Music of Andrew F. Poor

  Our Reality by Andrew F. Poor, DME originally published by the National Band Association, Georgia Chapter, September 2020 One of my favorite mottoes is, “It is not your excuse, it is your reality.” It is a constant reminder that we must always be solution-driven rather than problem-focused--this has never been truer than now. As we return to school, we face various challenges; some of us might be ill-prepared to handle. I know I am. Honestly, there were times over the last five months. I was overwhelmed and feeling defeated by our situation. Based on conversations with friends and colleagues, it became apparent I was not alone.  "It is not your excuse, but it is your reality!"   This summer, while reading a leadership book,  Extreme Ownership  (Willink & Babin, 2017), written by two former Navy SEALs, a few ideas struck me. No, I am not planning on turning my students into Navy SEALS, but some of the best ideas/reminders can come from the most unlikel...

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 ...