Manny Laureano

It sounds like your kids need a boatload of inspiration. A few questions:

Do you have the time in your busy schedule to play recordings or play DVDs once a week or two weeks for your students to hear great players on their instruments?

Do you have enough in your budget to bring in great local players that would be able to play for them maybe once a month?

Do you have enough money to bring in a guest conductor to work with them, giving you a chance to sit back and sit amongst them or just observe what's going on while you're busy tring to teach?

If you don't have enough money, do you have some pros who are friends that would be happy to come in and play for them to help inspire them?

These days, many orchestral players are happy to come in gratis just as a community service to help out band directors. I've done it plenty.

How's your conducting? Are you able to be musician when you conduct or just trying to keep them together and not fall apart?

My experience is that kids aren't lazy but they need to be inspired to perform for us. Every conductor has his/her work cut out in order to accomplish that and every group is unique.

I wish you the best of luck. It's easy to get discouraged but sometimes it just takes a small thing to get the kids to respond.

ML