Music of Andrew F. Poor

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...

"Mr. Poor, It's your red wagon! You have to pull it!"   Mr. Hank Ramsey (My Osceola High School Math Teacher)  You never know when a moment may happen that could radically change the way you view life. These "Revelations of Life" rarely pronounce their arrival, nor are these moments forewarned. Instead, these moments are presented to you in the most unexpected ways and can easily go unnoticed due to the turmoil of daily life. It is up to you to recognize the power of the message, which might be difficult and uncomfortable to acknowledge. Mr. Ramsey (my high school math teacher) tried to instill this message into into all of his students. It wasn't until later in life that I fully understood the power of his message. Concern versus Influence As a teacher, there are many factors that are often outside of our control and fall into our "Circle of Concern", such as: facilities, classroom supplies, colleagues, students' preparedness, par...