. What would it say about us, if I told you we
had more conversations than any other topic that start something like “…can’t
be there…is that excused”? Let’s not let
that happen!
Don’t you deserve the chance to be really good
at what you do? Most people who quit are
the ones who don’t’ think they are good.
Show up! For your own sake!
