Music of Andrew F. Poor

I am not sure where I first heard the old English proverb, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." However, I have heard this phrase used by many people in a variety of settings.True, you cannot make someone do something they do not want to do, and, if you have been around a stubborn horse, you know this phrase to be extremely accurate. As an educator, this phrase, however, has always bothered me, most likely, because of the negative connotation of the proverb or the sense of rationalization inherent in the phrase. "Well, I gave the students the information and it is on them to learn the materials. You can lead a horse to water..." Quite possibly, I may have misunderstood the phrase. I think the proverb has an implied extension, "...you can't make it drink. So, what are you going to do to make it thirsty?" Where does the role of the teacher end, and the role of the student begin, when it comes to creating a thirst f...

"Hard work is fun!"-Jim Luce WARNING : some may find this cheesy or simplistic--remember I teach middle school--and I am sure someone can write a more sophisticated version of this concept. Regardless, I believe that this is an important message to instill in my students, and one I feel compelled to share.  The  Universal Law of the Fun Cycle  goes like this:  learn something new  then you work hard at truly learning this skill,  you start to have fun, so you work harder, then  you have even more fun, and  the cycle repeats even faster. However, when you stop working, you stop having fun.  Have you ever found yourself starting something and then wanting to quit shortly thereafter?  from  moenormangolf.com Have you ever picked up a book, with a deep meaning, and you found yourself not finishing the book?  www.petersons.com Have you ever started a hobby, only to later stop? guitarlessons....

Why do we do this? I have been involved with the drum corps activity for over thirty years. I often meet people who know nothing about the activity and they always ask the same question, "What is drum corps?"  I will, occasionally, use the flippant statement, "Marching band on steroids!" I use this phrase because the statement is both descriptive and brief, and usually ends the discussion--often with a bewildered look from the person asking the question. While drum corps does share some similarities with marching band, this is a poor description . Actually, I think that the appeal of the activity has little to do with music or movement, which is one reason I believe high school bands should not try to emulate the activity.  I first wrote this blog after returning from a trip to watch my daughter, Kayla, performed with the 2015 Phantom Regiment. With many hours in the car on the way home from Rockford, this same question kept popping into my head. Here ...

Daniel Pink TED Talk Daniel Pink, in his book Drive, notes that there are three keys to internal motivation: 1) autonomy, 2) mastery, and 3) purpose. I have read this book several times and this experience has been both enlightening and affirming for me as a musician and as a teacher. I have always said that micro-mangers kill initiative and can bring an entire school to a halt. This books clearly illuminates how this management style violates this key area #1-autonomy. In addition, I have found that numerous edicts and mandates from the state-level of management has an equally negative effect on the energy of teachers and students, alike. As we lead others, we need to find ways to embrace this principal of autonomy to spark motivation and the collective energy of a group. For me as a music teacher, I have developed a curriculum that allows the students the autonomy to proceed as fast and as far as they choose to each year. The underpinning of this principal is, TRUST . If we trust t...