Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • April 2016
3
Begin with the Beginning
in Mind
I hope that everyone has had a productive
and meaningful school year. As band
directors across the state begin to reach
the end of the school year, it is natural to
feel many different emotions such as pride
in your students and staff, sadness to see
your eighth graders or seniors move on, and
happiness that a well-deserved vacation is on
the horizon.
At some point in the near future I
encourage you to reflect on this current
school year. Take a personal inventory of
the things that went well for you, your staff,
and your students. Take note of what your
expectations were when you started the
school year and whether or not you met or
exceeded them. What things are you going
to do again next year and what might you
have done differently?
This inventory helps us to focus on the
good educational habits that we employ and
to help to define the areas of growth that we
would like to improve upon. The best music
educators always seek to improve their skills,
teaching methods and systems. It is my
experience that these music educators also
have the grace and desire to openly share
their knowledge with other directors who
will simply inquire whether they know them
or not. We are all teachers of band students
and to that end, in the same band director
family. We all benefit from strong band
students in great band programs.
So what separates the great programs
from the good ones? The good ones from the
weaker ones? There is no one single answer.
However there is often times a recurring
theme. In programs that struggle, there are
obstacles. In successful programs, there are
obstacles, and
directors who
have found
ways to over-
come them.
Whether the
obstacles are in the form of scheduling
concerns, knowledge of tonal productivity,
technical rehearsal techniques, musicianship,
pedagogy, recruiting and retention, classroom
management, state wide testing or student
and staff motivation, administration, there
are band directors that have overcome these
issues and are willing to share with anyone
who asks.
As you begin to finish out this semester
and set your goals for next school year,
I encourage you to take a close look at
the clinics that will be offered at the TBA
Convention/Clinic on pages 22-23. No
matter whether you are a seasoned veteran,
first year teacher or somewhere in between,
there will be several clinics for you to attend
that will provide you even more tools to
overcome the obstacles or enhance your
growth. You will find newer and sometimes
older points of view that will help you to
refine your skills. By checking your personal
inventory, you can match your needs to one
of the many sessions that will help you grow.
I urge you to think of the TBA convention
as the starting point or the beginning of
your school year. It is constructed for your
professional and personal growth. I know
that you will enjoy the convention and the
many opportunities that it will present. I
wish you all the best as you conclude your
2015-16 school year and begin planning for
the beginning of next fall.
Chico Portillo, 2015 - 16 TBA Vice President
Steven Moore
President
Lindale High School
P.O. Box 370
Lindale, TX 75771
903-881-4140
Jeff King
President Elect
Irving ISD
2621 W. Airport Freeway
Irving, TX 75062-6020
972-600-5088
Chico Portillo
Vice President
Pflugerville ISD
1401 W. Pecan
Pflugerville, TX 78660
512-594-0187
John Morrison
Treasurer
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
10300 Jones Road, Suite 724
Houston, TX 77065
281-897-4042
Phillip Clements
Secretary
Texas A&M University-Commerce
P.O. Box 3011
Commerce, TX 75429
903-886-5285
Roland Sandoval
Sergeant-at-Arms
O’Connor High School
12221 Leslie Road
Helotes, TX 78023
210-397-4758
Bruce Beach
Past President
Franklin High School
900 N. Resler
El Paso, TX 79912
915-236-2266
Michael Brashear
Executive Director
Texas Bandmasters Association
1002 Central Parkway South
San Antonio, TX 78232
210-492-8878
Texas Bandmasters
Association
2015-16
Board of Directors
