End of the Year Advice; Take Care of What You Have.

by Skip Vandelicht

In writing my first article for the Missouri School Music Magazine, I want to say what an honor it is to have the opportunity to serve as the MMEA Band Vice-President. I encourage you to contact me if you have any suggestions, comments, questions or ideas for clinics you’d like to see at our MMEA In-Service Workshop/Conference. I would also like to encourage you to send in an audition tape of your group. Even if you don’t get selected, your group will definitely benefit from the process of preparing the music for a tape and making the tape.

As our school year comes to an end, we start to think of the warm summer days and our opportunities to work in the yard, play golf, spend time with our family and friends, or just to rest, relax and enjoy a few weeks away from the hectic schedule of a band director. I don’t know too many band directors that aren’t ready to walk out the door right behind the students on the last day of school. We all need time to re-charge our batteries before those first days of marching camp and summer lessons that come oh so quickly. I have a few suggestions of some things we can do before we leave for the summer that will help take care of our instruments, uniforms and music that will have them ready when we come back. Most of us don’t have unlimited funds for new equipment, so taking care of what we have is important and necessary.

Band instruments need to have regular maintenance in order to keep them in good playing condition for as long as possible. By spending a few minutes with each of your school instruments at the end of the year, you can find things that need to be “fixed” to have the instrument in good working condition when you need it next. This can be anything from replacing a missing neck strap to finding braces that have come un-soldered. My routine may seem a little extreme to some, but I take the time to vacuum all the cases, wipe down the exterior of the horn and play test the woodwinds to check for missing key corks or pads that aren’t sealing well. I also check the case for tears that I can fix, latches or hinges that need repair, or problems with the interior of the case that can be fixed with my trusty hot glue gun. All the repair techs I have talked with also suggest that your instruments be on a regular schedule for maintenance by an instrument technician. Some schools are able to send all their horns in every year, and others of us have to do it on a rotation basis. My horns are all on a three year rotation to be sent in to the repair shop. All the brasses get flushed, and the woodwinds get a thorough check for leaks, missing key corks and general adjustments. Of course, if an instrument has a problem that needs immediate attention, it goes in as well; even if it isn’t on the list of horns for that year. Every year I have horns that haven’t been used since the last time they went in so they don’t get sent in. This leaves room for those that aren’t scheduled and need the repair. Be sure to check with your administration to see if this routine maintenance can be taken out of the general school maintenance budget rather than from your band budget. After all, you are saving them money by keeping the horns in good condition thus extending the life of the horns. Remember that students will usually take better care of instruments that work well and look good as opposed to those that are beat up and aren’t in good working condition.

Uniforms are another big ticket item that needs care and maintenance each year. By looking at your uniforms for loose buttons, hems or piping that is coming loose or other minor problems you can save a more expensive or difficult repair at a later time. Having some of your “band moms” come in to do this project will save you a lot of time, as well as give them some ownership in taking care of the uniforms. Of course uniforms need to be cleaned at least once every year. We ask students here in Fayette to pay a fee each year that takes care of the end of the year cleaning of our uniforms. The school picks up the tab for having the uniforms cleaned after marching season. Try having a meeting with your administration and tell them that by taking care of the uniforms they will last longer and possibly delay, by a couple of years, the need to purchase new ones. This may help in your efforts to get them to pay for your uniform cleaning. A colleague of mine convinced her school board to set aside money each year (around $3,000) so that in ten years, which is about the average life of a uniform, they would already have a great start toward the cost of purchasing new ones. Also, be sure to store your uniforms in a dry place that is secure and away from any areas that your school’s custodians or maintenance personnel might be working in during the summer.

Music care is something that is easy to overlook. Most of us use those great “teaching pieces” frequently, and they tend to get pretty beat up over the years. Many of those great old pieces are out of print, and when the parts are gone, the piece has to be thrown away. Take a few minutes to have your students erase their music before they hand it in. Before it gets filed back in the box, tape up any rips and trim up the edges to make it look nice for the next time. Taking care of those few small things will not only prolong the life of your music, but it will also be ready to use the next time you pull it out of the file.

As you go through the care and maintenance of your inventory, be sure to make a plan for replacements and/or additions to your collection. Talk to your administration about a long term plan for purchasing new instruments, uniforms and music. By looking forward and planning ahead, you can avoid getting caught in a situation where you don’t have the resources to fit the size of your program.

By taking the time to look back over our year and assess what went well and what didn’t work exactly like we planned, we can make a plan for the next year to make ourselves a better teacher. Don’t forget to make a plan to enjoy yourself over the summer as well. Make plans to attend the MBA Convention at The Resort at Port Arrowhead in Lake Ozark, MO June 22-25. What a great opportunity it is to visit with your colleagues, make contacts that can help in your professional life, hear great clinics and spend some time relaxing and re-charging your batteries. Remember that the first day of marching band camp is just around the corner, so prepare now so that when it does come, you are ready to have another stellar year.