As I look back, I needed those early failures in order to grow into the educator I’m still becoming. And though we won a lot of times, it was more important for my students to learn how to react when we lost.
Tag Archives: bands
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Ten – “Slowing Down But Still Pushing Forward”
In this excerpt Dr Foster discusses tools he used to recruit for the Marching 100 and how successful these efforts proved to be over the years. He also mentions the talents of his very qualified staff and how their hard work and dedicated assistance made it possible for him to announce his retirement as Chair of the Department of Music and Director of Bands at Florida A&M University in 1998.
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Nine – The FAMU Band Motto
I created the motto because I needed something to help me guide band students to a higher place, a level of excellence for which they were all striving. It gave them something by which they could live daily.
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Eight – The Bicentennial Bastille Day Parade
EXCERPT EIGHT: The Bicentennial Bastille Day Parade – The Paris, France experience was exhilarating, a historic milestone and high honor for the band to be the official and sole representative of the United States of America in the Bastille Day Parade.
AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION ON TEACHING METHODS: Rote vs Note
I found myself asking why is it ok to learn piano by rote but not trumpet? Are we missing something here?
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Seven – Growing My Own Crop (Part 2)
EXCERPT SEVEN: GROWING MY OWN CROP – In this excerpt Dr Foster discusses the creation of band dance routines, band pageants (themed shows), and the creation & publication of “The Marching Band Bible”
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Six – The FAMU Band Camp
EXCERPT SIX: THE FAMU BAND CAMP – Dr Foster is credited for the creation of many techniques and maneuvers. Did you know he created the format used for “The Band Camp” as well?
I DESPISE THE TERM “SHOW BAND”
What constitutes a show band if all bands perform shows?… And a host of other questions that will likely never be answered…
THE RISE OF THE CAROLINAS!
No matter which school you were pulling for, these bands, (along with all the other Pep Bands, Cheer Squads, and Ride or Die Fans) Have captivated audiences, supported their teams to the very end, and left it all on the floor.