Habits of a Successful Band Director: Pitfalls and Solutions

by Scott Rush

In Habits of a Successful Band Director, Scott Rush

A how-to book for young teachers A supplement for college methods classes
A common-sense approach to everyday problems band directors face
Sequential models for instruction that are narrow in scope Solutions, in the form of information and probing questions, that allow assessment of a classroom situation
Valuable information in a new format and references to other helpful publications
A contemporary text for all band directors

Some of the topics covered in the ten chapters classroom organization and management, working with parents and colleagues, the importance of the warm-up, rehearsal strategies, selecting high-quality literature, and student leadership.

The appendices provide valuable outlines and reproducible forms such as medical releases and pitch tendency charts.

This is an accessible resource you ll want to turn to again and again!

This book, which quickly became a classic, is newly revised and reissued by GIA.

Genres: Music, Education

179 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2006

Reviews

[Colleen Crayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read for any band director.

[Matt Langlois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty standard guide to teaching band. Not revolutionary, but a great framework for teaching and includes many good resources for logistical areas of the job in its extensive Appendix.

[Brooke Tolbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Scott Rush!

[Elizabeth Parton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good insights into how to lead a classroom! I really enjoyed the narrative format of the book, as well.

[Coralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really thankful that my professor chose this book as one of the two texts for our class. Not only was it an inspiring read, but it was full of ideas to implement in your teaching. I'm still in college, and I'm glad I got my hands on this before I got into the field. I have no idea what I'm doing! I haven't done anything yet. But Rush has and he's very open about teaching those of us who still have a long way to go. The read was simple and clear, easy to navigate and chock full of very useful information, I believe, for both beginners and veterans. Even if some of Rush's templets don't fit you and your group, they give a starting point, something to build on. I liked having someone tell me what they've learned, through experience, works and doesn't work. The ideas presented get your personal creative juices flowing and challenge you to find what does fit your group, and to have fun doing it. This will definitely stay on my shelf for frequent reference.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had this book when I first decided to be a music education major! While not the most in-depth book, it does provide a fantastic overview of the responsibilities of a band director with enough suggestions to get you started. There is a great bibliography in the back of the book for further reading. Great information and, most importantly, inspires me to be the best I can be! Well worth the read.

[Jacob Holster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Rush is prepared for any situation, and does a great job telling me how to be prepared too.