Simone Biles dominated the news and every social media news feed when she stepped back from competing in the 2021 Olympics. When I heard this news, my first feelings were pride and relief. Pride because I was insanely proud of that woman for putting HERSELF over OTHERS…on that large of Read more…
Welcome back! We’ve missed you! Music Effect Design is built around the value of sharing the very best of what we know with people who want to deliver the best to their students. It’s a labor of love, and we take pride in our efforts in our first year as Read more…
As ensemble directors, educators, and performers, we sometimes live our lives on mountains of stress. Stress from work, stress from school or other obligations. At times, the very people we care about most can be sources of stress…
One of the most impactful pieces of feedback I have ever received on my teaching was, “use more music.” So simple. So elegant. Not at all as easy as it sounds.
What is considered “great education” and how can we, in the marching arts community, actually achieve it? Can you think about a time when your students had a rough rehearsal or even a month of low energy and no motivation? Have you ever had the BEST planned rehearsal…and nothing went Read more…
Directors are always looking for new opportunities for students. And Indoor Winds is exactly the kind of program passionate pageantry members need this year.
Technique – a way of carrying out a particular task, especially the execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific procedure. Yes. I just opened with the most cliche way to introduce something. It is important. I promise. We are continuously finding creative ways to execute skills. This Read more…
When choosing a piece of equipment, there are many things to take into consideration, including the music, skill level of the performers, the size of the program, and training needs. The two guiding questions through the process that you need to be asking constantly … Will this grow my students? Is it a musical decision?
Instructors sometimes explain step size and expect students to innately understand, but so much more is required to reach mastery. In this post, we cover the definition of skill and make a plan for our upcoming season.