It's Not What You Do. It's What You Do Next.

Back in October, my Orchestra at NCSSM was scheduled to perform Haydn's Symphony 104 (London) in our first official concert of the 2025-2026 academic year. Preparations for this concert had been really smooth. The strings had embraced the challenge of the classical style and technical roadblocks. The wind section had been diligent in matching the style of the string section throughout rehearsals. I was excited to perform this Symphony as part of an open house at our school where we would be in front of a large group of prospective students. 

We had a 2-hour rehearsal on Tuesday of the week before the performance. We would also have 2 hours on Thursday night. Then, we would give the concert Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. In those rehearsals, we had wind section for only 30 to 45 minutes. Our Tuesday rehearsal started off great. We rehearsed the two string pieces that we  used as an opener and closer with the Symphony sandwiched between. We opened with Acadian Solstice by my friend Perry Holbrook. Then, as a sort of encore, we will performed Tchaikovsky's February: Carnival arranged by Steven Brook 

The review of the string pieces went great at the beginning of rehearsal and then we began our run through of the Symphony; first with strings, and then with the wind section later in rehearsal. As we began running the Symphony, it was apparent to me that our two biggest hurdles moving into the concert would be maintaining a steady tempo and continuing to focus on bow placement, particularly on the moving eighth note passages. As always, students must focus on moving towards the lower half of the bow at all times when performing Haydn, Mozart, and their contemporaries. I have always believed that if the bow placement is accurate and uniform, the style really speaks. This had been a major topic of conversation and rehearsal focus over the past 8 weeks or so. 

Working with the strings alone went well enough, with a few reminders here and there. The winds arrived just about the time we were ready to start the fourth movement. So, I thought it would be appropriate to begin with that movement and then go back to the beginning and run as much of the piece we could in the remaining time of rehearsal. 

After some work, a couple of odd things happened that threw me off my game. First, by the end of an evening rehearsal from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., my students always start to lose their concentration a bit towards the end. So, that is a given and I must admit that I was getting tired as well. Then a couple of little things happened. One student pulled out their phone to glance at it and I lightly reprimanded him.

Not a big deal.  

A couple of other students were talking during an important set of instructions and I needed to say a word to them.  

Again, not really a big issue. 

Then, a violinist told me they were not feeling well and needed to leave rehearsal. 

"Okay, go take care of yourself." 

Next another leader in the class broke an E string. Okay I can deal with this. 

I try to keep going. All of this is while I'm still conducting. Next, a student moved seats in the middle of a movement and I was very caught off guard and asked them to move back to their own seat. I am sure that my tone of voice was somewhat harsh. But, I really had no idea what was going on. And, at this point, I was just trying to get to the end of rehearsal. 

There were so many moving parts in a very compressed amount of time. We finished the movement, I said a few words of encouragement at the end of class, dismissed the students, and was ready to move on. 

Immediately after class there were easily 8 to 10 students who needed to see me about individual concerns or questions. I dealt with each of them and was ready to start packing up my stuff for the night. This point it became apparent to me that that student who had switched chairs was very upset. I had unwittingly struck a nerve with my admonition for moving seats. I felt horrible and immediately apologized for upsetting them. They told me that they were simply moving to help the person in front of them turn pages since they had lost their stand partner and he had lost a stand partner as well in the midst of the sickness and broken E string. They were trying to do the right thing in the situation.  Of course, I did not know that while we were playing the piece and I was certainly not expecting players to move from seat to seat at that moment. 

Obviously I apologized for my somewhat harsh reaction and tried to make things right with the student. But, I was still thinking about it the following morning. Which brings me to my thought this morning:

Sometimes we just know that we could have done things better. 

I know that I could have done things better that night. The next day was a little bit rough because it was really on my mind. I am thinking quite a bit about the quote from Charles Swindoll that basically says life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. That night, my reaction in the last 20 minutes of rehearsal probably should have been quite different. But, it was concert week and whether I want to admit it or not, I had some anxieties about the performance. I always want our performances to go well, more for the students than for me. But, I am sure there's some ego involved as well. I really wish I could have the last 20 or 30 minutes of rehearsal that night back and do it over. 

I have strong recollections of an orchestra I was part of back in the 1980s. I am certain that the conductor of that orchestra got flustered on many occasions for reasons that probably were overblown in his own mind. But that feeling that we are losing control from the podium is so palpable. 

I wonder if any of you have experienced that before. It doesn't happen to me very often after 40 years in the profession. But it certainly did that night. So many things happened in a very short period of time that I just snapped. 

I'm reminded of another important phrase that sticks in my head. My youngest son played a lot of baseball from Little League all the way through college. He had a travel ball coach that used to always remind the players that it's not what you do it's what you do next. And that's how I felt the day after the rehearsal. I can't get that rehearsal back. So all I have is what is next. That is, how I approached rehearsal the following night. Did I approach it with the joy and lightness that I usually try to promote in my rehearsals? Or, did I approach it with a sense of anxiety and stress. Certainly, the plan was the former. Obviously, it was my responsibility to say a word about it at the beginning of rehearsal and then move us right into the mindset that I want to have very quickly on Thursday.

In the end, the Thursday rehearsal came and went in the best fashion.  It was light, musical, and full of smiles and anticipation of the upcoming concert.  The Saturday performance was a huge success and everyone walked away with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction of a job well done. The audience was standing room only and the ovation following the performance was raucous. 

In the end, this was a good reminder that I can always still grow and be reflective.  If this has ever happened to you, do not despair.  

And, always remember, "Its not what you do. It's what you do next."

Peace.

University of Michigan String Educators Workshop June 26-28, 2025

I am thrilled to be joining the faculty of the University of Michigan String Teachers Workshop again this summer.  This year, my responsibilities will include teaching the beginning and intermediate violin and viola pedagogy classes along with some general sessions.  My general session topics include my sessions on Computational Thinking, the Habit Loop, and Finding and Maintaining Fulfillment in your career in string education.  

The University of Michigan String Educators Workshop, led by Dr. Michael Hopkins, is designed to meet the needs of the variety of educators who are responsible for teaching strings.  The workshop contains two tracks in the morning to address participants’ varied experience with teaching strings. Participants come together in the afternoon for special topics sessions and to explore new music for strings.

The Experienced Track is for string principals and experienced orchestra teachers who want to continue to develop their secondary instrument, rehearsal and conducting skills, and expand their knowledge of string repertoire and pedagogy.  The String Immersion (SI) Track is for those with a band or choral background and others with little background in strings that find themselves assigned to teach orchestra. 

This year the teaching faculty includes:

Michael Hopkins

Chair of Music Education and Professor of Music, University of Michigan

Workshop Teaching Focuses: Double Bass, String Pedagogy, Repertoire, Program Development

Kristen Pellegrino

Professor of Music Education, University of Texas at San Antonio

Workshop Teaching Focuses: String Immersion Class for Band & Choir Directors, Teaching Artistry

Scott Laird

Fine Arts Chair / Instructor of Music, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

Workshop Teaching Focuses: Violin, Eclectic Styles, Rehearsal Techniques

Andrea Yun

Cellist, Detroit Opera / Teacher Trainer, Suzuki Association of the Americas

Workshop Teaching Focuses: Cello Technique & Curriculum, String Pedagogy, Teaching & Communication Strategies

Remembering Jim Kjelland

I am realizing that I have written several in-memoriam posts on my blog over the past couple of years. I guess this is the reality of a teaching career that spans almost 40 years. The people who influence us so strongly can't be there forever. But, we can hold their memory and their influence close to our hearts. In my case, I find a great deal of solace in being able to articulate my thoughts through this blog format. It provides some sort of true closure for me and a way to say thanks that is somehow ongoing.

I was saddened to learn recently that Jim Kjelland, a dear friend and mentor, had passed away. Jim had a pivotal role in my early teaching career and in my way of thinking about pedagogy. I have always counted him among the strongest influences on my trajectory as a string educator. 

Some of you will recognize Jim's name as one of the co-authors of Strictly Strings, the string method series he co-authored with Jacquelyn Dillon and John O'Reilly. First published in 1992, the Strictly Strings series enjoyed a great deal of success when it was published and continues to be used today by programs across the United States.

For me, Jim was much more than a noted pedagogue and author. He was truly a friend, mentor, and advisor. I first met Jim in 1988 when I attended a summer string pedagogy workshop at Central Connecticut State University. This two-week intensive workshop was co-taught by Jim, Marvin Rabin, and Dorothy Straub. 

Prior to attending that workshop, I was very familiar with Marvin Rabin and Dorothy Straub’s reputations and work. Marvin Rabin had conducted several honor orchestras that I was familiar with over the years. I had read his articles and seen his photo in ASTA and MENC publications. I honestly can't swear that he hadn't conducted me at some point in my high school career. He also co-taught, along with Red Mcleod, a wonderful workshop in the fall of 1986, that focused on strolling strings. I attended that workshop with my student teaching mentor, Walter Straiton, and learned so much in a very short period of time. Dorothy had been the host of the All Eastern Division MENC (now NAfME) Orchestra in Boston, in which I participated as a high school senior in 1983. Incidentally, William LaRue Jones was the conductor of that orchestra and he continues to be a dear friend and mentor to this day. I remember how impressed I was with her throughout that event. She was so good at public speaking and so organized. I remember thinking that it was the most organized event I had ever attended. Over the years, she served as President of both MENC and ASTA. I was so excited to work with each of them through this workshop and was quite curious about what Jim Kjelland would bring to the table working along side these pillars of string education.

Throughout the course of the workshop, we had sessions with each of these instructors. I have written before about Marvin Rabin’s teaching of the Bornoff Finger Pattern concept and cyclic exercises. Dorothy was much more the traditionalist. She walked us through various method books (String Builder and others) and pedagogical string repertoire. I remember playing Percy Fletcher's Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance for the first time at that workshop. It became an instant staple of my conducting repertoire. I think of her every time I conduct that piece. She essentially provided the overview of string education in the public schools up to that point. 

Jim approached his teaching from a completely different perspective. I remember very early in the workshop, Jim speaking about the “gestalt approach” of string pedagogy. The idea is that the sum of string technique and skills is greater than its parts. I vividly remember him saying the most important lesson any student ever has is their first lesson and that each lesson builds on all that has been taught previously. I remember a diagram of a brick wall drawn on the chalkboard. Each of the bricks was a different technical skill: left hand setup, bow hold, bow arm, intonation, rhythmic development, dynamics, and the list goes on. As bricks were added to the diagram, higher in the wall one might find concepts such as vibrato, musicality, phrasing, tonal nuance, tone, and others. Jim also taught sessions on orchestral bowings. Many of the ideas presented at the workshop went on to become part of his well-known book on orchestral bowings published in 2003. 

In addition to the classes he taught, Jim was always available for a conversation. Jim and I spent many evenings at that workshop talking until the wee hours of the night. Everybody else would fade out around 10:00 or 11:00 PM, and he and I would continue the conversation well past midnight. Jim and I really hit it off. I loved picking his brain and he seemed to really enjoy offering the benefit of his experience to me as a young teacher who was just sopping up knowledge as fast as I could. I will remember one particular conversation about teaching vibrato. This conversation has stayed with me my entire career. To set up this conversation, you need to know that Jim was originally a trombone player. He picked up strings later in life and had to learn all of the fundamental and advanced string techniques as an adult student. This, Jim believed, was a great advantage to him as a string educator. He remembered the struggle and was able to really decompose these difficult techniques into smaller more manageable parts. Jim knew that I was a pretty good violinist and was coming at string education from a different perspective than he. I had been playing the violin for as long as I could remember and in all honesty many advanced techniques came quite easily to me. In our conversation, I remember mentioning that I was able to do vibrato almost immediately when it was introduced to me by my teacher. It just seemed very natural and it didn't take a lot of work for me to develop a very nice left hand vibrato. Jim cautioned me that this could be a disadvantage as a string teacher. He encouraged me to really think about how I could break every advanced technique into smaller more manageable parts so that I could articulate these techniques to my students. He told me that I had a real uphill climb since things had come relatively easily to me as a student. I really took that advice to heart. I have probably thought about that conversation a thousand times over the years. That late night conversation has probably influenced me as a teacher and pedagogue more than almost any other conversation I have ever had. I owe Jim a great deal of gratitude for keeping it real with me in those early years of my career. Those late night hangs were really pivotal for me. They also were a great example of the fact that relationships are what really matter in the teaching profession. Jim took time for me. He listened to me and offered his advice freely. He made me feel like my ideas were important. 

Jim and I remained friends over the years. We would frequently take time to have a conversation or a cup of coffee at whichever conference we landed at at the same time. 

Many years later, when I was serving as president of the North Carolina Music Education Association Orchestra chair, I invited Jim to conduct the NCMEA Honors Orchestra in the fall of 2005. We had so much fun that weekend, sharing many meals, car rides, and late night conversations just like the old times. I was so happy to introduce the teachers and students of North Carolina to Jim's unique approach to conducting and music education. He was a huge hit!

I ran into Jim at a Midwest clinic a few years later, and I think that's the last time I saw him in person. I was so pleased in recent years to know that my friend Jen Bassett also had a close personal relationship with Jim. We sent him a selfie and I think he was truly pleased to see that we had become friends.

Jim had an incredible amount of influence on the string education profession in his lifetime. He was a thoughtful pedagogue, a committed teacher mentor, and an unwavering friend. I will really miss him and will continue to think of him often in so many ways. Thank you, Jim, for all you did for me.

Piano Tech Radio Hour

I was honored to spend some time today as a guest on the Podcast, "Piano Tech Radio Hour."  We had a great conversation about NCSSM, STEM Education and the Arts, Computational Thinking, and other topics. Thanks to all at Piano Tech Masterclass for the invitation. I hope you enjoy this!

What has been happening lately?

Hi folks. I'm sitting down to write this as we approach fall break and winter concerts at NCSSM in the fall of 2024. I was glancing at my back posts this morning and realized it's been a little while since I have updated my blog. The fact is, it's been a busy several months and my writing is taking a little bit of a back seat. With that said, it's not for lack of activities or ideas. There has been a ton going on!

Many of you know that a few years ago I took on a new role as Chair of Fine Arts at the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Shortly after I began in that role, we opened our new campus in Morganton, NC.  If you'd like to know more about the beginning of that campus, you can find some of my earlier posts. Since that time, we have welcomed three classes of students to Morganton (2024, 2025, 2026), hired an amazing Arts faculty, established our NCSSM Morganton Arts program and course offerings, and have really begun to get things going on many levels there. My work at NCSSM Durham continues at both the administrative and teaching levels. The orchestra continues to be the highlight of my teaching at NCSSM. We are currently preparing for a performance of selections from Handel’s Messiah in conjuction with our school’s Chorale in December. I recently took six of my top string students to the North Carolina All State Honors Orchestra in Winston-Salem. I am looking forward to featuring my sister, Julianne Laird, coloratura, to perform with our Orchestra in March 2025.

Some other highlights of the past year include conducting the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra in February 2024 and the Pennsylvania All State Orchestra in April 2025. Both of these guests conducting appearances were true highlights for me and the students and teachers, as usual, were amazing to work with. I also had the opportunity to present at the Ohio State String Teachers Workshop in the summer of 2024. I gave presentations on computational thinking and the string classroom as well as the Habit Loop and applications to rehearsals. this too, was a wonderful event and I was honored to be part of it. I spoke at the 2024 ASTA conference in Louisville on Career Fulfillment and the 2024 ASTA Summer Virtual Strings Workshop on Tuning for String Ensembles.  I will be speaking at the PMEA Conference in the Poconos in the spring of 2025 and conducting a regional event in Hawaii and the West Virginia All State Orchestra in 2026. I am also looking forward to serving on the faculty of the University of Michigan Summer Teachers Workshop in June 2025.

On the family front, we have a bunch going on. Two of my sons are getting married in 2025 and my youngest son will graduate from UNC this spring. Exciting stuff! My wife’s Kindermusik business is thriving and she is busier than ever.

My professional thought-life revolves around arts education in a STEM environment, facilitating faculty success and professional advancement, community engagement, and representing NCSSM with distinction. 

I continue to find great joy and excitement in my work with D’Addario, CodaBow, and NS Design.  These three great companies have had such a profound impact on my life and career.  I have been working lately on some new material for D’Addario which I hope will roll out in the spring of 2025, at just about the time of the ASTA conference.

So, that is a brief update.  Please continue to return for my musicings as they appear!

Computational Thinking and the Arts in a STEM Environment

I am looking forward to co-presenting Computational Thinking and the Arts in a STEM Environment with my colleague, Computational Science Instructor Bob Gotwals this week at the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools Professional Conference in Phoenix. Bob and I have enjoyed a great deal of dialogue on this topic over the past couple of years and first presented this session at the American String Teachers Association Conference in the spring of 2023. The talk at ASTA garnered a great deal of attention and enthusiasm from string educators of all levels. Additionally, I spent some time covering the topic with the Fine Arts instructors from NCSSM at our retreat at the opening of the school year. Again, there was great enthusiasm about the model and the possibilities contained therein. We are looking forward to presenting these ideas to colleagues from STEM institutions from around the country. We hope to see you at the session on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.

Core Philosophies II

At the recent Midwest Clinic in Chicago, December 2022, I had the opportunity to say a few words as part of a panel discussion on rehearsal philosophies in the orchestra classroom. As part of that brief talk, I mentioned that there are a number of core philosophies that I employ in my daily life and with my family and work. So, this is the second in a series of posts which outline some of those philosophies and give a little bit of background. I hope something here speaks to you.

First, I would just briefly say that these philosophies serve as guideposts in my life and leadership. They give me a solid foundation to use as I plan my strategies for navigating family life, work, relationships, personal ethics and integrity, and other elements of my daily life. Also, they provide a solid foundation for moments that are trying and difficult. It is so easy to waiver in difficult times. Having clearly articulated core philosophies is a great way to mitigate snap decisions that are regretted later. They are effectively a set of glasses through which to view the world. They make things just a little bit more in focus. When core philosophies are neglected, things can feel disorienting and uncomfortable. So, these are some of my guideposts.

Find a Way to Say Yes

Several years ago, I sensed that I was losing some of the joy that I had found in my work in prior years. I began seeking some answers for this changed perspective. I read a lot of books and sought the advice and perspective of many trusted friends. After a great deal of thought and consideration, I realized that I was encountering the many requests and tugs on my time with a negative attitude and approach. I had fallen into the pattern of starting by looking for reasons to say no as opposed to seeking reasons to say yes. I knew at my core that this was a dead end road. It felt like the beginning of what other people call burnout. I knew that this was not something I wanted to experience in any way at all. So, that summer, I decided to adopt a stated philosophy of doing my best to find a way to say yes to every request that came my way. Sometimes it's easy to say yes. We quickly see the value and purpose behind the requests that people make of our time and energy. Other times, it isn't so easy. In those times, it is appropriate to take a few minutes or hours or days to think about how an answer of yes might be achieved where everybody is fulfilled by the investment of time and energy. This might require an alternate recommendation or another way of approaching the problem. But in the end, it feels so much better when I start with an attitude of yes and find ways to honor those requests on my time.

Servant Leadership

This concept should certainly be self-explanatory. It is obviously easier said than done. I am fortunate that the example my parents set for me throughout my childhood was one of servant leadership. I watched my dad navigate the role of superintendent of schools for over 25 years as a true servant leader. I watched my mom navigate her role as teacher and parent with that same ethos. The concept of servant leadership has always made sense to me. Much of my religious education stemmed around the concept of servant leadership as well. I have always admired leaders who roll up their sleeves, get in the mix, and lead from within. I have aspired to that type of leadership since the day I started as a teacher. Like many of these philosophies, it is impossible to always succeed at this. But, as each day begins, my goal is to live the life of a servant leader.

Know the Taxonomy

Those of you that have spent time reading my blog know that I have thought a lot about taxonomies. A taxonomy is a hierarchical system of classification. It is, in some ways, an ordering of priorities. This has become an important way of thinking for me. It finds its way into my lesson planning, my long-term rehearsal planning, my personal goal setting, and also the way I think as a musician and artist. I used to say that I order my life and goals like an outline. I tend to see concepts in outline form as well. What I've realized in recent years, is that this is a nearly constant system of knowing the taxonomy of the topic at hand. When goal A is achieved, we can begin the process of all of the sub goals that lead to achieving goal B and so on. It is so important to keep the hierarchy of priorities in mind in nearly every task of my day. So, whether organizing a rehearsal or the multitude of tasks ahead of me in a given day, knowing the taxonomy is an absolute must for me.