A letter from the President
of the SCBDA, Michael Foxworth.

Other Letters

August 3, 2006

Greetings and welcome back to all returning teachers and a special welcome to all new band directors in South Carolina. Many of you have already started with your marching band rehearsals and camps so I know you are actively involved in your programs. You are beginning the most important year of your teaching to date. Good luck as you participate in the many state and SCBDA events.

Sometime around mid-August you should receive your 2006 SCMEA Handbook. Please read it thoroughly to find any changes that were made at last year's business meeting. Please note however that you must always check www.bandlink.org before registering for SCBDA events. Bandlink is the official place to check for final rules and information before you register any students or groups for an event. If you know of new directors in your area, please contact them and inform them about www.bandlink.org and the importance of checking the site often.

Since we all are teachers with a focus on instrumental music, it seems very appropriate for me to include something I received from a principal at the beginning of one of my recent school years. I am not sure who should be credited with saying this but I can assure you it wasn't me. Read and think about this:

Some helpful tips while teaching, REMEMBER our ultimate goal is to prepare our students for all aspects of life. They are the MINDS THAT WE TRULY NEED IN THE FUTURE. Your goal is to produce the following types of minds:

A DISCIPLINED MIND - that can think well and appropriately in all the major disciplines.

A SYNTHESIZING MIND - that can still sift through a large amount of information, decide what is important, and put it together in ways that
make sense for oneself and for others.

A CREATIVE MIND - that can raise new questions, come up with novel solutions, and think outside the box.

A RESPECTFUL MIND - that honors the differences among individuals and groups, and tries to understand them and work productively with them.

And finally, AN ETHICAL MIND - that thinks, beyond selfish interests, about the kind of worker one aspires to be, and the kind of citizen that one should be.

I think these are definitely wonderful attributes of band students and are things that all of us strive to instill in our students daily. All band directors have a major influence on students' lives. Let's all remember to have a positive impact on each student that you meet, whether it be in a classroom setting, at a marching competition or in the cafeteria.

Have a wonderful year and remember to play an active role in all aspects of the SCBDA.

Sincerely,

Michael Foxworth
President
South Carolina Band Directors Association