SoundstageEDU: Building Better Theater Tech

Should every student in marching band be guaranteed a drill spot, solo, leadership role, or performance opportunity? As debates over marching band alternates, fairness, and inclusion get louder, parents and educators need to separate belonging from entitlement... and disappointment from wrongdoing. This emergency episode tackles parent advocacy, competitive marching band, drill design, auditions,...

There are fees associated with all of our kids activities. This is nothing new. But, they are getting expensive and now some parents are questioning them. I am not saying pay them blindly, please, question them. But, let's ask the right questions. This episode is the first in a series of coming episodes where we will talk about band fees and all the other fees associated with the stuff our kid...

It sounds so simple... Belonging. Of course we belong, right? Somewhere? It's not really that big of a deal... is it? This is one of those topics that we just don't address often enough inside of these programs. We all want to belong to the room... Are we making that an accessible thing for them? In this episode, I wander around a bit, but, the point is, we want to belong and that belongin...

I said that when it was needed, I would bring back the Rest Stops. I feel that this is the perfect time as many of us are now officially starting our seasons. Some of you parents are experiencing the first Friday Night Iights... And some of you are experiencing the First Last of the season... Either way, come take a rest stop with me, let's take some grounding breaths together, and walk into t...

Ouch... Ok. Let me explain. We have spent a lot of time here working through this whole "No one wants to volunteer anymore" mess. And it is a mess, I know... But, maybe we have been considering the wrong value proposition the entire time... Maybe... Just maybe... Your presented volunteer opportunities just happen to suck. Maybe, no one wants to actually do them! It's not apathy, it&#...

So, you saw Dinosaur Rant #1 most likely. I mean, over 100,000 of you did. Then I posted again in response... And now, I did what any level headed podcast producer does and I responded verbally. I recorded this, edited it, prepared to upload it, and while it was exporting, I found a couple dudes who believe what I do about this subject matter and reached out. So... Here we go. Let's gather aro...

I struggled with this. I don't like being vulnerable in public. I listened to this multiple times and almost just deleted it. I also recorded this over a week ago and say on it... Which is why there has been a stall in my production of episodes here. But, even though this story has a lot to do with ME, I realized that what I was explaining was something MANY of us in the activity have felp. So...

What does it feel like to wear the uniform of a legendary program? Whether your jacket says Avon, Carmel, Broken Arrow, Blue Devils, Bluecoats, or the name of a small hometown band working toward its own legacy, every student eventually faces the same question: "Can I live up to the expectations that came before me?" In this listener-requested episode, we explore the emotional weight of...

What if the problem isn't that people don't want to help... What if they were simply never invited? In this episode, we explore one of the biggest misconceptions in volunteer organizations. The issue isn't a lack of willing people - it's a lack of intentional connection. We talk about the quiet parent in the back of the room, the hidden talents sitting unnoticed in the stands, and...

Look... I never expected this response to the content that I produce. But, I do react to what you all tell me. I am human, and I have emotions... This is fine arts. It just comes with the territory... But, it was the students responses that drove this short episode. It's important. Give it a listen. It is my letter to you all. Our goal here is to help raise amazing human beings, and you are al...

This was a great conversation I had with fundraiser Charlie Rankin from Florida. A former band director turned fundraiser gives him an excellent perspective on what works and what doesnt... And in this conversation, you will discover some things you may not have even considered. Follow along for more in this series.

A nonprofit can have a beautiful mission, passionate volunteers, generous donors and families it has genuinely helped—and still become dangerously vulnerable when trust replaces oversight. In this episode of SoundstageEDU, Mike DeJohn examines the criminal allegations involving the founder of OKCity Crisis Nursery and several members of her family. Prosecutors allege that charitable donations inte...

This culture minute was another request from a listener. They asked that I speak to the administrators about the gap in support that exists between the arts and athletics. This is not criticism, this is an invitation. An invitation to see, to REALLY see what the arts are doing for our children. Please listen and share with other administrators... because the passions that our students have, regard...

Today, I want to talk to the parents, and even myself... I had just recorded this when I got a message from a parent who was going through this exact situation. I was going to wait to upload this, but felt this needed to go up now despite all the other episodes I needed to finish and get uploaded. Sometimes, this whole arts thing can become a lot for a kid, and we as parents want to fix it... but,...

This one is for the students. We spend most of our time talking to the parents and directors about the students , but now it is time to speak to you directly. This is for the nervous new kid, or even the nervous vet. Now matter where you land on the totem poll here, I want you to know that you absolutely matter here. You may have convinced yourself that you are just one person in a sea of others,...

Those of you who have been in the percussion arena for at least 2 decades have given witness to a new "Trend." Influencers. And a rise to algorithmic pedagogy... In this episode, I speak with Chris Wolf, a percussion instructor from North Carolina. He, like myself, has seen some stuff. So, we sit down and just share our perspectives on this live interview. Want to reach out to Chris to have him wo...

I can't believe we have been doing this for an entire year! Seriously... I had no real plan when I started this, but, here we are. This is the origin story and the plan that we have now... Thanks for being here. For real. Thanks. We ain't goin nowhere.

This one's for the band dads. Somewhere between pulling the trailer, filling water jugs, and standing on the sidelines, many of us discover something unexpected—we fall in love with marching band too. This episode is about giving dads permission to care deeply, to be proud, to be emotional, and to embrace the journey right alongside their kids. Because one day, there will be a last parade... a...

Join SoundstageEDU as we sit down with a parent booster and discuss life as a booster! I am joined by Christine Rognerud from the Great State of Texas! Interested in joining me on an episode like this? Reach out to us and let us know.

This wasn't a planned episode. It's an Emergency Episode. With Fourth of July parades, summer rehearsals, and band camps beginning across the country, thousands of students will spend hours performing in dangerous heat. Every year, preventable heat illnesses send students, staff members, and volunteers to emergency rooms. Today we're talking about something more important than music. M...

What happens when "good enough" becomes the standard? In this Culture Minute, Mike explores the delicate balance between excellence and perfectionism, and why organizations rarely become mediocre overnight. Whether you're leading a booster club, a student organization, a nonprofit, or a performance program, culture is shaped by what we consistently accept. Excellence is contagious. M...

Culture is the operating system underneath every system currently running within our organizations. This series of brief talks will address a lot of the issues we have seen inside of the booster and volunteer led organization space and we will connect them to culture. The aim is to give you practical steps you can take to get your organization back where you want it, or to at least give you langua...

Why healthy leaders stop measuring success by who leaves and start investing in the people who stay. We spend so much time worrying about retention that we sometimes forget the real purpose of leadership. In this Green Room conversation, Mike explores a powerful lesson he heard from another director: "Even Jesus only kept 11 of the 12." What if leadership isn't about keeping everyone...

Every parent eventually asks the question: "What am I supposed to do now?" In this episode, we explore the real role of a band parent—not as a manager, fixer, or sideline coach, but as a steady source of support while students grow through the challenges and opportunities that music education provides. This conversation is about trust, perspective, resilience, booster culture, and why si...

This episode is a letter to drum corps parents, especially those sending their kids off for their first summer on tour. When they come home, they may be different: tired, quiet, grieving, independent, restless, and still emotionally connected to the people and world they just left behind. That change is not something to fear. It is something to understand.