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Joined again by Tim Jones, the crew talks about tech and electronics. The conversation discusses what equipment we really need, what to look at for budgets, and helps refocus on what is a must. 

This episode moves from outside to inside. What considerations and equipment do we need to address in the rehearsal room?

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Joined again by Tim Jones, the crew talks about tech and electronics. The conversation discusses what equipment we really need, what to look at for budgets, and helps refocus on what is a must. 

Send us a text

Joined again by Tim Jones, the crew talks about tech and electronics. The conversation discusses what equipment we really need, what to look at for budgets, and helps refocus on what is a must. 

The first part of the conversation will help you think through what you think you need vs. what you really need.

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Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a simple thank you from Mike and Derrick. Thankful for the journey of music in our lives and for those who helped shape us along that path. Have a blessed day!

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Whether we realize it or not, the words we choose in our classrooms matter! And our actions speak louder than our words! Excited to have guest Jett Lowrance with us on the podcast again for this episode.

What great insight from Jett has he discusses an intentional shift in our teaching from "This is what I need!" to "What do my students need from me so they can be successful?" Recognizing that our students will engage and become successful musicians when we intentionally give them genuine encouragement and create opportunities for them to be successful!

Jett also shares some great strategies to help when our students are having a tough time being amazing... it happens.

As always, fantastic conversation with Jett Lowrance on Ask Mike!

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We all have moments of reflection. Moments when we take an assessment of where we are and where we'd like to be. Take it from a couple of olds... this doesn't go away with age! In this episode, Mike and Derrick take a lighter view of some ways to move forward with positive results. The inspiration for this conversation was comedian Tim Minchen's graduation address several years ago at a university in Australia. Take a few moments to drink your favorite refreshment and breathe easier as we discuss 9 Life Lessons.

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The concert march, it could be such a fantastic addition to your program. Unfortunately, the correct march style has been either ignored or not passed down long enough that it seems like the perfect time for Mike to answer the quiet question out loud, “What do I do with this march?”

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Daniel Coyle is the author of, among others, The Culture Code, a best selling book looking at tools to build culture in groups. In this episode of Ask Mike, Mike pulls out some key thoughts that should resonate with music educators as they work through the process of discovering what a great culture is, and work to build or repair it in their programs.

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In Texas, UIL Competitions and Evaluations are an annual part of our calendar and curriculum. It’s just part of what our music educators do in Texas. From the big picture overview, it should be straight forward and used as a tool to measure the progress of our students and programs. But as an educator responsible for those students and programs, we are often more emotionally invested than that. Should we be? Do these ratings define who we are?

Let’s ask Mike how to detach and use the rating system in the most positive way for both ourselves and our programs!