Behind the Baton

"Excellence is the culmination of thousands of details executed perfectly.”  ~Will Guidara

Ethan Wagoner just completed his 10th year of teaching and serves as the Director of Bands at Derby Middle School, as well as an assistant band director at Derby High School in Derby, Kansas.  In 2023, Ethan was selected as the Derby Public Schools secondary nominee for Kansas Teacher of the Year. He also was nominated and featured in School Band and Orchestra + Magazine as the Kansas representati...

The success of my day is based on the seeds that I sow, not the harvest that I reap. ~John C. Maxwell

Jordan Northerns is the Director of Bands at Circle Middle School and Circle High School in Towanda, Kansas. He just completed his 19th year in education and was recently recognized as Secondary Teacher of the Year for the Circle Public Schools.   Connect with Jordan Northerns Email jnortherns@usd375.org  

Focus on excellence, not comparison.

The ones doing the thinking are the ones doing the learning. ~Annika Stucky

Unclear expectations lead to unexpected results.

The success of my day is based on the seeds that I sow, not the harvest that I reap. ~ John C. Maxwell

Catch people doing right more than wrong.

When you make a mistake, it doesn’t make you a mistake.

Sunday Spark: Inspiring Insights for a Bright Week Ahead "Our success is connected. Your success is our success."

Annie Adams is in her sixth year K-12 vocal and instrumental for Thunder Ridge Schools in Kensington and Agra, Kansas.  She earned her bachelor’s in music education at Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS and her master’s in clarinet performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  Annie taught band for two years in Oklahoma before moving to North Carolina.  After graduate school, Annie...

I had the privilege of leading a professional development workshop for music educators in the Northwest part of Kansas. In attendance were band, choir and orchestra directors as well as general music teachers at the elementary level; all are from predominantly small and rural schools. And...some teach K-12 Music - wow! During our time together I asked the participants three questions: What does su...

Brandon J. Lesando is the Director of Bands at Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, Chair of East Central Kansas Music Educators Association HS honor bands, and the President-Elect of the the Kansas Bandmasters Association. While at Blue Valley Southwest, Lesando has presented clinics on program and project management, brass pedagogy, band travel and planning, and ensemble s...

Dr. Melody Causby is Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to coming to The University of Southern Mississippi, Causby was on the faculty at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina for three years, first as the Assistant Director of Bands, then as the Interim Director of Bands. During her eleven years of public school teaching, the programs she ran...

Dr. Bill Thomas is the Director of Bands at Shawnee Mission West High School and the Performing Arts Coordinator for the Shawnee Mission Public Schools. Connect with Bill Email: billthomas@smsd.org  

Brandi & Clayton Kaus teach 6-8 band and choir at Augusta Middle School in Augusta, KS. Brandi and Clayton have a combined 43 years in education.   Connect with Brandi & Clayton Email: bkaus@usd402.com ckaus@usd402.com  

Chris Harris is the Director of Bands at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma. With 31 years in education and 19 of those in the Owasso program, Chris has had multiple bands invited to perform at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association Convention and his groups have earned 25 Sweepstakes Awards from the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Music Contests.    Connect with Chris Harr...

Kristi Vetter is the Director of Bands at Beloit Junior/Senior High School in Beloit, KS and has been in music education for 30 years. Kristi is the recipient of teaching awards from the Kansas Music Educators Association and the Kansas State Department of Education.    Connect with Kristi Vetter Email: kvetter@usd273.org

Kyle Hopkins is the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at McPherson College in McPherson, KS. Kyle has been in education for 24 years and has taught beginning band through college.   Connect with Kyle Hopkins Email: hopkinsk@mcpherson.edu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyle.hopkins.1804  

Victoria Griffitt is the Director of Bands at Derby North Middle School in Derby, KS. Victoria has been in education for 20 years and has taught beginning band through high school.   Connect with Victoria Griffitt Email: vgriffitt@usd260.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoria.griffitt

Jennifer Antonetti is the Director of Bands a at Topeka High School in Topeka, KS. Jennifer has been in education for 15 years and has taught elementary general music and band for grades Pre-K through college. Jennifer is also co-founder of BatonSync , an intuitive management app for music teachers.   Connect with Jennifer Antonetti Email: jantonetti@tps501.org BatonSync:  https://www.batonsync.co...

As I have traveled around the midwest conducting honor bands, adjudicating festivals, and providing clinics for bands, I have had the good fortune to meet many amazing band directors and music educators. These directors have inspired and encouraged me to be a better person, and because of that, I want you to hear their stories as well!  Connect with Shawn: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @shawnk...