The Band Dads Podcast

Send us Fan Mail When the final school bell rings and campuses empty for the summer, it may seem like band takes a break. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this episode, Scott and Chris explore what they call the Summer Trifecta , the three groups quietly working behind the scenes to ensure the next marching band season is a success. What are the students doing? What are the booster orga...

Send us Fan Mail Season 3 was different. As Scott and Chris look back on another incredible season of the Band Dads Podcast, two words kept rising to the surface: strategy and depth. This season felt more intentional than ever before. Timely episodes like Fill the Darn Chair , Leadership Season , and Contest Season weren’t just conversation, they became practical resources released exactly when ba...

Send us Fan Mail This week, the Band Dads tackle a topic that might make some people a little uncomfortable… What do you do if you have a bad band director? Before anyone jumps to conclusions, Scott and Chris take a thoughtful and fair approach by breaking the idea of a “bad” band director into three very different categories: A new educator still trying to find their footing A director who may st...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Offbeat—a new Band Dads series where Chris and Scott go beyond the music to explore the fascinating, unusual, and sometimes downright bizarre stories behind the figures who shaped band, music education, and the art form we love. And if you’re going to start somewhere… you might as well start with one of the most offbeat figures of them all: Percy Grainger. When an episo...

Send us Fan Mail What Band Directors Face When It’s Just Them Even when marching season may be over, the competition hasn’t stopped. This time of year, band programs shift into a world that many parents and even students don’t fully understand: concert band contest season. The format is different, the pressure is different, and for band directors… the stakes can feel even higher. In this episode,...

Send us Fan Mail Scott and Chris leave the confines the Scott Lang Library and take you with them to the heart of New York City—where towering skyscrapers, the energy of Times Square, and the buzz of 5th Avenue set the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime performance at Carnegie Hall. But this episode is about more than just the performance. It’s about why travel matters. From gaining independence and e...

Send us Fan Mail The Band Dads are on the other side of the mic! In this special bonus episode, Scott and Chris join Robin Eissler, founder and CEO of Booster Hub, as guests on The Boosted Volunteer Podcast . What starts as an interview quickly turns into a fun, insightful, and wide-ranging conversation about band, community, and what makes great programs thrive. Scott and Chris share the story be...

Send us Fan Mail It’s that time of year again—band directors everywhere are rolling out their processes for selecting student leadership teams for the upcoming fall season. The decisions made during leadership season can shape the culture, tone, and success of a band program long before the first rehearsal of summer band even begins. In this episode, Scott reflects on a time when he realized he go...

Send us Fan Mail The Real Bandwives – Part One What’s it really like to be married to a band director? In this special two-part episode of the Band Moms Podcast, Shannon, Becky, and Leah welcome guest Libby Denny for an honest, funny, and eye-opening conversation about life as a “Band Wife”—or as some call it, a Band Widow. Shannon and Becky flip the script and step into the role of interviewers,...

Send us Fan Mail The conversation continues… After the cliffhanger ending of Part One, the Band Moms are back with Libby Denny to finish the story—and this second half delivers in all the best ways. What begins as an honest look at the challenges of being married to a band director turns into something even deeper: a celebration of the love, loyalty, and lifelong bonds that are built inside the ba...

Send us Fan Mail In Band Around the World , the Band Dads take a fun and educational journey to explore what band and music education look like across the globe. This episode was inspired by—and promised to—a listener in Dubai who is very much not a bot . From our neighbors to the north, to the discipline of elementary band programs in Japan, to Europe’s long-standing community brass band traditio...

Send us Fan Mail It’s that time of year again—students are choosing classes and schedules are being built for next school year. And whether a band program grows, holds steady, or struggles often comes down to what happens right now. This is the most critical window for recruitment and retention, and it’s one that’s frequently underestimated—especially by parents and booster groups who are far more...

Send us Fan Mail After a full year of conversations, laughs, debates, and unexpected moments, it was time to hit rewind . In this special “Greatest Hits” episode, the Band Dads look back on some of the most memorable moments from the first year of the podcast. Featuring favorite clips hand-selected by Scott and Chris , joined by picks from the Band Moms and listeners from across the band community...

Send us Fan Mail It’s the most wonderful time of the year… unless you’re on the naughty list. In this special holiday-themed episode, the Band Dads get into the spirit of the season by sorting out who belongs on the naughty list and who earns a spot on the nice list. Where do band directors and band parents land—and is there a little overlap between the two? Scott and Chris also share their favori...

Send us Fan Mail What if band directors were treated like elite, in-demand coaches? In this thought-provoking episode, the Band Dads explore a bold idea using a comparison from the sports world. Lane Kiffin is a high-profile college football coach known for being constantly pursued by programs, frequently changing jobs, and commanding attention and salary offers based on perceived value and potent...

Send us Fan Mail The Band Moms are back—and this week, it’s Becky’s turn in the spotlight. In this touching, funny, and deeply relatable episode, Shannon and Leah invite Becky to reflect on what it means to be the mom of a senior and to look back on the entire band journey she and her son have shared over the years. From those first nervous early experiences to the final milestones of senior year,...

Send us Fan Mail It’s finally happening—the Myth Buster Episode has arrived! After promising in every intro that they’ll “debunk all the myths,” the Band Dads are officially making good on their word. In this first installment of what is sure to become a fan-favorite series, Scott and Chris take on 10 of the biggest misconceptions in the band world… five about band kids and five about band directo...

Send us Fan Mail The moment you’ve all been waiting for is finally here — the very first episode ever of The Band Moms Podcast ! Shannon, Leah, and Becky crash a Band Dads recording session, seize the microphones, and officially take over. (Yes, “Bad Moms Podcast” was jokingly suggested… but only because they’re fun enough to pull it off.) In this long-overdue debut, each of the Band Moms introduc...

Send us Fan Mail It’s here, Championship Week! State Finals, BOA Grand Nationals,  the biggest weekend of the marching band season is finally here, and the Band Dads are feeling the Finals Fever . In this episode, Scott and Chris sit down to talk through some recent competition experiences, a few things that might need a second look in the judging world (one inspired by a band dad text rant), and...

Send us Fan Mail 🎺 What really defines success in a marching band season?🥁 In this episode of the Band Dads Podcast, Scott and Chris dig into that very question — are scores, tapes, and placements really the only way to measure success? Or is there a deeper, more meaningful way to celebrate what bands accomplish each year? Scott challenges Chris to revisit his data analyst mindset and explore al...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ It’s time to take a breath and catch up! In this episode, the Band Dads hit pause on the usual marching band madness and sit down to reconnect — with you , the listeners. For the first time this season, Scott and Chris dive into your messages, questions, and feedback from across the country (and even around the world!). There’s no set agenda here — just two band dads having som...

Send us Fan Mail Download Judging Cheat Sheet and Marching Band Judge Certificate here 🎺 It’s competition season! The first performance is in the books — so how did the band do? What score would you give them? You do know how to score a band… right? No? Don’t worry — the Band Dads are here to help! In “I Heard That!” we kick things off with fresh content that revisits and refreshes one of our mos...

Send us Fan Mail After months of separation (and Scott’s excruciating longing), the Band Dads are finally back together again — no guests this time, just Chris and Scott doing what they do best: shooting the breeze about band, life, and everything in between. In this episode, the dads put a surprising twist on the marching season by asking: Does Strauss–Howe’s generational theory apply to band? Th...

Send us Fan Mail On September 10, 2025, the United States witnessed two unnecessary tragedies: the Evergreen High School shooting in Colorado and the fatal shooting of activist Charlie Kirk. That same evening, while already in the studio, the Band Dads pressed record for an impromptu, unrehearsed, and raw conversation about these events—and about a bigger question that’s hard to ignore: If we alre...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Band Dads Podcast , we’re once again joined by Darrin Davis — one of the premier minds in the marching arts, current DCI and BOA judge, and the former director of the four-time Grand National Champion Pride of Broken Arrow. Together, we dive into what happens starting at camp and go through the competition season: What is the true objective by the time stude...