Nurturing a Culture of Excellence

In your Band Program

1. Culture - this involves developing traditions, skill set, knowledge, and

curriculum alignment within the parameters we are given.
o Everyone wants to be a part of a successful organization
§ Definition of success – teacher’s perspective/student perspective
§ A music education that results in student musicians who are
able to make musical decisions and judgments on their own
§ An education that inspires excellence in all disciplines
§ An education that develops the desire to be lifelong learners
§ A healthy program both individually and as an ensemble
§ Tradition of excellence in every aspect – what does it look like?
§ Musical standards
§ Moral standards
§ Work ethic
§ Expectations that are clearly defined and rarely compromised
§ Minimum skill set for each grade level
§ Individual accountability musically and ethically
§ Students are given the tools to be successful
§ Skills are assessed
§ Accountability
§ Don’t apologize for having high standards
§ Constantly remind students of their strengths to overcome
their weaker areas
§ Challenge students appropriately to build maturity and
success
§ Social accountability
§ Rewards – musical accomplishments should be a reward
§ Follow through
§ Be consistent

Kathy Johnson 2018

 § Don’t take short cuts
§ Aim for student driven accountability
§ Trust
§ Students trust the teacher to always give their best and to
look out for their best interests
§ Teacher trusts the students to use the knowledge and
information learned to be an active participant in the learning
and music making process
§ Students can be the source of change; when they benefit, they
spread the word
2. Climate – the prevailing attitude, standards, or environmental condition of
your program
o Social Activities
§ Middle school night at football games
§ High school students mentor MS students
§ Movie nights
§ Summer band
• Movie under the stars
• Water park
• Family cookout
• DCI Quarterfinals night
§ Spring Trip
o Philosophy – Band/District
§ There is a place for everyone in band
§ Band/the band hall is a safe place to be
§ The band is one large family
§ The Argyle High School Band strives to provide its members with
a family environment through teamwork, encouragement, spirit,
and fun. This display of esprit de corps will help facilitate our goals
while reassuring the community of our unwavering pride and
determined commitment.
§ Our district’s philosophy is one of equality between academics,
athletics, and fine arts.

Kathy Johnson 2018

 • That philosophy is supported through the district’s fiscal
and curriculum planning
o Strong student leadership
§ Ownership in the organization
§ Students hold each other accountable
• Keep the standards high
• Celebrate strengths and work on weaknesses
• Builds maturity and success
• Social accountability – the younger students want to be
like the older students
§ Service based student leadership
o Inspiration – inspire someone in your band – be inspired by someone
§ High school students set the standard/example for middle school
students
§ Some of our 8th graders get the opportunity to march with the
high school band.
• Don’t want to let the high school students down
• Want to please them
• Serves to show other middle school students that high
school band is fun and marching is not scairy
§ Middle School Directors hold up the high school standards as a
goal for the middle school students
o Standards - What we accomplish today will not be good enough tomorrow
§ Set high musical standards and standards of behavior
§ Don’t apologize for them
§ Stay straight the course
§ Difference between practicing and rehearsing
§ Circle of Trust
3. Cooperation - between campuses, team teaching, visibility of both schools on
each campus, parental involvement
o Campuses
§ Intermediate Campus – 5th grade general music and 6th grade
beginners

Kathy Johnson 2018

 • All teachers teach their specialty
o Homogenous classes
o Meet daily for 49 minutes
• 5th grade music is taught by instrumental music teacher,
James McNair
• 6th graders are prepared for band in 5th grade
o Music reading
o Rhythm counting
o Basic music theory
o Beat patterns
o Music memory
o Instrumental units
§ Middle School Campus – 7th -8th grade
• Shared facilities with the high school
• Two performing bands
• Two main directors with a percussion specialist and high
school director available
§ High School Campus – 9-12
• Two performing bands
• All students are part of the marching band
• One main director with a percussion specialist and
assistance during one band from General
Music/Intermediate School director
• Middle school directors also work with high school marching
band
o Staff
§ Strong teachers – 5 in all from grades 5-12
§ Complimentary expertise
§ Mutual respect and enjoy one another's company
§ Shared Philosophy
§ All students have contact with all directors throughout the year
§ Good communication between all directors

Kathy Johnson 2018

 • Intermediate school director has control of curriculum for
5th grade which is in line with what we do at the middle
school and high school
• The middle school directors control the curriculum for 7th
and 8th grade winds, which again, lines up with the high
school
• I control the high school wind curriculum and make sure
that all of us are staying on the same page without stifling
any of the other directors
• Our percussion specialist is in control of all things
percussion grades 6-12
• 6th grade wind curriculum is based on theory that everyone
has to learn and then each teacher has their specific
objectives for each instrument they teach
4. Curriculum – time tested strategies to prepare MS/JH band students for a
successful high school experience
o Pedagogy – the science of teaching
§ Student centered
§ Objective based
§
o Skill Set
o Assessment
§ Playing Tests
§ Region Band Participation 7-12
§ Solo & Ensemble Participation 6-12
§ Written Tests
• Region Project
• Terms tests
o Objective Timelines
o Accountability
5. Intrinsic Success
o Students are able to apply information to practice

Kathy Johnson 2018

 o Students understand and are part of the process
o Students can help extend and further develop the process
o Students accept ownership and create legacies that make excellence a
tradition and expectation.

Kathy Johnson 2018