Advice for a Director Taking Over a Band Program

In our recent survey, we asked Band Directors Talk Shop readers to share “What advice do you have for a director taking over a program?”  With many responses to the survey, we came up with this list of your answers. Thanks so much to all of our readers who took time to fill out the survey. Keep an eye out for more Readers’ Collaborative Posts in the future.

Making Changes

• Be patient, you can’t change everything the first year!  
• Understand why things are done a certain way before you change them.
• Be patient. Quality change takes time and care.
• Be yourself and don’t change too much immediately. Get to know where your program has been so you know where you want it to go. 
• It takes years for the program to become yours. Be patient.
• Gather as much info as possible before sifting through what to keep and what to let go.
• Start your own traditions while recognizing that some old traditions may need some transition time.
• Don’t be afraid to imprint yourself on your program right away, but also don’t change everything overnight. 
• Make it your own. There’ll be some bumps along the way, but stay the course. 
• It’s okay to do all your own things and none of the previous director’s things. It’s your program now. And it’s okay to make it your own. 
• Be curious to how it used to be, but don’t feel you have to be stuck there. It’s your program now. 
• The first year might have to be a bridging year but be patient. 
• Some things can change with a new director. Being aware of old traditions/practices can be good, but don’t be afraid to change it up and try new things, or get rid of old bad habits. 
• Learn what has already been done there. Slowly adapt your “new” ways to the current situation. 
• Have procedures. Teach them explicitly, sometimes with humor. And reteach as needed. 
• Change slowly, don’t try to do everything at once.
• Take that first year to observe, learn, and build relationships. 
• Make the program your own without changing too many things. Everyone resists change. So if you can use what’s already there but tweak it to make it your own, everyone is happy.. 
• Take it slow, but have thick skin; there’s no way to take over a program without upsetting some people, and it’s going to take a few years for it to become “yours.”
• Make slow changes.  
• NEVER talk badly about the previous director. 
• Go in with a clear idea of what your non-negotiables are. If possible, change nothing in the first year except that which must be changed. If there is no structure, accountability, or standards in place, then you may have to establish those from the outset. 
• Don’t change too much, too fast. Figure out where they’re at first and meet them there. It takes time to mold it into the program you want it to be.
• Assure the students that it is THEIR program too. Ask them about prior traditions they would like to continue during your tenure.
• Listen to everybody and everything. Make small changes that have big impacts rather than big changes all at once.

Focus on the Students

• Get to know the students, their traditions, their dreams.  Build trust and mutual respect before adding, removing, or changing anything.  
• Seek to develop (well-structured) Student Leadership plans, and monitor your efforts carefully.
• Transitions are hard for everyone. Be open to conversation with students about what makes it hard for them, while also being firm in knowing who you are as a band director. 
• Buy pizza and talk shop with the older members of your groups.
• Be seen in your community. Get to know the parents as well as the kids and be yourself. 
• Love your kids and be honest; they will see the truth from miles away.
• Lean into your upperclassmen /older students to help with the culture of the program 
• Don’t be offended if students “don’t like you” because you’re different. Kids are resilient and bounce back stronger, especially if you really care.
• Invest in the younger students as they will be the ones building ‘your’ program in the years to come 
• Focus on providing the experience that the students and parents want and expect.
• Make the band about the kids and what you are going to do now that you are there and ask for their support and their energy.
• Building relationships is so, so very important. Just a simple conversation at the door with kids, or showing up to their extracurricular events and letting them know the next day how great they did, goes a long way!
• Make it your own. Give kids reasons why it might be different and don’t take it personally if they miss their old director

Building Community/Staff Relationships

• Do not be afraid to talk to the former director if they offer. 
• Spend time in your community outside of the school.
• Become best friends with the school secretary. They will make your life significantly easier!
• As much as you may want the previous director to come in, don’t. Let them take time away from the program and allow you to start owing that program. If the kids keep seeing their former teacher, you will have a harder time taking ownership with the kids.
• Lean on your colleagues, they will often have really valuable perspectives. Also, the custodian and secretaries are super helpful, be nice to them.
• Get to know as much as you possibly can about the school, the district, and your feeder programs. 
• Take your time. Listen to the students, families, and community
• Become friends with the custodians.
• Get to know the administration as well as the students.
• Talk to the students, the parents, the other teachers, the administration…  What worked with the previous director?  What didn’t?  Learn about the program and the history.
• Get to know your school secretary, bookkeeper, and custodian. One knows everything about the school and community, one knows all about the money, and the last is the most important person.
• Talk to colleagues and staff about traditions in the district so you don’t change too much all at once.

Mindset

• Don’t spend too much time comparing yourself to the previous director.  
• Steal ideas, but remember there are 101 ways to be a successful teacher and you have to teach the way that fits your style.
• Don’t be afraid to make it your own! There may be some traditions or aspects that your admin expects you to keep, but work in your own ideas too.
• You can be the best, juiciest peach in the world and there are always going to be people who simply don’t like peaches. Just because it’s different doesn’t make it bad or substandard.
• Make connections and build trust as soon as possible and do everything reasonable to not break it
• Set your boundaries, but be flexible to work with previous traditions of the program.
• Be patient.
• Focus on fundamentals always. 
• See what worked with the program and make progress at a pace that doesn’t alienate what the students did before you got there. 
• Be open minded, and listen as much as you can.
• Make peace with yourself that not everything is going to be perfect and it will take time to really feel like the program reflects you. 
• Be consistent and be professional.
• Know that there will be growing pains during the transition but stay the course!
• Be yourself.
• Give the prior director the benefit of the doubt and grace – you never know what they went through and what led to their decision to leave. 
• Definitely don’t speak poorly of the old director in front of the kids, parents, school, etc. – you’re just asking for trouble. 
• Your attitude will determine your outcome. Be positive in your circumstance. The band is watching, and when you stay positive you will do amazing things
• Be patient, be consistent and show great love.
• Give the previous director grace. You know how demanding the job is. Only so much can get done before someone leaves! 
• Always speak of other directors in positive, affirmative terms. We as music teachers should support each other. 
• Ask every question you can think of, find a mentor at your new school.
• Be ok with things not working on the first try. You are not the former director and you don’t need to imitate them. 
• Be yourself. Kids buy into you, not the program.

Teaching/Leadership

• Discover everything you can (professionally) about your current colleagues, those who came before you, the school in general (esp. at your campus), your own role in the whole department (esp. how to best maximize your successful workings with your feeder colleagues, and those to whom you’ll send your students). 
• See if there are any local colloquial teaching methods that might cause a conflict with your own strategies
• Look at scoresheets and programs from previous years. 
• Don’t miss deadlines. 
• The students don’t rise to the occasion, they fall to their training, so train them well.
• Follow through. 
• Make every day a preparation for tomorrow. 
• Choose good music and the kids will respond. 
• Create a full-year calendar that attempts to avoid major conflicts. 
• Get a perfectly-justified inventory before day 1, and note discrepancies with administrators (you can avoid being blamed for a missing instrument). 
• Be organized.

Related Reading:
Motivation For Your and Your Students (Collaborative Post)
Culture Building: Creating an Atmosphere of Excellence
Favorite Quotes About Practice

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