World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 25/08/2026How's the semester going? What are you guys playing? 010
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Hello, everyone! It has been a minute. I like what you've done with the place. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 05/05/2025Our band marched in the Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade in San Antonio last night. Long parade but very good. There is a lot to do in that town that makes for a good trip. 120
Reposted by World’s Okayist Band DirectorRon Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 21/04/2025I always look forward to funerals too. Good times. 5484302964645
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 17/04/2025Welp. First score under a superior since 1999. It was deserved, though. The group is young and not motivated. It is a struggle to even get them to show up and get their horns out. I have given every pep talk I know to give. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 17/04/2025Jazz Music Performance Assessment today. “Red Zone” by Bret Zvacek (Swing) “Absolute Zero” by Bob Turner (Fusion) “Spain” by Chick Correa/Paul Jennings (Latin) I have one alto 1 players and two alto 2 players. One of the alto 1 players didn’t show (overslept) We’ll be okay, but it ruins a day. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 07/04/2025We are gearing up for a county-wide all star band trip to San Antonio for the Fiesta Flambeau parade. Combining with other bands is about the only way we can afford to go anywhere. I hate band trips. Boy, the nightmare stories I have! 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 05/04/2025It is time to outfit our newly constructed band room. I am thinking about going with all Wenger furnishings. The only thing I may not purchase are the music stands. I will need large televisions, a sound system, and a recording device with a microphone at the podium also (maybe a Harmony keyboard). 120
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 05/04/2025One of the best purchases I’ve made for the band room is a standing/rolling desk. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 05/04/2025I live among poor people who vote against their own interests. I have relatives in their mid twenties about to be off of their parent’s insurance, government employee friends who lost their jobs and are now upset, my sister lives in government housing and has Medicaid, etc. They voted for Trump. 241
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 05/04/2025Mhmmyoutu.beDave Chappelle: Equanimity | Clip: Voting in the 2016 Election | Netflix Is A JokeYouTube video by Netflix Is A Joke 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 05/04/2025Harbor Freight is having a sale. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 05/04/2025We performed at a collegiate jazz festival today. Our group consists of… *new lead tpt who took over in January (due to the other graduating in December) *first year horn convert to tpt on book two *absent book three (due to all state choir) *8th grade 4th book tpt 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 04/04/2025New problem for me. We have an incoming class of rookies that are primarily athletes. It is a unique issue. This will be a challenge regarding how we keep them involved but maintain consistent expectations regarding attendance and rules of involvement. 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 04/04/2025We now gear up for State Assessment for jazz bands. Our lineup will be either Red Zone or Honeysuckle Rose (swing), POVO or Absolute Zero (fusion), and either Spain or Tiger of San Pedro (Latin). That is about two weeks away. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 04/04/2025Our state festival performance went well. Songs from the Catskills had significant issues, in my opinion. Molly on the Shore went really well. Washington Post March was fine. I actually opted to end with the march. Sight reading was much better than I anticipated. It was a good day. How was yours? 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 01/02/2025Directors waiting on those all state results…refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh. 010
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 27/01/2025One time I was doing an instrument demonstration for elementary kids and one raised her hand to tell me her brother got a cat. 020
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 26/01/2025Man, I can’t keep drum instructors! They are either recent graduates who get a job pretty quickly, students who take one year off from marching at the university, etc. I had to hire a student straight out of high school last year and he just made Crown. Proud for him, but I need some consistency 😩. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 25/01/2025Do you all allow students to choose marching band, jazz band, or concert band without having to participate in any of the others? If so, could you give the size of your program and how it has worked for you? 210
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 25/01/2025How do you all address stage anxiety with your students? Some of these students work so hard only to lose control in performance and it is so sad to see. 120
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 25/01/2025Do you all allow former students to come back and help your band? I’ve been skeptical of this in the past but willing to reconsider. 300
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 25/01/2025Small school life is crazy. A few years ago we did English Folk Suite w/ a 10th grade clarinet & two 9th graders. Last year Variations on a Korean Folk Song w/ a 9th grade flute & two 8th graders. This year Songs from Catskills w/ 8th grade bones. Next year four 8th grade trumpets. So hard. 230
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 25/01/2025We are two weeks into learning Molly on the Shore. The goal is half note = 88. We are at 78. I know we will take it slower than many groups but I think it will be safer, especially with so few of us in the group. Progress with Songs from the Catskills is slow. Much of it is very fast. 120
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 24/01/2025Current jazz set includes 3 swing charts, 2 Latin, 2 fusion, and numerous old charts of various styles. Those above are those we learned this year. I allowed seven saxophones this year because the two vets had AP classes during the class time. We only have three trombones. Bass guitarist is new. 010
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 24/01/2025Our jazz band is very young. We passed out their first 2 measure ii/V7 today. Up until now it has been the various one bar licks from the Jazz Lictionary (Buddha, Oodla Oodla, b3 lick, etc). Listening to Count Basie. Working on a new fusion piece. 120
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 22/01/2025Back today after days of weather issues. Hopefully everyone has practiced. SMPA is around the corner. So glad I didn’t sign up to attend our state conference. That would only give us one day this week together. We also begin SMPA sectionals this week. I love this time of year. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 13/01/2025Am I the only one that didn’t know that Washington Post March was actually written to be a two step dance? youtu.be/FrqAVlpsQtU?...youtu.be008 Late Nineteenth Century Washington Post Two StepYouTube video by 勝手にダンス事典 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 09/01/2025Our kids are wanting to forego playing Shenandoah and play Molly on the Shore instead. This is going to be interesting. We are a very small group and have to make sure everyone is on point. Only 4 clarinets in the entire section. 230
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 08/01/2025I have four clarinet players in my intermediate woodwind class. All four are moving! 210
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 07/01/2025Taught the jazz class the bebop and diminished scales today. Introduced Honeysuckle Rose. Aebersold mentions Brecker in relation so we listened to their music. They loved it. 010
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 19/12/2024It is crazy how much ChatGPT helps a band director. 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 18/12/2024Finding a good and inexpensive cart for a harmony keyboard has not been easy. The official one is like $2,500. 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 18/12/2024Is it really only Tuesday? 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 17/12/2024ChatGPT is actually very helpful with suggestions for marching show themes. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 15/12/2024Next semester I will have more of a focus on ii/Vs, have them write their own 12 bar blues head, and require them to turn in resources for transcriptions (websites, apps) or maybe even require them to print a certain amount out. Next year I will include purchasing a Real Book in the syllabi. 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 15/12/2024Okay, I have to get next year’s marching show decided this week. That is a challenge during exam week. The students love to sit and talk.media.tenor.coma picture of a donkey with the words can i stay wit you on itALT: a picture of a donkey with the words can i stay wit you on it 020
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 15/12/2024@raymondmumme.bsky.social MD Anderson means the world to me. I was a patient there for about a year in 2010-11 (Leiomyosarcoma). I am currently NED and just come out periodically for scans. Thank you for your service. 150
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 15/12/2024This is what we do for our composition contest. 020
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 14/12/2024I want this keyboard cart so badly. Most people admire shows and uniforms at contests while I am over here coveting band’s casters, carts, and props. 230
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 14/12/2024I waited too late to replace my senior oboist. We are bringing in a double reed teacher & hand picking a few bright, interested, & disciplined students to try it out. We’ll then decide who it is & switch them over. I also need to get some talented students that will definitely stay on tuba soon. 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 14/12/2024I may have to take some days off next week just to get some things done. Choosing music requires so much concentration. It is impossible to get things done at school. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 13/12/2024We get out for Christmas break on Friday the 20th. It feels late. I would rather have most of the off time before Christmas than after New Year. That time of the year is kind of depressing. I may have to take some of my days. Kind of getting a scratchy throat. 😉 110
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 13/12/2024The day after exemption forms are given but before exams is the worst. Why do we do this?! It is utter chaos on campus. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 11/12/2024I have never seen so many students breaking down mentally & emotionally. Kids in rehearsals are crying & having significant issues with one another. I am going to really ease back in class. Everyone needs a break. I think it’s time for hot chocolate & a documentary. 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 11/12/2024We do a pass-off system to determine chair placement and band placement. This is from the Rubank series (Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced 1 & 2). We keep up progress in sheets, which is tied to slides. This is constantly scrolling at the front of the room (and updates immediately). 100
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 11/12/2024I do not study my jazz scores like I do concert scores. This will be a new year goal, in addition to learning more about rhythm section (piano voicing, drum set and bass guitar patterns), learning auxiliary percussion Latin techniques, and double reeds. 030
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 11/12/2024A few more of my favorite podcasts. 110
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Our Concert Band is working on “Escape From the Deep” by Brian Balmages. It will be for SMPA. Good music. The Symphonic Band sight read Toccata for Band by Frank Erickson. We also gave Molly On the Shore another try. It is tough. 000
World’s Okayist Band Director @thebanddirector.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Many schools are almost too strict about students leaving the room. One school in which I work I never see students drink water. I saw one student who wasn’t allowed to go to the bathroom just projectile vomit. He kept asking but they didn’t trust him (he stays in trouble). There has to be balance. 000
