[TPIN] Re: High School Directors and playing their instruments

[jsiverso at student.umass.edu]

I think there is one important thing we are leaving out in this discussion... 
Yes the demands of a high school band director are huge, but some are able to 
go out and gig and still make time to play. I think these may tend to be from 
the programs that are already very solid programs and have been for years, if 
they are competitive. If the band director is in the process of trying to 
rebuild a program, or build it in the first place, that takes up a huge amount 
of extra time beyond what the other guy has to do.

However, that isn't really my point anyway. The thing everyone is leaving out 
(unless I missed it somewhere) is family. Single band directors don't have to 
go home after work. Those with significant others and/or children do. My high 
school band director has a wife and a young girl, he really didn't have the 
time to practice or gig, period. We could hardly ever get him to go out with 
us after a concert, which he used to.

Just another thought for us all.

~~Jared Iverson