The Growing Band Director

Kyle Smith
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Mar 30, 2026 • 25min

327 Keys to Building a Band Program with Aaron Noe

Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠Band Director's Goal Setting Planner⁠Aamano Music Aaron Noe from Greensboro College and ⁠windconductor.org⁠ joins the show to give advice as to how to build a band program.To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:⁠Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠On Youtube The Growing Band Director⁠ ⁠Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group⁠⁠Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector⁠If you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 28, 2026 • 42min

189 A Well Rounded Band Program with Eddie Otto

Every band program has every level of musician and engagement within the student body. The best way to engage the most amount of students at a high level is to offer a wide range of ensembles within your program to cater to every type of student in your band program.Eddie Otto teaches at Unionville HS (PA) and shares his vision and what led him to these core beliefs.Support the Show HereTo gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.comOur mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.comOn Youtube The Growing Band Director Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast GroupInstagram @thegrowingbanddirectorTik Tok @thegrowingbanddirectorIf you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 26, 2026 • 8min

324 Teaching Jazz with Jerry Tolson

⁠⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with legendary jazz educator Jerry Tolson.To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:⁠⁠Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠⁠⁠On Youtube The Growing Band Director⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠If you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 23, 2026 • 47min

336 Keys to Providing a Successful Middle School Band Experience with Christina Huss

⁠Support the Show Here⁠Christina Huss is a composer with  ⁨@ExcelciaMusicPublishing⁩  and longtime band director. She joins the show to discuss important things teachers should do to insure the best experience for middle school band students.To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.comOur mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.comOn Youtube The Growing Band Director Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast GroupInstagram @thegrowingbanddirectorTik Tok @thegrowingbanddirectorIf you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 21, 2026 • 46min

188 Success in Year One with Reed Bailey

Whether you are starting your band director career, or it is your first year at a new school, there are many challenges - as well as opportunities - that come with it. Reed Bailey (⁠baileyr@vailschooldistrict.org⁠) is the Director of Bands at Cienega High School (AZ) and shares many strategies to maximizing the potential within your new program! Stay tuned to the end where Kyle and Reed both share some pieces that work very well in this situation specifically - complete with score and sound videos.Support the Show HereTo gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.comOur mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.comOn Youtube The Growing Band Director Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast GroupInstagram @thegrowingbanddirectorTik Tok @thegrowingbanddirectorIf you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 19, 2026 • 37min

323 Paul Baker and Jackson Smith

⁠⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with jazz composer Paul Baker (Bakers Jazz and More) and Jackson Smith - band director from Wisconsin.To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:⁠⁠Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠⁠⁠On Youtube The Growing Band Director⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠If you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 16, 2026 • 1h 20min

334 Ways to Improve Student Proficiency Through a School Lesson Program with Jackson Smith, Colt Maichle, Dr. Jessica Jensen and Mike Malone

Jackson Smith is the band director at Neenah High School in Wisconsin, and is joined by Colt Maichle, Dr. Jessica Jensen and Mike Malone for a discussion on ways they help their students improve through lesson programs and chamber music opportunities.
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Mar 14, 2026 • 40min

257 Why You Should Program Transcriptions Part One

There are so many pieces of music written for piano or orchestra that have been transcribed for wind band. In this episode we discuss the reasoning for programming transcriptions with your students. We also provide score and sound listening examples of pieces that work well for wind band.Support the Show HereTo gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.comOur mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.comOn Youtube The Growing Band Director Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast GroupInstagram @thegrowingbanddirectorTik Tok @thegrowingbanddirectorIf you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 12, 2026 • 26min

322 Doug Beach and Aaron Noe

⁠⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠⁠Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with jazz composer Doug Beach and Aaron Noe from Aamanomusic.com and windconductor.comTo gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:⁠⁠Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠⁠⁠On Youtube The Growing Band Director⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠If you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!
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Mar 9, 2026 • 54min

330 Introducting Habits Jazz with Todd Campbell and Heath Wolf

Support the Show HereThe Habits of A Successful Musician series has been a wildly successful series of books and method books that help teachers and students become the best music teachers and musicians they can be. Now, GIA Publications is introducting a Habits book that is a beginning Jazz Method geared toward players with one year of experience! Though likely not available until 2027, Todd Campbell and Heath Wolf join the show to discuss what teachers can expect when it releases. Full of practical advice for jazz educators, and some chart recommendations for younger bands.To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.comOur mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.comOn Youtube The Growing Band Director Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast GroupInstagram @thegrowingbanddirectorTik Tok @thegrowingbanddirectorIf you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!

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