For a lot of us, this is where we stop learning music. However, this isn't even the entry level of the music. "What do you mean Ryan? I have the right notes, right rhythms, and the right tempo... what else is there?"

So why are we talking about standards right now? Because we are about to start band camp and this is where we can really set the standards for the entire season. Setting standards early is so very important because it really sets the tone for the entire season. You get to decide what is acceptable now and reinforce it during the most contact hours you will have.

As a student we can decide what our indivdiual standards are. I will be on time to everything. I will be attentive during rehearsal. I will give my best effort all the time. I will encourage the people around me. I will practice 15 minutes everyday. I will play that piece of music I have been working on for 2 year now. I will come to rehearsal prepared so I can be a great example for everyone else.

As we are getting prepped for summer rehearsals and band camp, or maybe we just finished up a "kick off" camp, I want to offer a thought for the new season for everyone.

The story is really about how a carrot, an egg, and coffee beans react to hot water (pressure). When you put a carrot into hot water it becomes soft and mushy. When you put an egg in hot water it hardens and becomes a hard boiled egg. When you put coffee beans in water, they change the water into coffee. The moral of the short story is how does pressure impact us and in turn how do we impact our environment.

Welcome to the other side of snowpocalypse 2026! We got roughly 12-14 inches here in Cincinnati (some areas even more) and are getting ready for snow day number 2 tomorrow. Since temperatures will be below freezing (and the feels like in the negative) the rest of week, we may end up with a few more snow days. While it is important to go play in the snow, build a snowman, drink hot chocolate, doomscroll, and everything this we do now-a-days, it is also important to practice