The Growing Band Director

⁠ Support the Show Here ⁠ Band directors can be fit, and need to strive for overall health in order to be the best versions of themself. Benjamin Taylor joins the show to discuss practical and achievable ways to stay fit for your whole life. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of...

⁠ Support the Show Here ⁠ Dennis Crystal is a California-based band director and professional jazz drummer. He sits down with Kyle to give information to help band directors teach their jazz band drummers. John Riley’s “The Art of Bop Drumming” Steve Houghton’s “Studio and Big Band Drumming” Steve Houghton’s “Essential Styles” Steve Houghton’s “Essential Styles” ⁠2 Matt Johnson “Big Band Loops” Te...

Marc Whitlock, veteran band director, adjudicator and DCI program coordinator joins Kyle to discuss ways to ensure your marching band show has an emotional impact on the audience, the performers, and you! ⁠How To Craft Emotional Impact For Your Marching Band Show Blog Post⁠ Support the Show Here To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supportin...

Jazz Pedagogy and Repertoire Playlist⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Diving Into Jazz With Confidence and Joy - Milas Yoes⁠⁠ Milas Yoes joins the show in this four part series on Jazz Education- Teaching Improv Teaching Swing Feel Teaching the Rhythm Section Music Selection To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the t...

Rob Westerberg appeared on the show in 2023 in Episode 98 - Teaching Analytically where he discusses the benefits of teaching your students to think analytically. This time he returns to unpack even more from this approach, as well as discuss the role of conductor vs teacher and so many ways we can grow as music teachers. Support the Show Here To gain access to all show notes and audio files pleas...

Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with Heath Wolf (retired band director at Farmington Junior High (UT) and Jeff Jarvis (jazz composer and Director of Jazz Studies at Cal State University Long Beach) to discuss aspects of jazz education. Support the Show Here To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting...

Support the Show Here⁠⁠ ⁠Band Director's Goal Setting Planner⁠ Aamano Music Aaron Noe from Greensboro College and ⁠windconductor.org⁠ joins the show to give advice as to how to build a band program. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of ⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠ Our missi...

Every band program has every level of musician and engagement within the student body. The best way to engage the most amount of students at a high level is to offer a wide range of ensembles within your program to cater to every type of student in your band program. Eddie Otto teaches at Unionville HS (PA) and shares his vision and what led him to these core beliefs. Support the Show Here To gain...

⁠⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠ Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with legendary jazz educator Jerry Tolson. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of ⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠ Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that wil...

⁠ Support the Show Here ⁠ Christina Huss is a composer with  ⁨@ExcelciaMusicPublishing⁩  and longtime band director. She joins the show to discuss important things teachers should do to insure the best experience for middle school band students. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top...

Whether you are starting your band director career, or it is your first year at a new school, there are many challenges - as well as opportunities - that come with it. Reed Bailey (⁠baileyr@vailschooldistrict.org⁠) is the Director of Bands at Cienega High School (AZ) and shares many strategies to maximizing the potential within your new program! Stay tuned to the end where Kyle and Reed both share...

⁠⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠ Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with jazz composer Paul Baker (Bakers Jazz and More) and Jackson Smith - band director from Wisconsin. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of ⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠ Our missi...

Jackson Smith is the band director at Neenah High School in Wisconsin, and is joined by Colt Maichle, Dr. Jessica Jensen and Mike Malone for a discussion on ways they help their students improve through lesson programs and chamber music opportunities.

There are so many pieces of music written for piano or orchestra that have been transcribed for wind band. In this episode we discuss the reasoning for programming transcriptions with your students. We also provide score and sound listening examples of pieces that work well for wind band. Support the Show Here To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and con...

⁠⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠ Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with jazz composer Doug Beach and Aaron Noe from Aamanomusic.com and windconductor.com To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of ⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠ Our mission is to share p...

Support the Show Here The Habits of A Successful Musician series has been a wildly successful series of books and method books that help teachers and students become the best music teachers and musicians they can be. Now, GIA Publications is introducting a Habits book that is a beginning Jazz Method geared toward players with one year of experience! Though likely not available until 2027, Todd Cam...

Quincy Jones Interviews Aaron Copland! ⁠ Quincy Hilliard is such a great composer! We talked about so many things including his time with Aaron Copland, getting a young band to sound their best, and featured many score and sound videos of some of his Young Band works! What a joy to speak with! Support the Show Here To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast an...

⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠ Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with composers Terry White and Dan Austin To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of ⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠ Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will...

⁠ Support the Show Here ⁠ Dr Chris Oberholtzer joins the show to discuss jazz improvisation information to help teachers know what guidance to give their students when improvising. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.com Our mission is to share practical ...

Dr. Timothy Mahr is Professor Emeritus at St. Olaf College, and a prolific composer for wind band. Dr Mahr joins the podcast for a conversation that encompasses advice for young composers, discussion of ways we can improve our bands as a conductor, and a focus on some of his music! Highlighted is Etched in Stone, Commissioned by Kyle Smith and the Westbrook High School Wind Ensemble for the 50th A...

⁠⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠ Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with Tim Hendrix after the clinic performance with this students earlier that day, and composer Heather Hastings, winner of the Gladys Knight Composition Competition with WBDI. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon...

⁠ Support the Show Here ⁠ Jeffrey Priest (Old Town High School, ME) has led an award winning band program in his rural community since 1989 and joins the show to share ways to bring excellence to smaller, more rural communities. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingban...

The music of Duke Ellington is not only some of the best American music in history, it is filled with soulfulness and sophistication. It is available to students with very little experience. In working on this music your students will be studying history, studying music and studying some of the best of humanity. Support the Show Here To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscrib...

Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with Travis Weller and Stephen Sholey. ⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠ To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of ⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠ Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help...

⁠ Support the Show Here ⁠ Rob Wheeler joins the show to share some strategies that he has used in a wide variety of school situations to maximize the potential of a band program. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.com Our mission is to share practical  a...