What 5th Grade Band Taught Me

Just about 2 hours ago as I write this, I came home from my oldest daughter's first ever elementary band concert. I was sitting in the middle of the second row and brimming with pride as my daughter played a little horn solo on "Jingle Bells." Listening to the concert, I was transported back to another time in my life, a long time ago...

The year was 1983. I was seated in the back row of the Winona, Minnesota Public Schools all city 5th Grade Band Concert. In front of me was a tuba mounted in a metal support stand, my lesson book, and about 100 other nervous ten year olds.

My first band concert etched itself into my memory for a few reasons. To begin with, it was the first time I was on stage performing for anybody. Second, there was a trip to Dairy Queen afterward, and I remembered most of those growing up. Third, and probably most importantly, I could barely read or keep up with the music.

I still remember the sounds we made that night, especially the group's performance of "At Perrot's Door," a.k.a "Grandfather Clock." The band was playing in unison (mostly) with the sole tuba player (me) in the back improvising and riffing on a theme that loosely resembled that which the rest of the band was playing. It sounded goooooood (to my 10 year old ears). That concert for me was the embodiment of the phrase "fake it till you make it." Looking back, I don't know how the heck I made it off the stage without being horse collared by my band director and asked to turn in my mouthpiece. Boy, was he patient!

Flash forward again to November, 2012. I arrived to the concert just in the nick of time because just 30 minutes before, I was teaching some of my own tuba students. You see, now I am that band director who refrains from asking students to turn in their mouthpieces (sometimes with a GREAT deal of self control) and I am also that private lesson teacher who helps some of the rhythmically challenged low brass players in my area count and play to their best ability. Not only that, but I also have the privilege of helping my daughter with the horn when I can.

Here's what I learned from tying these two experiences together: A person's life could very well be changed by your simple interactions with them. My fifth grade band director could have easily suggested to my parents that I give up the tuba. Because he didn't, I was given an opportunity to grow in music to the point where I am now a teacher effecting the lives of hundreds of young people in a (hopefully) positive way. My world could have very different were it not for the patience of my first band director. So as you begin each morning, remember that that could very well be the day that a life changes course positively because of you.

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7 Surefire Paths to an Attitude of Gratitude

During this time of year especially, giving thanks is at the forefront of our minds. The more I read and the more I participate in social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the more I see my friends, followers and fellow bloggers addressing the topic and/or giving thanks in tweets and status updates. This got me thinking about the different ways we can show gratitude not just during the holidays, but year-round.

There are many ways we can express our gratitude. Below are six that have worked for me in the past:

Journaling

Take a moment each day to jot down something you're thankful for. Journaling is an easy and quick way to get you thinking about those things that happen to you during the day that are good. Folks who journal their thanks begin to look for the positive in their days, and the negative, while it is still a part of every day to some degree, tends to be minimized. Also, when you have those bad days, looking back through all of those things you are thankful for will perk you back up!

Journaling is one of the 4 pillars of Shawn Achor's book "The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work" along with meditation, exercise and random acts of kindness. Using the free iOS/Android apps Catch Notes and I Journal, Achor's book can come to life in your life.

Public Displays of Gratitude

I am a teacher in an Iowa public school. We have bulletin boards everywhere. Although I haven't done this yet, on my list of things to do is to create a place for my students to pin up their thanks and compliments for each other. I bet this will be a popular space for those teens I work with every day!

A random email to a friend or card to a coworker takes but a few seconds, but the effects can be long lasting. Think back to how you felt when someone else had done that for you... You can return that feeling to as many others as you can think of! Better yet, giving that great feeling to another person won't cost you a dime.

Volunteering

Giving of yourself and your time is a wonderful way to show gratitude. Giving back to people or organizations -- investing your time helping those who have helped you or others -- will enrich your soul. This past Veterans Day, my son and I went to our local Veteran's Hospital with his Cub Scout Pack. We spent an afternoon visiting with sick and injured men and women who gave of themselves in our military. Connections were made and we left the hospital feeling great about the time we spent there. My son learned a lot during that visit, and I did too.

Prayer

Rather than asking God for help or intervention in your life, why not simply send your thanks to Him through prayer? Prayer reminds us that there is a higher power to which we answer. Realizing that we are not alone in our struggles and triumphs can help keep us grounded. Gratitude expressed through our faith can be tremendously powerful.

Random Acts of Kindness

Along the same lines as sending a thank you card to someone, performing a random act of kindness each day reminds you that there's more to your day than just moving from point A to B on your way to C. There are so many ways you can be kind to others. one great resource I have found is the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: Random Acts of Kindness.

Don't Move the Goal Posts (Right Away)

I get caught up in moving from accomplishment to accomplishment without stopping to savor the results of my hard work. More often than not, after I finish a school year and the students in my bands have achieved so much, I will look to what's next. I'm guessing you're that way, too.

I have a saying in my band program: "We have set the bar of performance at a certain level, and we're not going to do the limbo!" This, of course, means that we won't accept underachieving. While this is all well and good, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't take some time and be thankful for the progress made by my students and celebrate our collective accomplishments. Showing gratitude for the hard work of everyone involved acknowledges the worth of each individual.

It's A Wonderful Life

Expressing gratitude toward others is only half of the equation. Acknowledging what you currently have and being thankful for it is key to a happy personal life. Just like Jimmy Stewart in the classic Frank Capra movie "It's a Wonderful Life," take a moment and count your blessings.

Once in awhile when I get worked up or down on myself, I use a little technique I learned a while back to create my own Jimmy Stewart movie. I close my eyes and imagine myself far into the future. In this future, my children are grown and gone, my parents are no longer living, my friends are gone, perhaps my wife has passed away and I am struggling to simply move through my day. I internalize what that would feel like, and then open my eyes. The rush of gratitude for what I have now in the present can be overwhelming! The "good old days" are right now! I have my family, my health and a bright future to look forward to. I suggest you give this a try!

 

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What Kung Fu Panda and an Ancient Poem Have in Common

 

As Master Oogway said in the animated film "Kung Fu Panda," 

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called "The Present." 

Profound words, especially coming from an old turtle. I'm fairly sure this quote came from somewhere else, as the "Kung Fu Panda" writers were probably not philosophers. Nonetheless, I have found that this is but one of the solid life lessons to be learned in that movie. My kids have seen it about 30 times and I don't mind one bit!

There is a set of verses I came across a few months ago that serve to amplify that saying above. If you have never heard, read or experienced this ancient Indian poem, "Salutation to the Dawn," I think you will find that it brings to the fore the very idea of living each day to the fullest. From the time this poem was written to today, the thought of living life to the fullest must resonate if we are to thrive. 

The joy of self discovery begins when you simply start to look. The more I look, the more I find the path I take twists and turns in unexpected directions. For example, I found this poem recently while reading Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends and Influence People of all places. I would have never read this book had it not been for another I read before, and I would have never read that one had it not been for another...you get the idea.

This path is one I hope you find yourself on as well!

Here's the poem:

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:

The bliss of growth

The glory of action

The splendor of beauty.

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow only a vision

But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore to this day!

Such is the salutation to the dawn.

- Kalidasa, Indian Poet

Harvey Enders composed music to accompany this poem. If you have five minutes to be inspired by song today, listen below. 

Here's to living today to the fullest!

You Are What You Read!

During a walk through my neighborhood in the early spring of 2010, I was plugged into my iPod and listening to a podcast of a recent episode of “The Dave Ramsey Show.” On this show, Dave was interviewing author and motivational speaker Tim Sanders. 

I had never heard of Sanders before, but the things he spoke about on that show changed the course of my personal and professional growth to this day.

Mr. Sanders had just written a new book: Today We Are Rich. In the book, he wrote about the life lessons learned over the course of his lifetime through the example of his grandmother. As soon as I got home from that walk, I pulled out a notebook and pen and listened to the entire interview again. This time, I wrote furiously, dissecting and outlining the simple, yet profound ideas these two men discussed. 

I could not recall a time that I was as moved by someone speaking so enthusiastically and passionately about self improvement. I was inspired, and I purchased a copy of his book that night.

Now, please understand, this post is not a book report, but the story of my awakening to ideas and writings of deep thinkers, master teachers, motivational minds, and business leaders. The journey has been a rewarding one thus far, and although it is a path I'm glad I am now taking, it is one that I wish I had begun a long time ago.

I am a high school band director, and I own books written by well-regarded music education thinkers and motivators like Tim Lautzenheiser, Ken Raessler and Peter Boonshaft, and I had attended band leadership seminars with my students. However, up until that point, nothing really stuck. (Notice I wrote that I own these books... not read these books...)

I suppose we all have a moment in our lives when we decide that we don't know it all – that there might be thinkers and luminaries whose ideas deserve our attention – and that we might benefit from their inspiration. Perhaps this is your moment.

One of the first principles that Tim Sanders writes about in his book Today We Are Rich is that we are what we read. Sanders encourages you to ask yourself, “what is the quality of information coming into my head on a daily basis?” News reports, political propaganda, internet grazing, and gossip about Hollywood celebrities bombard us continually. None of it will make us think deeply about ourselves or help us become better at what we do or aspire to do. 

In other words, so much of what we read daily is “junk food reading.”

Sanders points out that, for a society that is so concerned about the healthiness of what we put in our mouths everyday, there is a shocking lack of general concern over the mind-health benefits of what we put in our heads everyday!

Many times, we get wrapped up in how much time we don't have for our own personal growth. Too often we get stuck in the business of being busy and lose sight of our own need to continue to feed our mind good things – the things that will make us better teachers, doctors, lawyers, managers, cabinet makers, salesmen and people.

Following the example of Sanders' grandmother, I found that using time at the beginning of the day (getting up early if need be) to read, make some notes, and reflect has been incredibly beneficial for me. Taking 30-45 minutes while the house is quiet and the sun is not quite up is the best time to feed my mind. Often, ideas that I've read about in the morning stick with me during the day and set the tone for my approach to teaching, leading, or simply interacting with others. Further, reading great stuff early in the day makes me aware of the junk that continually wants my attention later in the day.

When done consistently, I have noticed that I go to bed excited about the prospect of waking up and having that quiet reading time (and I am NOT a morning person – just ask my wife!) I encourage you to give it a try! Simply find reading material that will either help you to be better at what you do or inform your worldview. Then set a time, perhaps early in the morning to read and digest it.

In the area of human relations, it's hard to beat books by Dale Carnegie, Claude Bristol, John Maxwell, Napoleon Hill, Wayne Dyer or the Arbinger Institute (their Leadership and Self Deception and The Anatomy of Peace are must reads!). If you're into music like me, on the subject of music and music leadership, creativity, and the arts, great books have been written by the authors I have mentioned above as well as Sir Ken Robinson (The Element, Out of Our Minds) and Benjamin Zander (The Art of Possibility).

Making the time to feed your mind good things every day is an investment in you. I have become a better teacher, father and husband by reading, digesting and applying the ideas of great thinkers. Concern yourself with what you put in your head, and you will quickly notice a wonderful, positive transformation in your life.