Ask Mike

Send us Fan Mail Whether we realize it or not, the words we choose in our classrooms matter! And our actions speak louder than our words! Excited to have guest Jett Lowrance with us on the podcast again for this episode. What great insight from Jett has he discusses an intentional shift in our teaching from "This is what I need!" to "What do my students need from me so they can be s...

Send us Fan Mail We all have moments of reflection. Moments when we take an assessment of where we are and where we'd like to be. Take it from a couple of olds... this doesn't go away with age! In this episode, Mike and Derrick take a lighter view of some ways to move forward with positive results. The inspiration for this conversation was comedian Tim Minchen's graduation address s...

Send us Fan Mail The concert march, it could be such a fantastic addition to your program. Unfortunately, the correct march style has been either ignored or not passed down long enough that it seems like the perfect time for Mike to answer the quiet question out loud, “What do I do with this march?”

Send us Fan Mail Daniel Coyle is the author of, among others, The Culture Code,  a best selling book looking at tools to build culture in groups.   In this episode of Ask Mike, Mike pulls out some key thoughts that should resonate with music educators as they work through the process of discovering what a great culture is, and work to build or repair it in their programs.

Send us Fan Mail In Texas, UIL Competitions and Evaluations are an annual part of our calendar and curriculum. It’s just part of what our music educators do in Texas. From the big picture overview, it should be straight forward and used as a tool to measure the progress of our students and programs. But as an educator responsible for those students and programs, we are often more emotionally inves...

Send us Fan Mail Don't mind Derrick fan-girling during this episode. Mike introduces us to the teaching methods and concepts that Matt Harloff (and brother Ben) developed to create the incredible sounds of the Carolina Crown brass, among others. Simple concepts with the commitment to do them consistently and correctly.  Now, let's play the Mahler...

Send us Fan Mail Everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to go today... One of the certainties of life, along with taxes. Is it uncomfortable to talk about? Usually. But does it have to be? Not really. We're joined by guest Tim Jones, owner and president of N-Tune Music, as he and Mike share their experiences with helping others through the process of making sure they have plans in...

Send us Fan Mail After Mike and Derrick get through debating whether people work their way to talent or they are born with it, Mike has some great points from “The Talent Code” by Daniel Coyle. Mike walks us through deep practice habits, ignition points, and master coaching. It is an amazing thing as an educator to see young people hit their ignition points and become excited to reach for their po...

Send us Fan Mail So you record your Friday night halftime performances. Or your festival marching contest performances. Now what? There is a wealth of information at your disposal if you watch and listen in a way to improve your group. Mike Lunney takes time in this episode to explain what a wise mentor once shared with him, how to get the most out of a marching performance video!

Send us Fan Mail Do you know this person? Seems to be in control, is typically successful at what they do, and is on a forward track... is also in constant fear of losing it, can't slow down because the spinning plates might fall, and won't talk about it out of fear someone will see through the mask? When we are anxiety ridden, but manage to press on and accomplish what we deem necessary...

Send us Fan Mail Which comes first on the marching field, movement or music? No matter what your answer is, the music better matter! One of the best ways to make music instead of noise is remembering dynamics! Is there more to dynamics than loud or soft? Are dynamic relative? Does the dynamic marking on the music differ from instrument to instrument? Let's ASK MIKE!

Send us Fan Mail It's September! In Texas that means second summer is in full swing! As we work outside and travel Friday nights, here are some tips and reminders of how to combat the heat, and what precautions and preventions we can put in place to keep our groups safe from temperatures!

Send us Fan Mail Mike Lunney and Derrick Killam sit down with Juan Ramirez in this episode to discuss Booster Clubs. What does a healthy parent organization look like? What does a good relationship between boosters and the director look like? With over a decade of experience in supporting the band at Cameron Yoe, the Prez shares some insider info!

Send us Fan Mail It's the last episode in the Mike Lunney Marching Band Academy series. As we close out this set of episodes, Mike reminds us that before we start throwing too many body moves at our group, it might be good to work on a little core strength. Along with some great suggestions to help your group physically warm up, Mike also describes several of the body movements used in contem...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mike Lunney's ongoing Marching Academy, Mike covers points to use for rehearsal procedures, reinforces teaching sequence for most groups, and talks about some overall marching concepts. There's also a few random items in the discussion! So many great things packed into one podcast episode, take notes! Or just listen more than once!

Send us Fan Mail In our ongoing discussion, we have talked about the set positions, what we look like when we aren't moving. This episode Mike Lunney explains to me what good body movement looks like in the midst of a marching show. Getting from set to set, etc. What a great resource! 

Send us Fan Mail Let's talk about body positions, horn positions, set position, horns up positions... all the positions that will help position your group for success! See what we did there? Let's talk flutter step, trail position... Let's talk about ALL OF IT! Mike Lunney shares all his experience, plus some stuff he stole! ASK MIKE!

Send us Fan Mail The Eight Core Principles for Marching Band. This episode Mike Lunney takes a closer look at each of these principles and how they will improve your group. We also look at some more concepts of physical movement! Who knows, you may learn new words like "satimna" and "fluidddiiiitdddty!" Take out your wide-rule notepad and get your No. 2 pencil sharpened! 

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Mike Lunney shares keys to success by looking beyond the basics. In the discussion, we discuss the importance of creating a confident and strong look on the field through body movement.  Not just marching but marching well. Mike will also introduce eight core principals to help your group move with confidence toward marching well.

Send us Fan Mail In our ongoing episode series for all things marching band, this episode is focused on the different boxes adjudicators are using to determine how well your band is performing. Is your band demonstrating the measurables for the highest box, or are there things you can focus on to get them there? Mike Lunney shares a peek behind the curtain so you can know what the adjudicators are...

Send us Fan Mail How do we win at Marching Band? Mike isn't talking about trophies in this episode; he's talking about the things that make us successful regardless of trophies or plaques. Let's help your program establish a standard. Let's help your kids get back into feeling good and doing movement. Let's use this episode as a launch pad for a successful marching season...

Send us Fan Mail New Guest Alert! Ask Mike is excited to welcome Jett Lowrance to the podcast! We sit down and talk about the triumphs and pitfalls of the non varsity group. How do we motivate them? How do we teach them? Listen to the wisdom that comes from experience. Jett has fantastic insights and expresses them well.

Send us Fan Mail The Hollies had a hit with, "He Aint Heavy, He's My Brother." One of the lines... "His Welfare is of my concern, no burden is he..." What a great sentiment! And one that many of us in Music Education relate to. But how do we help? What is expected? What is acceptable? As educators, we have such an awesome opportunity to affect for good! Joined again this e...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mike Lunney shares his Rules for Band! Read them, learn them, live by them! Or at least give them a listen and follow the link to download a document you can share or edit for your program!

Send us Fan Mail The question for Mike Lunney this week is, "Does it matter who evaluates a music educator?" What can we take away from an evaluation done by a non-music supervisor. Should we prepare differently, can it be constructive? Settle in and listen to the experience flow as we once again Ask Mike!