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...

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,...