June 21, 2011-Perform Like A Champion

Dear Students,

There are currently two mandatory STUDENT LEADERSHIP Seminars scheduled for this Summer, 2011.  These will be on July 11 and July 18, 20011.  They wil be held from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, both days at Madison Central.

Hopefully, all students in the band will begin reading this portion of the website, and all are encouraged to do so. In all fairness, not everyone is mentally or experientially ready to read and digest the following comments.. All Student Leaders will be expected to read and keep up with this site, and you will be responsible for the following information on Monday, July 11.

REFLECTION AND SELF EXAMINATION ARE CRITICAL TO LEADERSHIP!

Before working with others, ALL leaders have to vigorously assess themselves.  Without a very detailed and honest self examination, no leadership of any kind is possible.  This process of reflection and self examination will be key to your success as a leader in the Madison Central Band Program.  Before anyone can lead any part of an organization, he or she must ask the following questions:

1.  What are MY goals for the organization?

2.  What are my personal goals?

3.  How am I going to achieve my goals for the organization and for myself?

4.  What am I willing to sacrifice to achieve my goals? (This is extremely important and is often left out of the self assessment. If your goal is to perform with the New York Philharmonic and you are only willing to practice your instrument a half hour five times a week, then realistically you are not, setting a goal but instead indulging in a form of fantasy or self delusion).

5. How am I going to motivate others to make the sacrifices I know are necessary to achieve certain goals?  How am I going to educate younger or less experienced members to the importance of my own goals?  Please be thinking of answers to the above questions as you will be asked these during our first leadership seminar.  While different students will have different answers, for us to be effective, we will have to come to a consensus so that everyone is leading the band with same methods and strategies.

6.  What kind of leader and role model have I been in the past?  What did I (or others do that worked when leading the band (or  individual sections), and what did I or orthers do that resulted unsatisfactory results?  Have I been effective or am I deluding myself into blaming others and making excuses?  What are my plans to build on my strengths and improve upon my weaknesses?  Without Answering these questions, the answer to all other questions is meaningless.  Everyone that is great at anything must build on his or her strengths, and correct his or her weaknesses.  Most so-called leaders miss this key point.   To never change behavior, but to expect a change in outcomes IS the definition of insanity!

REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

The 2011 Band Staff has identified the following problems with student leadership and attitude. Is it possible for you to change attitudes within the organization, and if so, how can these changes be implemented.  Adressing these needs will be very difficult, and will require an extreme effort from our student leadership.  Please read through the following list, and form strategies to address these issues

 A: Our group does NOT rehearse and perform like a championship organization.  Some but not all the problems are:

*Absenteeism, tardiness, and other attendance issues are not what one would expect from a Finals Level or Championship Band and has consistently hurt the organization in the past.

*Student apathy during rehearsals-sitting down, laying down, wandering off mentally and sometimes even physically from the task at hand

*Students talking while the Directors or staff are giving instructions. Students view

*Students bombarding new students with information, correction, and criticism, often while adults are trying to reach the same students.  This is not leadership, it's harrassment.

*General level of noise on the field is not conducive to focus, concentrate, or learning in general.

*Rehearsals are not approached with the intensity and passion of performances and competitions.  Students expect to rehearse at one intensity level and then perform at another. In other words, students just do not rehease as they plan on performing.

*Students are not committed to all rehearsals (and perhaps even some performance) and tend to see some rehearsals (and even some performances) as less important than other rehearsals or performances. Obviously, this attitude can utimately damage the way the organization rehearses and performs at even the most important performances.

SELF-PERCEPTION

It will be the job of our student leaders to help our members develop a sense of confidence and self-awareness.  One of the key institutional hurdles the organization must face is how we instill a self image IN EVERY STUDENT as a champion level performer. As leaders, you must not only repeatedly ask yourself "what would a champion do" and "how do I see myself as a champion" but you have the very difficult job of instilling these questions-and the resulting attitudes-in the students in your sections.  As a section leader, perhaps your primary responsibility well be to help the members in your sections see themselves as "the best" and to stop settling for less than the very best they can do. In this way, students can often amaze themselves.

MADISON CENTRAL BAND STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM 2011

Drum Majors:

Rachel Cummins

Derek Wilson

Meg Glenn

Secretary:

Kathryn Wilks

Section Leaders Flute:

Brianna White*

Asst: Haley Austen

Clarinet: Nick Richardson

Saxophone: Kathryn Wilks*

Asst: Alex Inman*

Trumpet: Roman May

Asst: Kendall Miller

Horn: Julia Wildman

Trombone: Thomas McMurray

Asst: Katie Hines

Euphonium: Presley Carlisle

Tuba: Alstin Kemp

Pit: Austin Agee*

Drum line: Connor Shafran

Guard: Brennan Powers

Captains:

Woodwinds: Nick Richardson

Brass; Roman May, Julia Wildman;

Percussion: Connor Shafran

Quartermasters:

Head/Brass: Brandon Fulks

Woodwind: Brianna White

Percussion: David Chasteen/Austin Agee

Guard: TBA

Tech Crew

Nick Inman (Head)

Jacob Masters

Alex Inman

Brad Campbell

Librarians:

Christina McCartey

Aubrey Johnson

* denotes that the student may have more than one area of responsibility

MADISON CENTRAL MARCHING BAND STUDENT LEADERSHIP

“People forget how fast you did a job-but they remember how well you did it. The price of greatness is responsibility. We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”

DRUM MAJOR

The Drum Major(s) will be chosen by audition on material selected by the director. The number of Drum Majors will be decided by the director at the time of the audition. Uniforms are also selected by Director and/or the Assistant Director of Bands. The basic duties of the Drum Major(s) include: (1) Attending all band functions, rehearsals and Performances (2) Responsible to the director for the conduct and actions of the band at all times, and for the execution of all band duties assigned. (3) Take charge of the band in all types of situations in absence of the Director. (4) Assist the director in maintaining discipline and order. (5) Assist the director with marching drills, inspection, planning, and special activities. (6) Promotes band standards and pride. Supervises section leaders and is responsible for their effectiveness and actions. (7) Insures that all rehearsals begin on time, even in the absence of the Director (10) Insures that. Everyone has staff books with music and drill organized and ready for every rehearsal.

SECTION LEADERS

The basic duties of Section Leaders include: (1) Conduct memorization and playing checks on music. (2) Responsible for maintaining standards of rehearsal effort and etiquette during rehearsals. Section Leaders are responsible for instilling pride within the section. (3) May call and conduct section rehearsals on a regular if needed with the permission of the Director (s) (4) Work with Librarians to insure that new drill is taken to the field and passed out to the band (5) Study and learn the drill for each member in the section and understand as much as possible each section members responsibility. (6) Attends all Leadership Team Meetings as required. (7) In charge of recruitment for section.

ASSISTANT SECTION LEADERS

Assistant Section leaders are to assist with the leadership of sections as noted in the responsibilities for Section Leaders. Assistant Section Leaders are to conduct marching or playing rehearsals in the event of A: A very large section B: Many new members in any given section C: Excessive problems developing in any given section. Assistant section leaders are also responsible for opening and setting up rehearsal room during band camp and indoor rehearsals, setting up and taking down chairs in each rehearsal room, and insuring that rehearsal rooms are in exactly the same condition as before the rehearsal takes place. The Assistant Section Leader is responsible for immediately informing the Director for any problems with the room before the rehearsal begins, or during the rehearsal.

QUARTERMASTER

The basic duties of the quartermaster (s) include: (1) Loading all needed equipment for performances. (2) Keeping inventory of all school owned instruments and IMMEDIATELY informing the Director and/or the Assistant Director of any problems with school instruments. (3) Organizing and Checking the loading and unloading of the equipment trucks for the area for which he or she is responsible (i.e., Winds, Percussion, or Color Guard. The Guard quartermasters are in charge of all inventory relating to color guard and will make sure that the guard box is at all rehearsals and performances. Percussion quarter is in charge of all percussion inventories in both marching and concert bands. There should be record of all equipment and mallets. This individual is also in charge of making sure that the equipment is to and from rehearsal efficiently and safely.

SECRETARY The basic duties of the Secretary include: (1) Takes and Maintains attendance at EVERY band rehearsal and sectional. Maintains this attendance in a manner that can easily be examined by the Director or Assistant Director of Bands. (2) Responsible for appropriate clerical work as designated by the Director or Assistant Director of Bands, (3) Meets briefly with the Director of Bands each morning, writes the daily and weekly schedule on the white information board. Must write large and legibly. (4) May appoint assistants as necessary (5) Attends all meetings Section Leaders and/or Captains, and takes accurate notes. (6) Supervises and Assists the Band librarians with the maintenance and procurement of all music (including warm-ups and pep band music), and makes sure all students have all materials necessary for success. (7) Handles Publicity as necessary, by sending press releases to the newspaper after each Contest, and by notifying the front office of band achievements as they occur.

BRASS/WOODWIND CAPTAIN

Brass, Woodwind and Percussion Captains are Responsible for overseeing section leaders and their expected progress. (2) Begin warm up of the larger sections when he directors are not available. (3) Makes sure that there sections leaders are holding individual sections and members to the very highest standard of rehearsal and performance. (4) Ensures that the sections locker area is clean and organized. (5) Working with the Director of Bands in devising ways of assisting, encouraging and promoting work ethic and pride in newer or marginal members. (6) Assisting individual members as necessary in the improvement of music AND movement skills. (7) Constantly work to build morale among the sections through encouragement, hard work, and a sense of achievement.

LIBRARIANS:

(1) The Librarians in charge of maintaining the music library and all materials being performed during the school year! (2) Librarians must device and enforce a system for collecting and distributing all music. (3) Assist in the maintenance and updating of the computer data base for all music. (4) Librarians must have a form and a system in place for any music that may be borrowed and a record of who has that music. (5) Collect all music at the end of each semester (6) Make sure adequate parts are available for any piece of music to be passed out (7) Photocopy as possible any necessary additional parts and inform the Directors about missing parts (7) Maintain a library of additional drill books (8) Insure that drill gets taken to the field and passed out to the appropriate section leaders.

TECH CREW:

Required to know how to use and set up equipment. Responsibilities (1) get all electronic equipment on the field and setup before band arrives, including Public address systems; i.e., Long Ranger and Megavox .(2) Test equipment before each rehearsal (3) Report Problems with equipment to the Directors immediately upon discovery (3) Maintain a supply of batteries including 9 volt and AA to be procured at band booster expense. Be prepared to replace batteries as needed. (5)Pack up equipment at end of rehearsal. In the event of rain make sure all electronic equipment is secure. (6) Must make sure all equipment is working properly before each trip. (7) Work with and if necessary teach adults on the workings of all equipment!