5 Reasons to Keep Performing and Exploring Music
The life of a music director is incredibly demanding. Many directors find balancing their professional responsibilities with maintaining an active performance life challenging, so they choose not to participate. However, other educators feel the opportunity to perform outside the classroom is essential to their identities as musicians and provides a vital outlet for their passion for music. I thought it would be fascinating to connect with other directors who have continued to perform and explore what motivates them to prioritize this activity despite the extra time commitments in their very busy days and nights.
I called on social media groups for band directors to find others willing to share their stories. I asked questions about how long they taught, where they taught, what level, whether they had a family, what instrument they played, and what ensembles they played in regularly. But what I really wanted to know was why and how their continued investment in playing impacted them as educators. Specifically:
- Why was it important for you to continue playing despite the time commitment involved?
- How do you feel playing in the ensemble contributed to your skills in the classroom?
- How did your students view the fact that you actively performed?
The response from these groups was overwhelming! I received a LOT of passionate and insightful answers (many more than I can practically share in this article). I want to say a BIG thank you to all of these folks for taking the time to respond and share their experiences and wisdom with me. Here are five stories representing a cross-section of tenure, ensembles, and viewpoints that I received from across the country.
Reason 1: Increased My Personal Fulfillment
Kristen Tosh-Morelli is in her 27th year in Delaware and has played trumpet in a quintet for 23 of those years. Her response to why she played:
I like playing, and I enjoy the company. It gives me a chance to play in more than 1-2 keys (elementary band LOL), and I get to do music on a more personally, musically fulfilling level. The camaraderie is important as well; there are usually other music educators in the quintet, and we can talk about our programs, our kids, our successes, and our struggles together. It’s socially, spiritually, and professionally sustaining.
Reason 2 - Provided My Students with Lifelong Model
John Stava taught band for 39 years in Central and Southern California. During his career, he played trumpet with the Fresno Symphony, Run-4-Cover (a professional-level rock band), and the Leisure Village Swing Band. On the question about how the students view your playing:
Consistently throughout my career, my students heard and enjoyed my musical performances, many talking about how it made them feel that not only could I tell the story, but I actually performed publicly. Many of my former students are still performing as adults and trace their inspiration to continue performing to the model that I gave them.
Reason 3 - Enhanced My Problem Solving
Hadley Haux is a retired band director from St. Louis who played in multiple community bands and brass bands during his thirty years of teaching. Currently, he plays trombone or baritone in the North County Community Big Band (1995-present), the St. Louis Brass Band (2005-present), the Northwinds Concert Band (2010-present), and the Wurst Bavarian Band. His answer to how it helped him in the classroom:
This seems self-evident to me. Continuing to play not only made me a better musician, the act of solving real-world musical practice and pedagogy problems better equipped me to assist my students in solving similar problems. I never wanted to forget what it was like to be a performing musician.
Reason 4 - Broadened My Musical Mind
Tamara Raatz currently teaches in Center Point ISD (TX), but her career has been in both public school and university settings. Tamara has a graduate degree in Clarinet Performance and is the Principal Clarinetist in the Symphony of the Hills in Kerrville. Her response to a question about what else you think would be helpful about this topic:
Never stop challenging your musicianship. Working with other musicians and conductors broadens our understanding and musical language. New ideas and challenges keep the musical mind growing, enhancing our role in the classroom.
Reason 5 - Because I Am A Musician
Rick Lambrecht retired from Coronado HS in El Paso, TX in 2004 after 37 years as a band director. He is retiring from the El Paso Symphony in May 2025 after 60 years as a member of that orchestra: 58 as Principal Horn! In addition to his public school duties and the symphony, he also took on the role of Professor of Horn at the University of Texas–El Paso in 1996, a position he will also be leaving at the end of this academic year. I had the privilege of interviewing him on the phone and here is some of what he said.
I’m a horn player! I could not see myself ever not playing horn. I think a band can only be as good as the band director, and the musical skill of the director determines where the ceiling is for the group. Playing my instrument kept my musical skills right up front: how we tune, how we interpret articulations and styles, and how we develop our ensemble listening skills. It is so good for your soul, your psyche, and your well-being. I wanted to play because that’s what I had always done. I never thought about how hard it was; I just knew how good it made me feel to play.
I received so many wonderful responses that made it a challenge to choose which ones to share here. As I reviewed each response, one common thread stood out: they all became band directors because of their deep love for playing music and their desire to keep that passion alive.
I am one of those who has continued to play. When I moved to Odessa, TX, in 1988, I auditioned and was fortunate to be selected for the Second Bassoon position in the Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra, and I have been blessed to continue in this position since. There were days I would leave school after sectionals at 6:30 pm, grab dinner at the Whataburger Drive-Thru, and eat in the car on the way to rehearsal. Often, I’d find myself thinking, “This is crazy! I don’t have time for this!” I would arrive at the hall, reluctantly unpack my instrument, dreading the next 2.5 hours of rehearsal after an already long day. But then the music would start…
Whether it is Beethoven, Mozart, or Mahler, the reason I became a band director always comes flooding back when I start playing great literature, reminding me why I cannot give it up. Playing in an ensemble sharpens my listening skills, allows me to learn rehearsal techniques from conductors, and enhances my ability to collaborate with other musicians to create beauty. This was all beneficial when I would get in front of my students in rehearsal. A student once told me, “You know, Mr. Harden, I admire how you don’t just talk to us about the importance of playing our instruments; you show us by playing yours.” If that isn’t reason enough, I don’t know what is!
Unfortunately, not everyone has the same opportunity to engage and sustain participation in outside performances. Some folks may live in more remote areas where live music scenes are limited. Other individuals have family responsibilities that make it harder to balance outside commitments. Regardless, these educators continue enriching their students. For those who may not have the chance to engage with live music regularly as a performer, I encourage them to seek out opportunities to enjoy live symphonic performances whenever possible.
Even though I’m still active in the West Texas Symphony and play in various churches and ensembles, I love traveling to hear live concerts whenever I can. Just this past weekend, I took in a lot of music: I saw Beetlejuice the musical on Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth, then heard the Dallas Symphony perform Enigma Variations that evening at the Meyerson. The next day, I caught the Faure Requiem with the choir and orchestra at First United Methodist Church in Lubbock. Not everyone would be as enthusiastic about all that driving, but I’m so glad I made the trip! Music truly is incredible!
Original article published January 9, 2025 on Band Director's Talk Shop
