Music of Andrew F. Poor

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. "  —   George Bernhard Shaw "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." —   Frederick Douglas "There is nothing permanent except change." —   Heraclitus "Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have—and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up." — James Belasco and Ralph Stayer "The only easy day was yesterday." —  Navy SEAL motto Growing up as the son of an Air Force officer, I moved a lot as a young child. Matter of fact, I moved eight times before I was 15. At the time, it was often difficult to leave friends, start new schools, move to a new house, and learn new routines. As a young child, my only option was to accept these changes and make the most of every situation. The reality of change was an inevitability I knew all too well. Every ...

"Battle for another day!" Thoughts on the Middle School Music Rehearsal When I was an undergrad, I was first introduced to Bruner's Spiral Learning Theory . At the time, the concept was presented as an abstract ideal with little to no direct application. The idea of learning concepts and continually revisiting those concepts and layering new learning onto the previous concepts which eventually led to mastery seemed to be common sense. Yet, when faced with the cold reality of developing my own curriculum and teaching in a room filled with young energetic minds the theory was quickly forgotten. I was chasing the next concert or administering playing tests. The educational equivalent of walking barefoot in a dark room filled with lego pieces and sharp furniture. A lot of painful mistakes. I wanted it perfect now and I expected my students to get it "Right now!" and this was my way of setting high standards. The reality was this approach led to terrible i...

Commissioned by the Feagin Mill Middle School Band (Warner Robins, Georgia), Lloyd McDonald, Director of Bands in the fall of 2015. The work is dedicated to the children of members of our armed forces and the ongoing sacrifices these children make on behalf of our country. The work is divided into three sections—Service, Sacrifice and Tribute—and each section honors different aspects of this commitment. The Service section (measures 1 to 23) is a blending of various patriotic melodic fragments, including, Star-Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful and Taps. These children are surrounding by patriotic music throughout their everyday lives. This section of the work symbolizes the dedication and purpose for the service for both the parents and the children. Sacrifice (measures 24-39) is longingly lyrical portion of the work loosely based on the melodic structure of Taps and symbolizes the heartfelt losses the children are often forced to endure. These sacrifices, include, long and u...

On the Wings of a Griffin was composed for the inaugural performance by the South Forsyth Middle School Sixth-Grade Advanced Band in the spring of 2016. Premiered at the Forsyth County Concert Band Festival on February 19, 2016, the two-part work is in C-minor and showcases the entire ensemble. A Griffin is a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the wings and talons of an eagle. The creature was the symbol of divine power and can be found on the crests of countless kings and royal courts. The beginning section (measures 1-12) is bold and dramatic based on fragments of the primary melody later in the work, and is symbolic of the power and majesty of the creature. The second section is the creature taking flight and features a gradual building of the rhythmic ostinato underneath the melody. At measure 41, the percussion section is featured and is symbolic of a potential conflict with the creature. This section leads to a final restatement of the melody (measure 55-63) s...

Composed for the students of South Forsyth Middle School in Cumming, Georgia. This work for young bands was composed as a lyrical showcase for the composer’s students and is composed in a binary form—AABA. The primary theme is first presented as a plaintive clarinet solo/optional trumpet (measure 2) and has some folk-like qualities performed over a pedal-point. The second presentation of the A theme (measure 19) is presented by the trumpets and enhanced harmonic vocabulary. The B theme (measure 35) moves to the relative minor (C minor), represents the clouds briefly covering our horizon, and the melody is passed through various woodwind instruments. A cadential extension leads us to a full tutti statement of the A theme (measure 53), which is followed by a brief concluding section at measure 67. The Coda to the piece features a fragmenting and augmenting of the main melody, which is shared through various instruments and leads us to a final cadence. As the title suggests, the piece...

The Law of the Harvest "The underlying principle is that what you do today will lead to outcomes in the future. Much like a farmer, who must prepare the soil and plant the seeds in the spring, fertilize and water the crops all summer, to ensure a harvest in the fall. A farmer doesn’t sit around all year and then expect to have a harvest come September. "~ Stephen Covey http://www.dougblackie.com/2012/10/the-law-of-the-harvest/  In many fields of endeavor, there are different seasons. There is a time to plant the seeds and a time to toil in the fields. Eventually, there comes a time to harvest. In a society filled with quick-fixes, short-cuts, get-rich-quick, and a never-ending pursuit of getting more from less, we can all fall victim to this mindset. Unfortunately, anything worthwhile and meaningful requires a relentless work ethic combined with a strong base of knowledge and skills.  For music educators, one of the most important tasks we must enga...

About to March Drum Corps?   Some thoughts as you get ready for the summer.  1)  Accept the fact that 95% of your daily existence is out of your control and “Embrace the Suck! ”   Things will be tough; that is what you signed up for. You will be pushed extremely hard; again, what you signed up for. It will be hot; it is summer. You will take cold showers; again, it is part of the deal. There will be crappy fields, crazy schedules, long bus rides, short EPL, frantic show warm- ups etc…Complaining about any of these things helps NO ONE! So, DON’T! EVER!!!! I mean it!  2)  You grow the most when you are out of your comfort zone . You are going to be uncomfortable and feel overwhelmed. Great! That is what makes drum corps fun, and why only a select type of person can do this crazy activity. You will, most definitely, grow this summer. 3)  Your attitude and your performance are your greatest commodities  to the drum c...

I was recently speaking with a young teacher who was frustrated with an older teacher who he thought was "lazy".  After talking a little longer, I realized this was not a lazy teacher, but one who was dealing with burnout. The net result is the same--loss of effectiveness and productivity--but the solutions are quite different. Most people enter into the teaching profession filled with idealism and a strong sense of optimism--I know I did! This is often fueled by a passion for service and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others--still does for me. There may also be a strong love of your subject matter we also want to share with others. The problem occurs when the cold bucket of reality clashes with the burning flames of idealism--I clearly remember those early years all too well. The jarring result can often be both intense and, occasionally, devastating for the teacher. How do you keep that fire burning? The State of Georgia Department of Education r...

Congratulations! You will be marching this season in a drum corps. Earning a spot in a drum corps is a major accomplishment and an achievement many performers will never get to experience. You should be proud and excited for everything the future holds for you. Most likely, you practiced the audition material diligently, prepared yourself physically, reviewed some movement basics, and performed at a high level in your audition. Possibly, you auditioned once or twice prior to this year, only to be sent home. All of those tasks take dedication, commitment, focus, and hard work. You need to celebrate this achievement...briefly...because to not celebrate this achievement diminishes the value of the accomplishment. However,  you must be prepared to avoid Post-Achievement Let-Down. https://hbr.org/2015/02/staying-motivated-after-a-major-achievement https://theprofessionaldevelopmentteam.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/the-accomplishment-let-down/ The key to staying motivated is ...

A Note to Young Music Teachers (and maybe old ones too?) My first year teaching at Concert Festival (MPA) Why   write this  blog? Teacher retention seems to be big news lately. Teacher retention is a real and genuine problem. I have been seeing and reading numerous articles about teacher retention lately and these articles sparked this blog. Here is a small sample of teacher retention articles: http://theconversation.com/crisis-in-american-education-as-teacher-morale-hits-an-all-time-low-39226 http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/why-are-so-many-teachers-fleeing-the-classroom/story-fnkgbb3b-1227560880445 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/06/12/why-so-many-teachers-leave-and-how-to-get-them-to-stay/ I hope you find some help and affirmation with this information. I know that none of these ideas are groundbreaking concepts, but, hopefully, may be a spark of reflection for you. I love my job, which includes loving the good and bad,...