Being a first-year teacher is, as I'm sure we all know, daunting and overwhelming, especially for those of us who seek to be the best that we can be for our students. Nonetheless, educator Jim Matthews provides his audience with a concise list of eight habits exhibited by several highly effective band directors, which includes but is not limited to having ensembles play long tones, engage in breathing exercises, and participate in warm-up routines that are both effective and efficient. By adopting each of these eight habits, Matthews is certain that every year of teaching will be nothing short of productive and rewarding.
This is the Standards of Learning for music education in the Commonwealth of Virginia as adopted by the Virginia Board of Education in 2013. As Virginia does not adhere to Common Core, these Standards are the basis for K-12 public school music curricula across the state.