The Growing Band Director Ten Deadly Sins of Music Making
Mar 31, 2022
Tom Lizotte, award-winning band director and clinician, shares his take on the Ten Deadly Sins of music making. He discusses lifelong learning, purposeful yearlong programming, choosing repertoire that truly fits your group, teaching tough works gradually, leveraging parents positively, and why the concert is a snapshot not the goal.
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Teach Jazz Forms As Multi-Year Goals
- Teach core jazz forms (blues, rhythm changes) across years so students internalize chord language before major charts.
- Use multi-year planning so advanced charts like Cottontail become accessible when needed.
Success Starts Before Rehearsal
- Successful performances are built before the first downbeat; programming choices determine outcomes.
- Match literature to your students' current abilities rather than their or your desires alone.
Match Parts To Players
- Match individual student ranges and abilities to parts when choosing repertoire to avoid chronic problems.
- Give students controlled ownership by offering limited, teacher-approved choices for pops slots.
