 The life of a high school band teacher can be stressful but at the same time highly rewarding. Working closely with young music students during this important period in their development provides unique challenges and limitless possibilities for growth, by both the student and teacher. Brian Wolfe is a high school band director who has been able to rise to these challenges to produce a highly successful bands program at the University High School in Tucson, Arizona.
Brian took time out of his day to talk to us about both the challenges and successes he has experiences during his time as a band director at UHS.
MW: What inspired you to become a music educator?
BW: My junior high band director got me excited about music and the possibility of teaching. I didn’t know until high school that teaching was really what I wanted to do, and since I enjoyed music so much it just made sense to put the two together.
MW: Did any of your teachers have an effect on your teaching approach?
BW: I think all my teachers have in a way shaped and molded how I now teach. I remember thinking in college that several of my “education class” teachers were not the best at teaching and I learned what not to do. Once I got to grad school the teachers I studied with really influenced me by giving me an insight into how to motivate and reach other people.
MW: As a high school band director you have to conduct several different ensembles each semester. What advice do you have for young teachers who may find themselves in this situation?
BW: I think you have to be extremely well prepared for every ensemble you teach, lesson planning is a time consuming project at first but the more you plan the better your teaching becomes and then of course the quicker you become with lesson planning. My biggest lesson in college was “if you fail to plan, plan to fail”. Even when I find myself in a situation where I feel I may be “teaching on the spot”, without any preparation, I can rely on my musical background to keep me focused on the fundamental aspects of music education.
MW: How has technology, specifically the internet, changed your teaching approach, and where do you see teaching technology headed in the future.
BW: I’m very thankful for the internet, with out it I’d be spending (and wasting) a lot of foot time just tracking down information. With the internet I’m able to Google any topic and have a wide range of information at my fingertips. It’s also great when I have a student that is interested in a topic or musician that I’m not familiar with, we are able to research together right from my desk.
I think the more technology advances the greater connected students will become with the musical world. Students will be able to perform with other groups across the country or world, similar to what the YouTube orchestra recently did with their performance. It’s an exciting time for music and music technology with all the possibilities of connecting everyone quickly.
MW: Do you use method books in your teaching, and if so what are some of the books that you have had the most success with.
BW: I don’t use any method books directly in classes, I take information from several books and piece together what I think works best with the students I have at that specific time. I have used the Standard of Excellence “Jazz Ensemble Method” with my jazz band in the past, however for the last two years the group has exceeded what that book is able to do.
MW: What have been some of the biggest highlights for you as a music teacher?
BW: Performing at Carnegie Hall and the North Texas Jazz Festival were big highlights with my program. My students amaze me daily with what they are able to do and so it’s great to be able to give a hard working student a solo during a performance. I also really enjoy those moments when students just “get it” finally, the light bulb goes off in their head and they suddenly become a performer.
MW: What advice do you have for anyone thinking of pursuing a career as a high school music teacher?
BW: I would like to remind everyone that you only get what you give to a program. A high school music program is a very demanding career that many music education majors don’t see until they are right in the trenches. However, as with anything that is worth its value, hard work and persistence pay off and the joys of teaching music daily make this profession without a doubt the greatest career to choose.
MW: Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to talk with us today.
BW: My pleasure, anytime.
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