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.

Core Pholosophies Part 1

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 first 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.

Love Works

This philosophy grows from a number of experiences in my life. I feel like the phrase is probably self-explanatory. With that said, I will provide just a little bit of context. A number of years ago, I read the book, Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders by Joel Manby. During the time I was reading the book, I had had a bit of a down period in my joy and happiness in my work. This book was a wonderful reminder of a core value that I held but hadn't truly articulated and consciously applied to every element of my life and teaching. Following reading the book, I was able to very clearly grasp this as a strong and unwavering principle in my life.  Given any situation, try to find a way to love the person you encounter. This can be a person or people in need, a person or people who love you and need you, or a person or people who don't like you or even seek to harm you. In the end, I endeavor to approach everyone I encounter with love. Am I 100% effective at following the principal? Absolutely not! But it's a core philosophy of mine and I can honestly say that it has never let me down.

Move With Purpose

I borrowed this phrase from my dear friend, Drama Instructor at NCSSM, Adam Sampieri. I heard him use this phrase with his theater students as part of a rehearsal. Adam is a spectacular teacher and theatrical coach. The first time I heard him use the phrase, it struck me as so universal. I truly believe that a great deal of the success I have enjoyed as a music educator is a simple result of being willing to work hard and move with purpose. Some may call it hustle. I don't like the negative connotation of the word hustle. It's really simply being willing to work hard and move meaningfully through all of the tasks of a day, even when one doesn't want to or feel like it. We used this phrase with our kids quite a bit as they were growing up. I see so many students who "saunter" through their day, both literally and metaphorically. I never wanted that to be the impression my sons gave to a teacher. Show a little initiative. Work hard. Look alive. Move with purpose. It will get you somewhere.

There is Power in Steadfast

I truly believe that one of the highest compliments one can receive is to be referred to as "steadfast." I started keying in on this word and concept several years ago. When I hear the word steadfast, I think of my Dad. He is the personification of steadfast. He worked for the same school district as a teacher and administrator for 42 years. He and my Mom have been married for over 60 years. He has been right there, cheering me and my sisters on through countless musical performances, professional accomplishments, and parenting milestones in a way that is simply remarkably steadfast. He is a man of faith who lives out his beliefs quietly and consistently. My Dad is even keeled. He is unflappable. He is unwavering. He is steadfast. What a great example for me and my family. There are so many benefits to this type of predictability. I believe when one is steadfast, others know they can count on you. There aren't wide swings in emotion or in action or reaction. Can we do it all the time? Most of us can't. But I aspire to be steadfast.

I hope there may be something in these first three of my core philosophies that you find interesting or inspiring. There will be more of these posts to come.

What are your core guiding philosophies? Drop a few of them in the comments section here. I would love to hear from you. 

Peace.

Scott

NCSSM Morganton

I've been spending a lot of time over the past year or so working on the opening of NCSSM's new campus located in Morganton NC. It has been a wonderful ride and we are now up and running with 150 11th grade students on our new campus. Programs are now moving forward and it is really the realization of a dream come true. I thought this would be a good time too tell the story of this new campus for those of you that are not familiar with this ambitious project.

About 7 years ago, the NC State Legislature gave us, the NC School of Science and Math, a mandate to open a second campus on an existing 800 acre parcel of state land in Morganton NC, about 3 hours west of the current Durham location.  After a great deal of planning, new construction, and renovations of 3 historic buildings on the site, we opened the NCSSM-Morganton campus in August.  Both locations are residential schools which serve 11th and 12th graders from across NC.  The Durham location, where I have served as a faculty member for 21 years, houses 680 students and the new Morganton campus will be home to 300.  (By the way- both are fully funded by the state. There is no charge for tuition, room, or board.  Full scholarships for everyone!) The new school has the same basic graduation requirements as the Durham location which was established in 1980, however with a general focus on Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, in addition to a course catalog comparable to the Durham campus.  I anticipate a great deal of cross campus collaboration.

In my role as Fine Arts Chair for both campuses, I was hiring manager for our new Art, Music, and Theater faculty positions.  My role in recent months has been to not only be to lead the hiring and onboarding of our new arts faculty and develop a compatible, but unique arts curriculum to the Durham campus, but also to help set tone and culture among all new faculty in the Morganton location.  We hope to develop many interdisciplinary offerings and for the arts curriculum to accurately reflect and utilize the distinctive characteristics of the region. This includes a complete music curriculum and a ceramics, pottery and 3D focus in the art curriculum reflective of that culture in the western part of NC.

As far as last summer is concerned, all administrators were asked to be "on call" for the entirety of the summer.  The joke was that the faculty even assembled bunk beds and dressers the summer before NCSSM Durham opened in 1980.  I stood ready to do that important work if called upon, but it was not necessary!  In all truth, I, along with our new hires, did a good deal of curriculum development over the summer and team building with the entire faculty.  As we build the program, truly, there are no rules here. Just possibilities.  So, dreamers are welcome and new faculty are being encouraged to think broadly about the possibilities.  

For the foreseeable future, I will be splitting time between Durham and Morganton.  I will continue to direct the Orchestra in Durham, but otherwise have primarily administrative duties at this point.  This hits at a great time as my youngest son is a sophomore in college and Barbra and I are finding a new rhythm at home without kids around.  NCSSM puts me up in a nice hotel in the middle of downtown Morganton and makes working out there very comfortable.

So, as you can see, I am really embracing the opportunity. How many folks have the opportunity to put their thumbprint on a school on the occasion of it's opening.  I am truly excited about the possibilities and to lead our new arts faculty wherever their talents may take us!

After only one semester of being open, the arts program at NCSSM-Morganton is in full swing. Music students, under the direction of Jim Kirkpatrick, have presented a full concert in our newly renovated barn performance space. Courtney Long, our talented Art Instructor, has students moving forward quickly with all kinds of art projects ranging from drawing to sculpture to pottery and other design projects. And, our Drama program is getting rolling and plans to present a performance of She Fights Dragons in the late winter.

So, that is a little bit of an update on NCSSM Morganton and my work as we open this new campus. I will continue to keep you updated as things continue to progress. 

Peace.

Scott

A Christmas Story 1995

As we are in the midst of the holiday season, I thought it would be fun to share a little Christmas story of days gone by. 

This story takes place in Prince George's County Maryland around December 1995.  In those years, I was the Orchestra Director at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. As many of you know, Eleanor Roosevelt had/has a incredibly vibrant music program with multiple orchestras, bands, and choirs as part of the school music program. In those years, Eleanor Roosevelt was the largest high school in Maryland and December was always an incredibly busy time. My work in December always centered around three primary activities. One was preparation and performance of numerous holiday concerts with my three orchestras. These included holiday concerts with the Symphony Orchestra and Concert Orchestra and a Concerto Concert with the Chamber Orchestra accompanying exceptional student soloists who were selected by audition in an extraordinarily competitive environment.. All music educators know that the holiday concert season is incredibly taxing and always carries a bit of stress along with the fun of performing. That was certainly the case for me in 1995.  Another of my regular activities were various gigs throughout the Prince George's County region and many performing opportunities at our church, Christian Community Presbyterian Church in Bowie Maryland. I love the holidays because they always mean that I will be spending a great deal of time with my instrument in my hands. This was certainly the case in 1995. Finally, as part of the instrumental music program at Eleanor Roosevelt, there was a huge citrus fruit sale and delivery which occurred right around the holidays. My dear friend, ERHS Band Director Sally Wagner would always say that the community surrounding Eleanor Roosevelt High School had "an inalienable right to fruit" and we would always keep that promise. The fruit sale always involved one day of unloading at least one and a half tractor trailers full of citrus fruit and sometimes it would be two full trailers. The next day folks would pick up their previously ordered fruit and we would distribute all of that fruit almost as quickly as it came off the truck. So, as you can imagine, December of 1995 was extraordinarily busy and not without its level of stress.

At home, my wife and I had a home we had purchased just a year or two earlier and were enjoying our new responsibility of decorating the house for the holidays. This included a fresh cut Christmas tree we had purchased and proudly placed in our new, albeit inexpensive, tree stand. We decorated the tree with all of the ornaments students had given us over the years and it was displayed prominently in our living room. One day, after a long day at work, I returned home to find that the tree had fallen. I picked up the tree and worked to rebalance it and make sure that it was stable in the stand. Within another 24 hours the tree had fallen again. When I returned home after a particularly stressful day of teaching and rehearsing, I found the tree down yet again. So, in a more frustrated state this time, I picked it back up and re-situated the tree in the stand hoping that it would stay up at this point. As we moved another day closer to the concerto concert and other stressful holiday activities, the tree was clearly unstable. After one particularly hard day I returned home to find the tree and all the ornaments spread across the living room floor and in a fit of rage I tossed it out the front door, ornaments and all. My wife, Barbra, came home and was mortified at the carnage in our front yard. She asked me if we were going to replace it and in my frustration I said, "Absolutely not. I am done with Christmas this year." I am sure she remembers this differently, but my recollection is that there wasn't much argument. She figured the Christmas ship had probably sailed. 

I went to work the next day and while in the midst of rehearsal with the Chamber Orchestra, I told them the ugly story of the Christmas tree. My 20 or so string students in the room just looked at me with complete horror and disbelief in their eyes as I recounted the story. Clearly, Mr Laird had lost the Christmas spirit. He had officially become the Grinch.

I continued through my day without giving it another thought. I had rehearsals all day, rehearsals after school, and other rehearsals for gigs into the evening. By the time I was able to return home I was absolutely exhausted and ready for a good night's rest. I walked into the house and things seemed unusually quiet. I stepped into my living room only to see a new tree setup in my living room completely decorated with all of our ornaments. I couldn't believe my eyes. Then, I heard a bit of a commotion in my kitchen and out came all of the students from the ERHS Chamber Orchestra. They had converged on the Laird household earlier that evening, brought a new tree, set it up, and decorated it while my wife quickly provided and imprmptu party with hot chocolate and popcorn. Even now, nearly 30 years later, my eyes are misty as I recall the incredible gift those teenagers gave me that Christmas. All they intended to do that night was to bring a little joy back into our little home. They did that and so much more. It was such an expression of love from students to a teacher they provided me that night. And for that matter, my wife as well. We talked and laughed and told stories for quite some time that night. 

Another strong recollection of mine is that the tree was a little too tall for our living room. Rather than cutting it off at the bottom to make it fit in the room, they cut it off at the top so that the tree had no point, but a flat top where they had whacked off 12 inches or so. It was absolutely hilarious to look at. I am not positive, but I think that was the brilliant work of cellist, Gil Min. (One of you can correct me if that is wrong!) That made it even more special and provided lots of laughter in good feelings as we celebrated their accomplishment of totally surprising me.

Isn't that what the spirit of Christmas is all about? Bringing joy into the lives of others. Caring for the people we encounter every day. And making life brighter for the people around us. I think of that act of kindness every year around the holidays. I hope those students do as well. They certainly impacted my life that day. I am so fortunate to hear from students frequently about how much I impact their lives. I hope they all know how much they impact mine. If you happen to be one of my former students and are reading this, please know that in some way you have made my day brighter, my life richer, my joy a little stronger over the years. 

I wish you all an incredibly happy holiday and some of the joy that I experienced back during the Christmas of 1995.

The End.

Peace.

Scott