Music of Andrew F. Poor

(This article originally appeared in a newsletter for the Spirit Summer Music Camps in April of 2009) They don't care how much you know, until... I am sure you can finish the phrase. This oft used quote has been attributed to Teddy Roosevelt, but this phrase is much more profound  then cliché in our profession. When many programs are shrinking, and recruiting and retention is an on-going concern for music educators, let me suggest a small idea that may make a big difference. As a good friend, and great band director, Alfred Watkins once told me, “You cannot teach empty chairs.”  FULL CIRCLE 2014 South Forsyth Middle School Symphonic Band performing at the Southeastern United States Honor Band and Clinic at Troy University.  My first band (Beaumont Middle School) I ever took to Festival, now called Music Performance Assessment in 1989 It was early in my career when I had a guest clinician, who was a local band director of an excellent b...

There is a poem entitled, The Dash, by Linda Ellis. I am sure many of you have read the poem or heard about it somewhere. For those of you that have not, here is a link to a copy of the poem:  http://www.linda-ellis.com/the-dash-the-dash-poem-by-linda-ellis-.html I share this as a meditation for this day of thanks to our mothers. My mother, Shirley Y. Poor, lost her battle to cancer in May of 2007. The last time I was able to speak with her on the phone was on Mother's Day that year. She was a person whose dash was filled with giving, loving, and making everyone around her better. She loved nothing more than to see the people around her achieve great things. She led her life through example and never sought the spotlight or recognition for her deeds. She was equally loved as a pre-school teacher and there were many of her students who were present at her funeral. A true testament to her "Dash." As we have days set aside for honoring special people in our lives, this p...