Planning Your Marching Rehearsal

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Mike, I've gotta I've gotta run something by you.
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You know, I've never I've never actually been in the educator position.
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I've never taught.
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I've been around it most of my life.
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But I've been trying to figure out the smartest way, if I'm the director of the marching ensemble in front of me, and I've got 50 sets that I've got to get on the field.
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Is that too many?
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How many sets do most shows have?
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Nowadays they're they're running at 50 to 70, yeah.
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Okay.
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Depending on the size of the band and the quality of the band.
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And once I get my fundamentals set, uh I don't worry about that anymore.
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And I'm just gonna start at set one and I'll teach as many sets as I can this week.
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We'll put that on the field Friday night.
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Then I'll pick up where I left off and teach as many more sets as I can, and we'll try to put all that on the field.
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And you know, is that a great plan?
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We're just gonna show up and plug on from where we stopped.
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It sounds like a good plan, but it's like if I get in my car to go somewhere, that'd be like saying, now Mike, we don't have GPS today, so just go as fast as you can in a direction.
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If it's wrong, turn around.
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So but yeah, but I tell you what, there's a lot of times in life we do that, don't we?
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You know, we just kind of just go with it.
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But you know, if you're in charge of a group of kids, whether it's a 15-piece marching band or a 300-piece marching band, you're every let's say you got 200 kids in front of you.
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If you waste a minute, you've wasted 200 minutes.
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Oh wow, hadn't thought of it that way.
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You know what I mean?
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It's a me working at home on my lawnmower, which is a strange example because I don't think I've ever worked on a lawnmower, except to sharpen the blade, then uh, you know, I waste my 10 minutes.
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But if I've got 200 people sitting there, I'm wasted, you know, 2,000 minutes.
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Exactly.
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I waste 10 minutes.
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So I and it's it sounds like, oh, well, that's really dramatic, Mike.
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Come on, you know, so it's not that big a deal.
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How many times have you guys been in rehearsal and ladies been in a rehearsal as a performer?
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And literally you can't even stand it because you're sitting there going, I wish someone would do something productive because I'm standing here in the 500 things I could do.
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I think the worst one I ever saw, Derek, and I'm not going to call the director out, he stopped the whole rehearsal to fix the tenon joint on a bass clarinet.
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Because the kid said, My horn's not working.
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So he took that moment with his whole band sitting there to have them bring it up to the front.
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He got out some duct tape and he made like a ten and joint cork with the duct tape, and he put it on there and he put the horn back together.
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It took probably 15 minutes.
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And I'm just sitting there thinking, yeah, we just wasted 15 minutes of rehearsal on an instrument that could have easily just fingered through the parts and maybe have not even carried the horn.
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And we would have gotten 15 minutes of good work done.
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And that kid would have missed 15 minutes of playing, but they missed 15 minutes anyway, didn't they?
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Right.
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Leave it with me and I'll have it ready for tomorrow.
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Yeah, and sometimes I think it's a it's a thing where we as directors we gravitate towards what we're most comfortable with.
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Okay.
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You know, we might not know what to do next.
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And that's that's a normal feeling.
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You know, that's not working right.
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What what do we fix?
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I don't I don't know.
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I just know it's wrong.
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You know, so but I can fix this base clarinet.
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You know, I haven't thought of it that way either.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, and uh, I think a lot of it is the old adage that failure to plan is to plan to fail.
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You know, if you don't think you have time to plan your practice session, well then you certainly don't have time to reteach all the all the things you missed the first time.
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And I think one of the big things we do in our planning, and this is not necessarily planning the rehearsal, but I don't know how many times I sit there and in this time of year, because I mean we're early in the season when I'm doing this podcast, when I watch a band learning a couple of drill sets, and only half the band know how to read the drill chart or know how to figure out the UDB app.
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And everyone's telling each other where to go, and they just stand around until someone points at the ground and tells them to go there.
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Now, what are the chances they're gonna go back to that same spot after you rerun the drill?
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Pretty much zero.
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You know, what it comes down to is most of us would not teach our music by rote.
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We would teach beginner band and we teach them what a B is on a clarinet and what an A is on a flute, and we teach quarter notes and half notes and whole notes, but then we get to drill and we go out there and we point at the field and we have like section leaders telling everybody where to go.
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Um, I'm a real strong believer in the fact that, you know, take time to have them know how to read a drill chart or a UDB app.
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Have them know how to read the what's going on, because and to the level of let them wander around aimlessly, and this will waste time at first, but don't help them.
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Let them appear to be stupid.
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Right.
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Just let them wallow in their ignorance and they'll turn to their sexual.
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Where am I supposed to be?
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And I tell the sexualists, just look at them and go, Well, you've got the app in your hand.
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You need to take care of me.
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Yeah.
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So after a while, maybe you do have to help them, but they just get used to someone just telling them where to be at.
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A real easy way to do that is during summer band is uh have like a set of coordinates just written out because that's what UDB app kind of tells them to do.
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You know what I mean?
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Like two inside the 40-yard line, three steps behind the front hash.
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Okay.
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And have like a series of 20 points on the field lined out for everybody to do as a test.
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And all they have to do is take a drill chart and they just put the number one for the first one and number two for the second one.
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Then the section leaders have a template that lays over it with those holes punched out.
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So to check it, all they do is lay the template on top of what the kid just did and they look at it.
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And if they can see, let's say 15 out of 20, let's say that kid passed.
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Right.
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If they don't see anything through those holes, it's like, okay, let's go over here, let's go over this again.
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And the other ones get to go somewhere else and, you know, work on sectional music or maybe even a little bit of a reward.
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Maybe it's a popsicle time.
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I don't know.
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Right.
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You know, but if they actually know how to read the drill chart or use the UDB app, your margin rehearsals will go a lot quicker than trying to teach them, I call it the old school way, where the band director carried the charts around on a clipboard.
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You remember those days?
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Yep.
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No one on the field had a clipboard except for the band director with his megaphone, and he just told everybody where to be.
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Or she told everyone where to be.
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And uh those days are gone.
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We can't we can't do that anymore.
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It's far too complex.
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You know, and I think that we we lie to ourselves that we're wasting too much time, but the truth is you'll make all that time up on the back end.
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Yes, you will.
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They'll sharpen the axe instead of just hacking at the tree.
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Right.
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You know, sharpen the axe, you know.
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Um in the now going back to kind of planning our actual rehearsal, take time to plan out the logistics of the rehearsal.
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Put it in scheduled time boxes.
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The most the best bands I've seen rehearsed and the ones that finish the highest in competition and look the best at halftimes are the ones that have a certain uh X amount of minutes for fundamentals, uh 15 minutes for part one music, 10 minutes for learning two drill sets in part two.
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It's it's charted out and it's not kept a secret, Derek.
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Right.
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It's it's you know, it's up on the the TV screens and the band hall, it's up on the monitors, what our daily plan is.
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Kids are using their UDB app can take pictures with their phone, take it out there.
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It's all been sent to them beforehand on Google Drive.
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So they all know exactly what's supposed to be, or they've all been told what's supposed to be in rehearsal.
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So if a kid looks confused, it's like, do you did you not read the, did you not download the the plan for today?
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All the staff knows, you know.
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Um, and and another thing to do, you know, you get those, you get everything set up, but then we have to anticipate those potential time killers, like that difficult drill move.
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Never underestimate you.
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If your gut tells you this is gonna be hard to teach, then it's probably gonna be impossible almost to teach.
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So you've got to, if you're gonna go ahead and do that without changing what's on the drill sheet, you need to anticipate that so you don't get pissed off in rehearsal.
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Because all of a sudden you're going, why is this not moving faster?
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Well, you knew that.
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Your gut told you when you looked at the drill sheet and watched the UDB app.
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You went, man, this is gonna be a tough drill move right here.
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Because half the band's moving backwards and they can't, they don't have eyes in the back of their head like mama does, you know.
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So it's gonna be tough to do.
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So you've got to anticipate those.
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You know, make them work.
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And in your planning, in your marching fundamental box, box drill stuff, uh, use music warmups during that.
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Um, do choreo at the the points of the box or a diamond drill.
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Incorporate all that into one big giant workout.
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So you're multitasking in your box drill.
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Yeah, I like doing it towards the end of my career where you know there might be 15, you know, significant choreo moves that we do.
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Or let's make it simple.
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Let's say there's five.
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Let's say I'm at a smaller organization that hasn't done a lot of choreography.
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Just have five basic choreography moves.
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And when you get and number them, one, two, three, four, five.
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You don't even have to give them names.
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This is number four.
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This is number five.
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And then they they play their F Remington warm-up uh as they march the box drill.
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Rom de job, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
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One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four.
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Corner, chunk, chunk, chunk, open second position, back in, plie, up.
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You know, whatever it is, and just do the same dad gum thing every day.
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That way, when you get to it in the show, because guess what?
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The ones I'm doing in the fundamental block are not just made up.
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They're a combination of what we're doing in the show.
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So I can say we're doing number two followed by number four at measure 65, you know, and so they've already done it every day.
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Have they done it great?
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Probably not, but at least they've done it, you know.
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So it's because I always laughingly say, you know, uh I'll go out to do a marching rehearsal like two weeks before their region contest, and they'll say, Yeah, we just started putting the choreography the body movement in now.
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And it's like, what?
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You know, said I would just leave it all out then because you're just gonna screw everything up.
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So you wouldn't do that in concert band, would you?
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You don't wait till two weeks before concert contest and go, and now kids, we're gonna do dynamics.
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We've not done dynamics.
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Yeah, but we're not gonna do any dynamics until two weeks prior, but now, but when you institute dynamics, that changes the breathing patterns, that changes the endurance factor, that changes the balance, that changes the blow, it changes everything.
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And body movement is not this extraordinary thing that you throw in at the last minute because it's supposed to be there nowadays.
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It's uh it's in there for a reason, so you'd best teach it while you're teaching the drill.
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When you get to set four and there's a body movement, that's gonna be body movement one and two put together.
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Right.
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You know, so the kids have done it all the time.
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That's a really great time to have it.
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Uh communicate that plan with all the teaching staff, you know, and ask them for questions.
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You know, have it planned out in advance.
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Does it mean that we're Tuesday we are going to do all this stuff?
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At least have a plan we can go away from, but ask them for questions and potential modifications because there might be something you didn't see, and you don't want your blind spot to happen in the middle of a rehearsal, and everyone's looking at you going, this doesn't work right because this is supposed to be a 12-count move, and you're telling us 20.
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There's only 12 counts of music here.
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That's a blind spot that I missed.
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But if you give it to your staff early enough, someone's gonna call you on it and go, Hey, this ain't gonna work, Mike, because there's 12, there's 20 counts of music and you've got 12 counts of drill right here.
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We're gonna have to do something, you know.
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So at least get that stuff kind of ironed out before we get all the kids there.
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Because if you want to lose your band in rehearsal, have a confusing moment between you and the staff and the drill and the music, and everyone goes bonkers.
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I mean, it's just like it's like a you know, a barrel of monkeys out there.
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You know what I mean?
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It's uh nothing, nothing's gonna happen that's good.
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In fact, all their brains go strictly to survival mode at that moment.
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All the learning has just stopped, you know.
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And uh some really simple things in this, you have to keep on them about it, but have the setup crew meet early to move items like front ensemble, electronics, props, water, whatever's going to the field, make sure someone's responsible for it.
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Um, Mike Lenny is responsible as the uh third chair trumpet player to move the uh stand for the speaker unit.
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Right.
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That's my job every day.
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And if I'm gonna be absent, then in a well-trained group, it's my job to call Russell Schauber and go or send him a text and go, hey Russell, man, I've got a dentist appointment today.
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I'm not gonna be at rehearsal and our Mr.
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Miller knows I'm not gonna be there, but can you grab the speaker stand for the PA speaker that goes on the left side of the field on side two?
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You know, and then oh yeah, I can do that.
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So you start to layer these kids onto the band, what they're supposed to do.
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Always tell band directors that, you know, start this in beginner band.
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Why are you setting up the stands and chairs?
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You think you're saving time?
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Right.
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You are, but in the long run, are you saving time?
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Sometimes it's better to have, okay, uh Derek, you're gonna get the first four stands and put them on top of these places or on the floor.
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Okay, Mike, you're gonna get the next four stands and put them here.
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Uh, you know, Julio, you're gonna take the first four chairs and put them right behind those four stands.
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And you just train them as beginners.
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So they they run in the room and they will do it because now they've got ownership.
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Now they'll do it.
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You know, and it's amazing when you you tell a teacher that and they start to institute it, they almost always text back later and go, oh my God, this is so much easier.
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I don't have to set up the chairs and stands for every group.
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And or or, and I I think, and this works, don't take this as a put down to any band directors out there.
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They have one big giant setup and the kids know where to sit inside that setup.
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Yeah.
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There's all kinds of chairs and stands around them.
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Nothing necessarily wrong with that.
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But there's something really cool about if you have 15 clarinets in a beginner class, they're not surrounded by 50 extra chairs and stands.
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Because you can kind of get around them and you can walk, you can walk up to them and talk to them without tripping on things.
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You know, and and plus it just looks better when I hate to say it this way, but it it fools administration.
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The administrators come in and they see the kids set up the setup and they put it up because you know that setup that you do yourself, don't you have to go through after class every single time to straighten it back out for about five minutes?
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And then meanwhile, the principal comes in between class and it they think that all you do is mess with chairs and stands.
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Because every time they come in the band hall, all you're doing is messing with chairs and stands.
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You know, you can get the kids to do that.
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You know, the same with marching band, you know.
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Um, some other items to kind of think about.
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Make sure that you or someone else you trust checks and changes the batteries at a time before they die.
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How many times have I been in rehearsal where the batteries die in the transmitter?
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So we waste time trying to find a battery.
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You know, I just always ask my drum majors, I said, could you do me a favor?
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So I've got this big old box of batteries, and uh, you know, they're in this backpack.
00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.519
In this backpack, I'll I'll always drop it behind the front drum major podium.
00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:33.600
I'll just drop it there.
00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:34.480
It's a backpack.
00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:38.879
So every Friday morning, change all the batteries.
00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:41.360
So, well, some of the batteries aren't bad.
00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.840
I don't every Friday morning.
00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:47.519
It's it's like a you know, you play in a praised band, don't you, at church?
00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:47.759
Yep.
00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:50.960
Yeah, so transmitter packs, we change them every Sunday, right?
00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:56.240
Yeah, we we don't wait for the you know the middle of service to the bass player all of a sudden has no power.
00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:58.399
You know, yeah, I don't know.
00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:04.399
It makes sense because and I this is this is just Mike Lenny, you know, Mike Lenny shouting at the clouds.
00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.799
How come we haven't yet with transmitter packs figured out a USB-C port?
00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:12.799
Well, I will tell you this, okay?
00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:13.440
You brought this.
00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:14.960
I'm gonna tell you this.
00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:18.320
We just put all of our transmitter packs and we're done, you know.
00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:22.480
All of our transmitter packs now fit into a charging station.
00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:29.120
So we take them off and pop them in the charging station so they're charged up the next time somebody needs them.
00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:32.559
It's when somebody forgets to take them back to the charging station.
00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:39.440
But marking bands, we're still in the primitive age of 1980s sometimes where it's like, where's where's the nine-volt batteries?
00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:40.320
You know, exactly.
00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.000
Where's the triple A's?
00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:46.480
So I wish we would get to that level because uh, you know, yeah, you're right though.
00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:50.960
It's uh you know, the the more you make it easier, the easier it is to forget to do it.
00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:51.519
Right.
00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:53.200
You know, any type of thing.
00:16:53.519 --> 00:17:02.320
The can even convenience requires uh thinking, process, and uh uh making sure you do it every time.
00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:03.360
Yeah, yeah.
00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:11.279
And the best possible thing is just uh, and I know it's like and I had to fight this a lot because I feel like I just need to get everything done.
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:13.440
If I just do it myself, I'll get it done.
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.440
But then I end up forgetting a whole bunch of stuff.
00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:20.000
So you've got to really uh rely on other people in the organization.
00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:27.680
But I like what you said because it gives people ownership, it gives people a sense of trust that you trust them, that they this is their group.
00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:29.519
Yeah, you guys can take care of this.
00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:30.640
Let's get it done.
00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:37.680
And sometimes we as band directors, we gravitate towards the best musicians and the best marchers to ask them to do these things.
00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:46.400
As the years went by, I found that it was more productive to find the kid that was really a pretty sharp kid, but just wasn't a really strong musician.
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:52.079
Or maybe they were a little bit uncoordinated, but they they could make sure all the speakers were set up correctly.
00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:53.680
They could work on the load crew or whatever.
00:17:53.759 --> 00:18:03.519
And I'm not saying that that's just a menial task, but they they found ownership in the program because they knew that every time we set up in the stands, that this young man was the one that got it taken care of.
00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:04.799
And I knew who to go to.
00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:07.359
If it wasn't working around, I said, hey man, is everything okay?
00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:10.880
So man, I forgot to plug in the audio vox or whatever.
00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:13.839
You know, I forgot to plug it in like, okay, we'll survive.
00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:16.160
Let's just plug it in through the charger at the front of the field.
00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:17.519
It'll it'll be fine.
00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:27.359
But you know, they since they're not the greatest player and they're not the greatest marcher, they can be the greatest rehearsal planner you've ever imagined.
00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:39.279
They can time your water breaks, they can time when they're gonna happen, they can figure out the batteries, they can figure out where the speakers go, you can teach them how to coil up wires correctly and how to store things correctly.
00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:47.279
And they get a lot of uh ownership out of that, even though they might not be able to produce the best musical results for you, but they're necessary.
00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:51.279
Even put it this way everybody wears an invisible sign and says, please notice me.
00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:58.000
When you notice them, and it creates a sense of worth that they are contributing to the success of the ensemble.
00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:58.559
Yeah.
00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:09.440
Maybe they don't have to worry about I'm really not that important because I don't play that well, but I'm important because I could do this for this group, I could do this for this group, and that makes us successful.
00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:11.119
Yeah, and you're exactly right.
00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:14.880
And all it takes is a just a well-placed compliment every once in a while.
00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:17.200
Hey, y'all give Julio a round of applause.
00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:20.720
Julio gets the speaker set up every single day.
00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:24.400
And not one rehearsal did a battery go dead because he takes care of that.
00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:36.960
And all it takes is a little bit of common sense of respect that in our band they're really we sometimes think of them as menial tasks, but they're just as important as the soloist because that battery dies.
00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:40.799
I don't care if your soloist is an all-stater, it ain't happening.
00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:43.119
Nobody's impressed with what they can't hear.
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:44.160
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:55.119
And we've all been there at contest with my own band and watching bands, and you just kind of you just cringe because like nobody wants electronics problems, but it's not a matter of if it's when.
00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:02.559
You know, so but if you try to get all those stuff out of the way at first, you have a halfway chance of getting it done.
00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:07.279
You know, um, another one is uh start on time no matter what is going on.
00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:15.519
That's so hard to do because if you delay five minutes on Monday within a week, that's going to turn into 15 minutes because the kids will figure out your system.
00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:29.599
You know, it'll be one more question or one more this, or you know, even if there's an announcement coming on the speaker, you know it's supposed to be important, go ahead and start rehearsal, maybe just marching the box drill with a real quiet Met with no playing.
00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:30.480
You know what I mean?
00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:32.480
So they can march and play at the same time.
00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:34.000
But you know how it goes.
00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:43.200
As soon as you back off five minutes and they're gonna push you to six, they'll push you to seven, and and they're gonna win because it's like trying to fight a rip current on the beach.
00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:45.920
You know, you you just have to you just have to start.
00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:52.000
That also means, my director, brethren, you have to stop at the same the right time.
00:20:52.400 --> 00:21:02.319
There's to me, there's nothing more insulting than uh having an entire rehearsal run 15 minutes over because kids, some kids were late, so you started 15 minutes late.
00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:06.079
So you're not punishing the kids who need to be punished, are you?
00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:08.799
You're punishing the ones who showed up 15 minutes early.
00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:12.079
They've already had a half hour invested and nothing happened.
00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:14.160
Well, let's think about it this way, too.
00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:23.119
Everybody likes to talk about the disrespect the kids if they're not there to start on time, but they ignore the disrespect that you're giving back the other way when you don't stop on time.
00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:24.240
That's right.
00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:40.400
And trust me on this, if you're a younger director, you do not want to be arguing with a band mama who just had worked a 12-hour shift somewhere and has sat out in a car for an extra 20 minutes while her child, you know, was held and they can hear the band playing.
00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:48.480
And as every time you do another rep, their adrenaline goes another level up, you know, and uh they're gonna turn loose on you, trust me.
00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:57.039
You know how until the younger kids' bath time and they plan homework period, and here you are wasting 15 minutes of that plan.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:57.359
Yeah.
00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:59.759
Dinner's gonna be bad, everybody's late.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:00.799
Yeah.
00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:03.440
It's it's a no-win situation for them.
00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:03.920
Okay.
00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:11.359
Um another thing to help out in the planning, have your drum majors or whoever you decide to do it, time out the water breaks or do attendance.
00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:18.240
Now, granted, the attendance is a tricky one because, you know, that's kind of there's a lot of money involved with that at the state level.
00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:24.240
You know, but you know, that they can get the initial attendance and you can they can hand it to you and you can double check it.
00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:26.799
You can say, hey, is Derek absent today?
00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:28.000
Yeah, Derek's not here.
00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:28.480
Okay, cool.
00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:29.200
Is Mike absent?
00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:29.839
No, no, no.
00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:30.640
Mike's here.
00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:31.680
All right, all right, all right.
00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:40.000
You know, it takes you a lot less time to do it than you just sitting there wasting 10 minutes of rehearsal trying to figure out attendance on that.
00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:45.680
And even like water breaks, because I hate to admit it, but we're not working as hard as the band is.
00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:51.119
So if you rely on me to need a water break, I'll just keep on rolling.
00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:57.200
And I don't mean it to be cruel, but I just keep on going, and then the kids are like dying out there, you know.
00:22:57.279 --> 00:22:58.559
They're just they need water.
00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:07.119
So I've I've instruct one drum major per rehearsal that their job is to stop me when their timer goes off, even in the mid-sentence.
00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:09.039
You know, if I'm in the middle of something, uh, Mr.
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:10.640
Lenny, time for a water break.
00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:20.240
And then the kids know not to go do it until I say, okay, this is a gush and go, or this is a full water break, or whatever your terminology is for a quick water, a long water, whatever.
00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:29.359
Um, you know, like my grandsons have night times and they have uh daytime nights, or rather, it's a really weird process they call it as naps, you know.
00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:30.960
Yeah.
00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:34.799
So, you know, whatever your terminology is, have the drum majors call it for you.
00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:39.680
And that way, and don't override the drum majors because it just causes more problems.
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:40.160
Right.
00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:42.160
They would have to give me time to go.
00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:44.000
Okay.
00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:45.359
Yeah.
00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.319
That's my initial reaction to be, are you sure?
00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:50.079
Yeah, that's exactly right.
00:23:50.240 --> 00:24:10.880
And then, you know, have a system in place, whether it's hand signals or radios or with your staff and drum majors, you know, where uh and if you're lucky enough to have field techs, you know, that's a a big luxury for larger bands to have like maybe some college kids come in and just kind of work drill with you, you know, have some kind of deal, just something as simple as raising their hands.
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:17.279
And if you have a staff out there on the field, if you're that luxurious, you know, that my first 13 years, uh I was the only band director.
00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:18.400
So you were the staff.
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:18.720
Yeah.
00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:24.880
So if I had a staff meeting, it was me talking to myself like some kind of uh meth fiend or something, you know what I mean?
00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:28.799
Instead of don't interrupt me talking to myself, I'm having a staff meeting.
00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:32.720
You know, but you know, give the field text time.
00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:40.160
You know, there's something to be said about, you know, and for Michael Lenny to kind of shut his mouth and go, okay, uh, field staff two minutes.
00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:45.200
And so that they they've got things on their mind they want to tell the clarinets or they want to tell the fluids.
00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:46.559
Give them some time to do that.
00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:51.200
If you keep barreling on, then they're sitting there going, what what am I doing out here?
00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:52.000
Why am I here?
00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:52.160
Yeah.
00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:53.200
Yeah, why am I even here?
00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:55.200
There's there's no purpose to this.
00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:55.839
Okay.
00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:59.920
Um, so once that systems system's in place, you know, stick to it.
00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.480
It can be something, you know, they could have walkie-talkies.
00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:06.640
They could they could put up uh, you know, sometimes they'll raise their hand.
00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:14.319
And we had a system where if I did like this, like a peace sign, do in front of the camera, if they do a peace sign, they knew that I I didn't have time to stop right now.
00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:19.119
If I did this with my hand and a fist, I mean I was gonna stop at the next available moment.
00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:20.240
I was gonna give them time.
00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:30.799
So they could be on the field and they could have their hand up as a as a tech or a drum major, and then I'd go yeah, like that, and I'd still finish my thought, and I'd go, all right, everybody listen to Brennan.
00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:36.079
So Brennan's got something on the field, you know, or Miss Harper, you know, or whatever.
00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:42.240
You know, so however you address your field text, you know, um, to have it that and then have a process in place.
00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:45.119
We mentioned it earlier about, you know, how you would clean and teach drill.
00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:47.519
Is it freeze, check, adjust?
00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:50.079
What do we call plus one, minus one?
00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:55.440
Um have a system in place that you never deviate from, no matter how panicked you are.
00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:57.119
You stay with the process.
00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:04.000
It's like uh when the alarm goes off in the firehouse, the firemen still do the same exact thing every single time, don't they?
00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:06.000
They don't go, I have to.
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:10.000
We're not gonna do our mask and oxygen this time because we're in a real hurry.
00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:10.559
Right.
00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:28.720
They they slide down the pole and they stick their feet in the boots and they pull up their overalls or whatever and they strap on their gear and they put their mask and they put their hat on, whatever, whatever their procedure is, they don't shortchange the procedure, even if it's a five-alarm fire with every fire unit in the city going to the same place.
00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:37.039
It's they know that if they show up without their helmet or without their mask or without their boots, that they're not gonna be able to do their job.
00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:40.079
So you can't neglect that as a band director, no matter what.
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:41.119
You know, I'll say this too.
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:43.119
You know, my friend Tim Jones is a pilot.
00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:47.359
Yeah, and every time I would go out with him, he has a checklist.
00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:47.759
Yeah.
00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:51.200
And he goes, All right, that, yep, good, yeah, that, good.
00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:53.440
I'm like, how many times have you flown this plane?
00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:54.880
He goes, I don't know, a lot.
00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:55.680
Why?
00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:57.759
Why do you still carry that checklist around?
00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:59.759
Why do you do that in that order every time?
00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:02.079
Because if I don't, that's the time something screws up.
00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:06.400
I can't afford to not do things the right way every time.
00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:07.119
Yeah.
00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:09.759
And I think that applies to what we're talking about.
00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:10.480
Oh, yeah.
00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:17.119
It might not be life or death, but success is probably dependent on doing the same things the right way every time.
00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:18.079
Yeah.
00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:22.880
Yeah, and that's a great example because we have to operate as an airplane pilot.
00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:24.480
Now, ours is not life or death.
00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:29.839
I mean, if you go, if he skipped his checklist and forgot to check the fuel, you know, they'll take off and crash somewhere.
00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:30.880
You know what I mean?
00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:37.200
So, you know, we're not in that uh level of drama, but yeah, we'll waste a whole lot of time and waste a lot of rehearsal.
00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:40.079
Just go through your process and stick with your process.
00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:44.319
And that's hard to do because in your mind you think, I've got to get this drill on the field.
00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:51.119
But if you try to push it out there too fast, if you push it faster than the herd can tolerate, it creates a stampede.
00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:51.920
Yeah.
00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:54.240
And then you've got everything out of control.
00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:56.720
And then you've got to come back and teach it again anyway.
00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:59.440
So you might as well just slow down and teach it.
00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:05.759
You know, even if you even if you have to modify drill later or leave sets out, it's better to get it taught.
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:09.519
And the only way to do that is just to stick with your present system.
00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:14.880
And also have a system because there's times when you're learning drill that you might just want to listen to them play.
00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:21.200
And, you know, how many times have I been in rehearsal when they say, okay, everybody, just kind of get in a horn arc.
00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:25.200
And they fumble around for 15 minutes because it's not their fault.
00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:27.759
And no one's there, well, he told us get in an arc.
00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:29.440
What's what side do you want the trumpets on?
00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:29.759
Yeah.
00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:33.359
But you are the first trumpets on the outside, or where are the clarinets going to be?
00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:35.839
Have an exact spot where every kid knows.
00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:37.279
Make it a drill set.
00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:41.119
That should be the first drill set you learn on the UDB app, is not part of the show.
00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:45.920
It should be your concert arcs for how you're going to rehearse music on the field when you want to do that.
00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:50.319
So you just say, I always just call it drill set one because it was one in the UDB app.
00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:51.839
Everybody go to set one.
00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:54.559
So it's not even part of our show, you know.
00:28:54.720 --> 00:29:02.480
And that way, if I'm trumpet player four, I know I'm exactly the 40-yard line, four steps in front of the front hash, two steps outside the 40.
00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:06.240
You know, I know exactly where my spot is in the field, so we just go there.
00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:08.480
You know, how simple does that sound?
00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:10.319
But people don't take time to do it, do they?
00:29:10.480 --> 00:29:11.839
And I think we we called it home.
00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:12.799
Everybody go home.
00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:13.599
Oh, I like that.
00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:14.000
I like that.
00:29:14.400 --> 00:29:15.359
That's where we set it.
00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:15.839
Yeah.
00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:18.240
So anything after that was not home.
00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:19.279
That was our home set.
00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:20.480
That was your home set.
00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:21.440
That was your home set.
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:22.720
And I love that.
00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:28.000
Um, another thing is, you know, never we talked about earlier, you never stop rehearsal to fix an instrument.
00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:29.359
I mean, it's all right.
00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:34.640
Maybe if you've got a good field tech who's a really good clarinet player, maybe they can work on that clarinet.
00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:36.720
But don't stop the whole process to do it.
00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:40.960
And uh, and I know you you love the kids, you want the kids to do well.
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:48.400
You know, sometimes kids will be so upset, they'll they'll be practically or sometimes actually in tears because their horn's not working right.
00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:54.160
That's when you just have to be real gentle but blunt and go, I I can't fix this right now.
00:29:54.240 --> 00:30:01.920
But if you'll just finger through the the music, if you'll give me your horn at the end of rehearsal, I promise I'll look at it and I'll do everything I can to have it ready for tomorrow.
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:05.039
And that's that's as much time as you should spend on it.
00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:09.200
But you know, prior to that, it's the old uh adage, ask three before me.
00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:12.880
You know, if their horn's not working, they need to ask their section leader.
00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:16.160
And if their section leader can't do it, then they need to ask the drum major.
00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:19.039
If the drum major can't do it, they need to ask maybe the horn captain.
00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:24.720
If the horn captain can't do it, then finally, or an assistant band director, then finally they should ask the head band director.
00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:30.559
You know, the the old adage, because sometimes kids would come up and ask me something, I'd go, have you already asked three people?
00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:32.319
No, sir.
00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:34.480
And they'll go, okay.
00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:38.160
And sometimes they'll be back in 10 minutes and I'll ask three people and no one knows.
00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:39.680
Oh, what a coincidence.
00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:40.319
I don't know either.
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:41.279
So what are we gonna do?
00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:42.160
Right.
00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:42.559
Yeah.
00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:43.599
So maybe they're asking.
00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:53.279
Can you give you the freedom to any of those other three people to recognize this is not a quick fix to be able to say, listen, that's not gonna get fixed right now.
00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:56.640
I appreciate that you're upset about it, but let's go ahead and get back in line.
00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:57.519
I'll show this to Mr.
00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:00.640
Lenning when the rehearsal's over and he can make a call then.
00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:03.680
Right now, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:05.440
Let's get back in and just march your place.
00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:16.559
And that's exactly the procedure because I don't want my first year Claire and Ed getting out of screwdriver in the middle of a 105-degree temperature rehearsal trying to fix the alignment of some kind of key or something.
00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:19.440
You know, that's the procedure, unless it's something super simple.
00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:20.240
You know what I mean?
00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:23.440
Like the that pad sticking, stick a dollar bill underneath it and go.
00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:26.160
Of course, kids don't know what dollar bills are anymore.
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:27.920
We don't have cash anymore.
00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:28.480
I don't know.
00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:29.920
Cigarette paper.
00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:32.559
We'll we'll go there.
00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:33.039
Yeah.
00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:36.160
Do you have some cigarette paper?
00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:39.279
You know, we can use that to clean too.
00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:49.839
But uh, but yeah, so there there should be a procedure that you're outlined with your leadership people and your staff that you know we we don't stop for things that can be fixed later, you know.
00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:50.400
Right.
00:31:50.559 --> 00:31:55.440
Um make it a goal to never stop practice with an incoming phone call.
00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:59.279
But we all know the real world doesn't always make that possible.
00:31:59.440 --> 00:31:59.680
Right.
00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:10.400
You know, if my superintendent and my phone's ringing and I look at it and it's uh it's my superintendent, then I'll probably turn it over to the this will be a teaching moment for my head drum major.
00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:10.960
Right.
00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:14.880
Hey Brennan, go ahead and run sets one through 14 and give them feedback.
00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.599
Thank you.
00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:17.359
Click until I get back.
00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:17.839
Yeah.
00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:19.920
So sometimes that happens, you know.
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:26.480
But you know, but how many of us when you're teaching, does your I don't know, there's some kind of for me, it's when I get in my car.
00:32:26.640 --> 00:32:29.839
If I get in my car and drive somewhere to do a clinic, my phone explodes.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:30.720
I don't know why.
00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:36.319
I can sit at home and it uh I'll get like one text in like three hours, but all I have to do is close my car door.
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:38.720
Bidding, bidding, bidding, bing, bing, bing, bing.
00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:44.720
It's like, oh, everybody somehow they know they must have cameras.
00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:46.400
I don't know how they figure out that I'm in my car.
00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:48.319
Sends a message out into the universe.
00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:48.960
That's right.
00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:50.480
The R has been sent out.
00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:53.279
Everybody, everybody send a text to the band director.
00:32:53.440 --> 00:33:02.240
You know, but trigger, you know, so if the superintendent or your or your spouse calls, have a plan because your spouse, if you're a younger band director, your spouse is really important.
00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:05.200
As you get older, your spouse is not near as an immediate concern.
00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:08.319
And probably isn't calling just to say what do you want for dinner?
00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:15.440
Yeah, or make sure you pick up something on the way home or or you know, so you know, there's the boss and there's the boss.
00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:15.839
Okay.
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:18.880
So you you you take that for what it's worth, you know.
00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:19.200
Right.
00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:24.799
And trust me, if you're the one running the rehearsal and your spouse calls, you are not the boss.
00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:26.960
You you're not the boss.
00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:27.440
Okay.
00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:29.359
If you were the boss, they wouldn't be calling you.
00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:30.079
Right.
00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:32.480
They're not calling you for advice, trust me.
00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:32.799
Right.
00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:33.279
Okay.
00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:39.519
You know, but just have give them a procedure like a a written-out thing for the drum major and assistant band director.
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:45.039
Everyone go to set, figure out what the hardest set move is in the show and say, everybody go to set 41.
00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:47.119
It might not even be in the lesson plan that day.
00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:48.160
Go to set 41.
00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:50.000
We're gonna run the next 32 counts.
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:57.759
They go to their spots, we run it, do it again, so just rep it, give them feedback, give the field text two minutes to do it, then I'll be back with you.
00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:58.160
Okay.
00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:02.240
And have them do that until you know you hang up or the emergency call is finished with.
00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:04.400
And then turn your phone, your mic off.
00:34:04.640 --> 00:34:06.160
Yeah, turn your mic off.
00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:07.519
That's another one.
00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:08.880
Be careful out there.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:16.079
I was at a rehearsal where they they were just turning the mic away from them or turning the volume down on the transmitter pack instead of turning it off.
00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:27.440
And we were talking about another band program with in their school, they'd gotten into some trouble in the same school district, and they'd made the director sign uh NDAs.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:36.400
And we were we were talking about it, and some little marimba player raised her hand, looked up in the tower, and goes, We can hear you.
00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:44.320
Like so just be careful, be careful, you know.
00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:46.960
I'm just saying that, just be careful, you know.
00:34:47.119 --> 00:34:54.719
Um have a plan for student minor medical problems to avoid panic situations.
00:34:55.039 --> 00:35:08.800
You have a first aid kit in the field equipment, you know, there might be a kid that just you know cut their finger on something, you know, and that that is actually kind of important, especially if you don't have any first aid equipment.
00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:13.199
You consider the kid and a cut finger can bleed pretty well and make a mess pretty quickly.
00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:13.360
Right.
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:22.159
Yeah, or some kid gets underneath the the sound card and hits their forehead on a corner, your head will bleed like a stuck pig.
00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:23.199
You know what I mean?
00:35:23.360 --> 00:35:24.880
But it's really just a minor cut.
00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:35.360
But you better have something there, and everybody better know exactly what to do because we're everybody better watch your what is it, your blood-borne pathogen uh module.
00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:38.000
You better have actually not just clicked all the way through it.
00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:39.920
You better know what you're doing, you know.
00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:42.400
And I would uh I would recommend on that point real quick.
00:35:42.480 --> 00:35:45.760
We did a series with JJ Forenson, and it was great.
00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:50.880
He talked about his everyday carry, things that he takes to every rehearsal, including the first aid and that kind of stuff.
00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:51.199
Yeah.
00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:54.400
So if you don't have a clue what that should mean, go listen to that episode.
00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:55.519
He's got great advice.
00:35:55.840 --> 00:35:56.800
Yeah, he's brilliant on that.
00:35:56.880 --> 00:35:58.960
He's now the head director at Cross Plains.
00:35:59.360 --> 00:35:59.920
I saw that.
00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:00.400
Good for him.
00:36:00.719 --> 00:36:03.360
Moving up in the world and uh panicked beyond belief.
00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:05.360
Hey JJ, how's it going, buddy?
00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:11.599
He's going, that's why the head director was always busy.
00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:13.119
Now I understand.
00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:14.480
You know, I don't think it makes sense.
00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:22.559
For head directors, but yeah, they're sometimes as the assistant, you kind of think, man, they're just sitting over there playing solitaire or minesweeper on their computer or something, you know.
00:36:22.800 --> 00:36:25.360
No, they're they're generally doing something, you know.
00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:30.800
And then, you know, have the medical forms on hand somehow, whether it's electronic or hard copy.
00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:33.199
Uh electronic, most schools will accept that.
00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:37.199
I had an iPad that all it had on it were the medical forms.
00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:38.719
That was the only thing it had on it.
00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:38.960
Ed.
00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:39.280
Okay.
00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:41.280
Just enough to pull up the medical forms.
00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:43.760
And they were all just on the hard drive of that iPad.
00:36:43.840 --> 00:36:45.599
And that was the medical form iPad.
00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:51.199
You know, that way I could use my Apple pencil or whatever, and I could write things on there or whatever.
00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:52.960
Now, you don't want to give that to the kids.
00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:53.679
Sure.
00:36:54.239 --> 00:36:54.559
Yeah.
00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:55.519
Yeah, we don't.
00:36:55.679 --> 00:36:57.920
That's uh, yeah, some violations happen.
00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:06.159
In fact, that was pretty much just me and two band directors could do that, you know, and have some sort of system in place if there's a major medical emergency.
00:37:06.320 --> 00:37:07.920
Who calls 911?
00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:09.039
Right.
00:37:09.280 --> 00:37:10.400
Think about that for a second.
00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:13.440
We all think about that, but uh do I call 911?
00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:17.119
Does my assistant band director at the high school call 911?
00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:20.239
Who's responsible for that?
00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:21.280
Who's responsible for that?
00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:25.039
Because a lot of times it bet it should probably should not be you as the head director.
00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:29.280
If you're the head director, you should probably be dealing with uh the aftermath of what's going on.
00:37:29.360 --> 00:37:36.320
If a kid has an epileptic seizure or they pass out, you'd best be down there with them instead of just calling 911.
00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:37.679
You have someone else do that.
00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:42.960
Have a have a prepared flowchart so that you don't get flustered and leave out information, location, whatever.
00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:54.159
On the back of that iPad was a sheet of paper taped to it that I could grab their medical form and I could flip it over to the back and it listed one through ten exactly what order to make sure everything's done in.
00:37:54.400 --> 00:38:01.519
But in it that way, when if I call, because there are times I did have to call 911, you know, and I I'd know that okay, I've got to give them my exact location.
00:38:01.599 --> 00:38:03.360
Now I've got to tell them the student's name.
00:38:03.519 --> 00:38:06.480
I've got to tell them my name, what my position is in this.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:11.440
All this has to happen because they'll send an ambulance, but then they'll keep talking to you.
00:38:11.519 --> 00:38:15.440
And they'll tell you, said we're sending it, we're sending help, sir, but we've got to get information from you.
00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:16.400
What is your phone number?
00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:17.360
What is your name?
00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:19.760
What is your position of authority with this group?
00:38:19.920 --> 00:38:21.119
How old is this student?
00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:24.400
Then you flip it back around and go, what medications are they on?
00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:25.679
And you can tell them on the phone.
00:38:25.840 --> 00:38:27.360
You know, they flip it back, okay.
00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:28.639
Number nine is this, okay.
00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:29.920
Flip it back and forth.
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:40.239
Because if you're like me, if it's not written out, you're gonna leave something out and you're gonna get really flustered and you're gonna realize that they keep they've asked you five times where you're at and you haven't answered yet.
00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:43.920
You keep going to something else, you know, but but they're hurting, but they're hurting.
00:38:44.159 --> 00:38:44.480
Yes, sir.
00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:45.760
We understand they're hurting.
00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:47.360
We where are you?
00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:48.960
Where are you?
00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:50.400
You know, kind of thing.
00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:52.880
We can't make them not hurt till you answer some questions.
00:38:53.119 --> 00:38:53.840
That's exactly right.
00:38:53.920 --> 00:39:04.239
But that's it's hard to do when you're the one on the phone and a kid just passed out or had a seizure or something happened badly, or they they did something and broke an arm or a leg, had a fracture.
00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:04.480
Right.
00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:05.280
You know what I mean?
00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:07.360
And you're like, oh my God, what do we do next?
00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:07.920
Okay.
00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:17.840
This is for the student safety and for school procedure, because whatever you're saying on that 911 call um will probably be read out someday in court.
00:39:19.039 --> 00:39:19.280
Yeah.
00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:23.440
So it's for the student safety and for their comfort and to help the student.
00:39:23.679 --> 00:39:31.599
But, you know, we're covering ourselves too, because you best want that in a certain order where you sound coherent and you know what you're doing.
00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:37.119
So you don't sound like you're just screaming at the top of your lungs and send an ambulance, help us, help us, help us, help us.
00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:41.119
You know, have your plan signed off in advance by the administration.
00:39:41.599 --> 00:39:44.960
Go to them and make the time to say, This is my iPad.
00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:47.039
This is my list on the back.
00:39:47.199 --> 00:39:48.159
What should I change?
00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:52.320
They'll they'll almost always go, go see the school nurse or go see the athletic trainer.
00:39:52.639 --> 00:39:52.960
Okay.
00:39:53.119 --> 00:39:54.719
So you go to them and say, This is what I'm playing on.
00:39:54.880 --> 00:39:56.719
They say, Well, you probably need to have another step.
00:39:56.880 --> 00:39:59.360
But step eight needs a B, a C, and a D.
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:00.079
Yeah, okay.
00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:03.199
I'll write that in and I'll reprint that, you know.
00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:11.840
Um, but overall, just kind of, you know, um, just in terms of, you know, plan like an OCD ridden creature.
00:40:12.159 --> 00:40:13.280
You know what I mean?
00:40:13.599 --> 00:40:18.239
But but remember in rehearsal, slower incorrectly is the way to go in teaching.
00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:25.119
Whether it's an emergency, whether it's teaching drill, which sometimes feels like an emergency, it doesn't feel great at the moment.
00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:30.480
You know, I had a great instructor one time said, be quick but don't hurry.
00:40:31.679 --> 00:40:33.280
You know, and that makes sense.
00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:33.920
That makes sense.
00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:36.480
Be quick but don't hurry, because hurry is flustered.
00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:38.079
Quick is precision.
00:40:38.800 --> 00:40:42.800
You know, it it's precise and well thought out methodology is quick.
00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:43.760
I'm quick.
00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:48.559
You know, I'm in a hurry means that you're flustered and panicky, you know.
00:40:48.639 --> 00:40:49.840
So never be in a hurry.
00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:51.519
Always something quick.
00:40:51.760 --> 00:40:56.320
If you go, if you go slow and efficient, then you don't have to reteach as many concepts.
00:40:56.559 --> 00:40:57.280
You don't have to go.
00:40:57.760 --> 00:41:01.599
I I tell our people all the time, accuracy is more important than speed to me.
00:41:01.760 --> 00:41:02.480
Oh god, yes.
00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:05.679
I I want it to go well, I want people to have an experience.
00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:07.679
You know, everybody wants to get out as fast as you can.
00:41:07.840 --> 00:41:08.239
Yeah.
00:41:08.480 --> 00:41:11.920
But it is so much more important that it's accurate.
00:41:12.239 --> 00:41:14.559
Yeah, and uh going kind of with music stores.
00:41:14.639 --> 00:41:25.119
If if you're if I was a ed rep and I was like at a place for a horn drive and doing like 16 horns in a row, that would be real easy to get in a hurry and leave out 14 steps.
00:41:25.679 --> 00:41:30.320
Because you're like that preacher on the third sermon going, did I tell the parable?
00:41:31.679 --> 00:41:34.880
Yeah, because it's the 16th parent that's come up to you.
00:41:35.039 --> 00:41:41.280
So, you know, stick with the flow chart, stick with what you're supposed to be doing, whether you're no matter what you're doing in life.
00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:54.320
You know, it's like when I when I take my boat out, it's uh it's not like a pilot, but there is definitely an order where we turn on the blowers before we turn on the engine, because we want to get any fumes out of the out of the bilge pump area.
00:41:54.480 --> 00:42:00.880
You know, that if the bilge, if it doesn't, the blowers don't come on, you open the you open up the back of the boat for at least 10 minutes.
00:42:01.760 --> 00:42:07.119
And if you if you're uh fueling up a boat, you never run the blowers while you're fueling.
00:42:07.199 --> 00:42:12.639
You turn the blowers off because it'll suck the fumes into the into the engine compartment.
00:42:12.719 --> 00:42:14.559
So it'll blow up.
00:42:15.519 --> 00:42:23.920
So it's no matter what you're doing, there's a certain methodology to it, and it's not just to irritate you, it's to make you more efficient in the long run.
00:42:24.079 --> 00:42:27.280
It's we say this all the time, though, and you would say this right now.
00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:31.840
The the procedure probably happened because somebody else has already made that mistake.
00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:32.320
Yeah.
00:42:32.559 --> 00:42:35.039
Learn from that mistake and don't make your own.
00:42:35.360 --> 00:42:35.760
Yeah.
00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:42.639
I like to use the story of this particular season, is that it's exactly 50 years ago that I marched my first UIL.
00:42:43.119 --> 00:42:43.760
Wow.
00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:51.599
As a seventh grader in full uniform, because we marched full uniform junior high bands and had inspection and everything.
00:42:51.760 --> 00:42:52.400
You know what I mean?
00:42:52.480 --> 00:43:01.280
So I can remember that, but just said, so I might not have the best information in the world while I'm clinicking your band, but you know I've got 50 years of mistakes.
00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:03.920
I can tell you how this will end.
00:43:04.079 --> 00:43:09.920
I've got a half century of mistakes at my beck and call that I can I can say, well, I did it this way and it didn't work.
00:43:10.079 --> 00:43:11.440
And I see you doing it this way.
00:43:11.519 --> 00:43:13.280
I promise you that's not gonna work.
00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:22.239
You know, so sometimes you use the the mistakes that dumb people like me have done over the years and uh learn from their mistakes, you know, and just be more efficient.
00:43:22.400 --> 00:43:23.840
Have a plan for your rehearsal.
00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:24.880
Have a plan for it.
00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:28.800
Don't just go out there and haphazard and just fly by the seat of your pants.
00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:34.480
You know, I have to tell you, you just floored me because I was doing mental math 1976.
00:43:34.639 --> 00:43:37.440
I started seventh grade marching in band.
00:43:38.159 --> 00:43:39.840
That's a long century.
00:43:40.800 --> 00:43:41.760
Half century.
00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:42.559
Think about that.
00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:43.599
How old we are.
00:43:43.760 --> 00:43:46.159
Together, we're a full century of marching band.
00:43:46.559 --> 00:43:47.599
Look at us.
00:43:48.800 --> 00:43:50.960
We've got a hundred years of mistakes we can share.
00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:55.599
And and once or twice we did something right.
00:43:55.760 --> 00:43:56.639
You know, right.
00:43:57.280 --> 00:43:59.119
And it was usually somebody else's fault.
00:43:59.280 --> 00:44:01.519
But yeah, yeah, we got it right.
00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:02.719
Cool.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:04.079
So make a plan.
00:44:04.639 --> 00:44:08.880
I I think that's better than let's just show up and see where today leads us.
00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:09.760
Yeah.
00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:12.719
Let's fix what was screwed up yesterday.
00:44:13.840 --> 00:44:15.199
And I'll say this one more time.
00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:19.280
I think we've already I I don't want to beat it in the ground, but I want people to hear it.
00:44:20.159 --> 00:44:23.119
It's not wasting time to make a plan.
00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:26.800
It will come back to you in the long run.
00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:27.440
Yeah.
00:44:28.320 --> 00:44:34.000
When everybody knows what they're supposed to do, everybody does what they're supposed to do because that's the plan.
00:44:34.239 --> 00:44:34.559
Yeah.
00:44:34.719 --> 00:44:39.440
It gives you the opportunity to say, all right, here's what we're gonna learn today.
00:44:39.679 --> 00:44:40.000
Yeah.
00:44:40.159 --> 00:44:43.280
And especially, Derek, if you tell that plan to everybody else.
00:44:43.519 --> 00:44:43.760
Right.
00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:44.400
Share it.
00:44:44.719 --> 00:44:46.719
Everyone knows what's happening.
00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:48.320
There are no secrets.
00:44:48.559 --> 00:44:50.239
What a cool moment, you know.
00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:50.800
Right.
00:44:50.880 --> 00:44:57.920
And I also think that it just generates so much trust between the students and the teacher when they say he said he was gonna do this and that's what we did.
00:44:58.159 --> 00:44:59.360
We can trust this guy.
00:44:59.519 --> 00:44:59.840
Yeah.
00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:01.360
So you're exactly right.
00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:02.159
Awesome.
00:45:02.320 --> 00:45:05.760
Well, go out and help some people make some plans this week, my friend.
00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:06.639
I will.
00:45:06.960 --> 00:45:09.119
And uh help that you know what's more important?
00:45:09.280 --> 00:45:10.559
Help them work the plan.
00:45:10.800 --> 00:45:11.440
That's right.
00:45:11.760 --> 00:45:13.039
Writing it down is one thing.
00:45:13.360 --> 00:45:24.800
Leg for the ones that have uh student fittings, homecoming, first ball game, national anthem, extra pep rally, all the same week with the band picture.
00:45:25.119 --> 00:45:25.920
It's crazy.
00:45:26.000 --> 00:45:31.679
I'm I'm doing some Friday night stuff, and I've already seen one senior night happen, second week of the season.
00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:37.360
I was like I I I'm used to have those happening in November, but here we are.
00:45:37.679 --> 00:45:39.280
So they worked their plan.
00:45:39.360 --> 00:45:40.000
They made it happen.
00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:40.960
They made it happen.
00:45:41.119 --> 00:45:42.320
Um all right, brother.
00:45:42.400 --> 00:45:42.960
We'll talk soon.
00:45:43.119 --> 00:45:44.400
All right, we'll check you later, Derek.
00:45:44.559 --> 00:45:46.000
It's been good talking to you.