The Power of Band

My name is Travis Weller. I am honored to be in this profession of instrumental music education. I count my opportunities here as a privilege – whether it teaching, conducting, composing, advocating, or connecting with friends and colleagues.

I always felt drawn to be part of something bigger than myself. I am continually eager and waiting to be inspired. I remember the times it has occurred, every time one of you have lifted me – with your poignant truth, practical wisdom, and sincere empathy. This profession has given me so much that it is my obligation and duty to serve and give back to all of you. It is not out of selfish ambition or to be remembered, but to do my part to be sure the next student has the opportunity to walk down a path similar which many of us have already journeyed. It gives me joy and comfort to pay forward into a cause like this.

But we must be on guard. Our payments – artistic, educational, emotional, and intellectual – into our profession must be spent wisely. We have our connection to each other, our teaching, our performances, and the music we champion. We must remain attentive to the quite forces of apathy, indifference, inconsequentiality, and inconvenience that can erode our work. They are often conveniently masked by logistical, financial, and educational decisions made by other humans that may not fully comprehend what is we do for our students. Having nice things like music require time, energy, support, and money. It is never too late to fight for these things, knowing without them it will create struggle and uncertainty for our students.

In moments of instrumental music education, the struggle will be intimidating. Those of us who have been here know this already. At points we will be isolated. Once confident, we might be tentative. More often, we are tasked with responsibilities far beyond just teaching music. But I ask you to please remember this one notion: The privilege of teaching band is a beautiful, exciting, powerful, and pure idea. This path is one through which many young students find their first occurrence of joy and connection to this beautiful aural art form. It is one through which many young students – like me – find a sense of who they are, who they can be, and who they will figuratively and literally resonate with throughout their entire lives.

Intentional and unplanned acts of instruction, empathy, artistry, and encouragement are occurring constantly throughout band rooms everywhere. With blissful ignorance, some students immersed in this process have no idea that they have already stepped into a cause greater than themselves and how stepping through this door will change them for the better. Remember that there are opportunities everywhere to open these doors, and even the smallest act of musical and personal encouragement pushes all of us forward.

There are aspects of teaching that are out of your control. They are necessary evils of a system that at points seems unnatural to the process of leading, teaching, and creating music in any school system. Though there can be a constant pressure that impacts and deplete our energy, so too is our constant resistance to the idea what we do does not matter. In undocumented stories and anecdotes from teachers everywhere over countless years, the story remains the same: the power of music is the beacon that gives both students and directors a unique world in which they find themselves, they find their joy, and they find their people, their friends, their family.

You need to help each other – fellow directors, fellow schools, and most importantly fellow students. When you see someone who’s confused, someone who is lost, you help them get re-centered, get them moving, and you keep them moving forward. One step forward is still a step forward. Seek the calm, offer advice, share the kindness, encourage kinship, celebrate artistry, and remember the love of sound that is so fundamental to our pursuit.

There are always opportunities for inner peace. Share your aspirations and dreams with those confidants close to you. Put goals in front of your students that best help them develop a meaningful and positive life-long relationship with music. I wake up every day to the realization that there is nothing else that I know how to do, and nothing else that I would rather be doing. My passion, my personality, my persistence, my love of the ways to create and share music set me on a path from which I cannot turn. I hope to help as many as can with little thought to the time and effort required. I wake up early, drive to band rooms, listen to directors and their bands in the hopes of making a better future for all of instrumental music education. It is a sacrifice counted in minutes of sleep, miles driven, and cups of coffee with little desire for affirmation or even acclaim. So know this: the day will come when all the lessons, rehearsals, meetings, time in score study, reflections, and professional development sessions will burst out beyond what we thought was possible for the students whose success we placed at the center of our teaching. We have everything to give them, and nothing to lose but to successfully invest in a unique art whose power to enhance the lives of students remains in my humble opinion unmatched. I wish all of you well as the year begins.