second VP column

months of school have gone, to celebrate in their successes and even feel their pains in rough times; it is I time I always look forward to. more importantly these events are organized to make us better teachers and help us give our students a better experience.

Just this November I attended WIBc for the 11th year. I have attended this event since I was in high school and I plan on attending it well after I retire. WIBc is a four-day event filled with clinics from famous composers, concerts from groups across the globe, and it is the first opportunity of the year where I am able to meet with my friends from across the state. It has everything I need to keep me motivated until our state conference. on the first day of WIBc I had the opportunity to watch dr. Tim Lautzenheiser give a leadership clinic to the 650 attending high school musicians. It was truly a sight to be seen. dr. Tim had these students eating out of his hand for a solid hour, not for a second did the attention of these students lapse. I left the workshop so energized and so inspired that I thought to myself. “I want to be a band director when I grow up!” I quickly realized I was a grown up and I was a band director! I knew then that I had the greatest job in the world. Luckily for us all dr. Tim is featured clinician our conference this year and I hope you make a point of attending his clinic’s. I guarantee you that when he is finished you will leave with a smile on your face and you will be eager to go back to your classes.

The conference Planning committee has worked very hard this past year to prepare for you a fantastic conference. I hope you take advantage of every clinic and every performance possible. only one time a year do we come together as a state and celebrate music together - please don’t let this opportunity pass you by. I challenge you all to meet a new colleague this year, to just walk up to someone you don’t know and ask them how their year has been or ask them what they have planned for the rest of the year. don’t be scared to tell an embarrassing or humorous story about your year. If you don’t know where to start, come find me and ask what happens when kidney stones and jazz festivals arrive on the same day. I look forward to seeing you all at our all-state conference this year and I hope you are eager for its coming as I am.