Advertise on podcast: Band Director Boot Camp

What if making your band room more accessible didn't mean creating 30 different lesson plans or adding hours of work to your already full plate? In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with neurodivergent music educator Sarah Batchelor about practical ways to support students with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, processing differences, and other learning needs while also creating systems that make teaching easier. Sarah brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation. As both a neurodivergent educator and the parent of neurodivergent children, she spent years developing strategies for her students and family before realizing something important: many of those same strategies could help her, too. One idea changed the way she viewed students completely: behavior is communication. Instead of simply reacting to a student's behavior, Sarah encourages teachers to ask what's underneath it. What barrier is the student experiencing? What are they trying to communicate? Where might they need more choice, autonomy, predictability, or support? That shift has also changed the way she rehearses. Rather than always telling students what went wrong, she asks them to listen, diagnose problems, make decisions, and help one another. Her goal isn't simply to teach students how to play an instrument. It's to teach them how to figure out how to play an instrument. Lesley and Sarah also talk about Universal Design and why accessibility doesn't have to mean creating something different for every student. Sometimes designing with the students who face the biggest barriers in mind creates a better learning environment for everyone. Sarah shares practical examples you can use in your own band room, including student section leaders in beginning band, master binders for missing music, pencils attached to music stands, predictable rehearsal procedures, structured practice-room routines, and adapted music for students who need it. She also explains how technology can help modify music for students with dyslexia, including changing colors or note-head shapes, without requiring directors to recreate every piece of music from scratch. But perhaps the most important shift is moving away from doing everything for students. Give them tools. Teach them processes. Let them help each other. Allow them to struggle safely. And when something is hard, don't immediately remove the challenge. Give them a framework for working through it and be there when they genuinely need support. Because accessibility isn't about lowering expectations. It's about removing unnecessary barriers so more students have the opportunity to discover what they're capable of doing. And when we build those systems well, they don't just help our students. They can make the band director's job more sustainable, too.

What if your best recruiting strategy isn't another presentation, instrument night, or spring recruiting event? What if it's the students already sitting in your band room? In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with music educator Aron Kontorovich about approaching recruitment and retention differently: instead of constantly chasing numbers, create an experience students want to stay in and tell their friends about. Drawing from his experience in private music instruction, school music programs, student government, and community ensembles, Aron brings a customer-service and marketing mindset to music education without making it feel "salesy." At the center of his approach is a simple equation: student buy-in + feeling successful = retention. When students have some agency in their learning, feel seen by their teacher, understand their next step, and regularly leave rehearsal feeling successful, they're far more likely to keep coming back. And those happy students become some of your most effective recruiters. Lesley and Aron discuss why recruiting isn't something that happens once a year. It's happening every day through the experience students have in rehearsal, what they say about the program in the hallways, the friends they invite into the band room, the stories families tell, and the way your program shows up in the community. Instead of focusing first on the students you don't have, start by pouring into the students already in front of you. They also explore practical ways to make that happen, including giving students language to talk about why they enjoy band, emphasizing what prospective students get to experience instead of leading with requirements, giving students meaningful leadership and ownership, and helping each student develop as an individual musician rather than seeing them only as one part of the ensemble. Aron also challenges directors to think about something that isn't always included in music education training: marketing and branding. What does your program stand for? What do you want students and families to say about it? Does your online presence actually show people what they're missing? And are you communicating the opportunities and benefits of participating, or assuming everyone already understands them? You don't have to do all of that yourself, either. Students and parents can help manage social media and spread the story of your program. The goal isn't explosive enrollment growth for one semester. It's creating a strong culture that produces steady, sustainable growth. Because when you build systems that naturally attract and retain students, you can spend less time rebuilding your program every year and more time doing what you became a music educator to do in the first place: make music with your students.

What happens when you still love teaching, but you're no longer sure you can keep doing it? For many music educators, burnout doesn't happen because they stopped caring. It happens because they care so much that they keep giving more: more time, more energy, more emotional capacity, and more of themselves. Until eventually, there's not much left. In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with educator and author Denisse Santos-Gooden about her new book, Why Good Teachers Quit and How Not To, and the difficult realities that push talented, dedicated educators toward the breaking point. Denisse knows that experience personally. After 30 years in education, she began recognizing the physical and emotional signs that something needed to change. Her health was suffering. Her mind wouldn't shut off at night. Even after intentionally moving home to slow down, she found herself filling her life right back up again. Sound familiar? Lesley and Denisse dig into the guilt that so often accompanies saying no, especially for educators who have built their identities around helping other people. One of Denisse's most powerful reframes is that saying no doesn't simply mean something won't get done. Sometimes, your no gives someone else the opportunity to step up and develop their own talents. They also talk about boundaries that sound simple but can feel incredibly difficult in practice: No is a complete sentence. Email is not an emergency. You don't have to attend everything. You can't save every student. And caring about someone doesn't mean you have to carry the weight of their problems. Denisse shares how she finally removed work email from her personal phone, became more intentional about what she agreed to do, and recognized that boundaries aren't selfish. They're what allow you to bring your best self to the things you actually choose to say yes to. The conversation also explores the "teacher-martyr complex," toxic school cultures, compassion fatigue, perfectionism, and the physical warning signs we often ignore while convincing ourselves we can just keep pushing through. For the educator who's already wondering whether it's time to leave, Denisse offers another important suggestion: before making the decision, remember why you started. Think about the students whose lives were different because you were there. Then find your people, because trying to navigate the hardest parts of this profession alone makes everything heavier. Ultimately, sustainable teaching isn't about figuring out how to endure more. It's recognizing that you are a person before you are a teacher. Your students matter. Your program matters. The work matters. But you matter, too.

As Lesley Moffat begins her 39th and final year as a band director, she sits down with the person who helped start the whole journey: her high school band director, Bruce Caldwell. Who also happens to be her dad. Bruce began teaching in 1964, and Lesley grew up immersed in the world of high school band. Football games, concerts, rehearsals, trips, fundraisers, and band students who felt like surrogate older siblings were simply part of family life. By the time Lesley became one of Bruce's students herself, the band room had already become the kind of place she knew she wanted to create for her own students someday. In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, father and daughter look back across two generations of music education and discover that while the profession has changed dramatically, some of the most important parts of the job haven't changed at all. Bruce talks about beginning his career when music educators received little preparation for the administrative responsibilities of running a program. His description still feels remarkably familiar today: a band director isn't simply teaching music. In many ways, you're the CEO of a small organization, responsible for everything from instruction and performances to budgets, trips, volunteers, advocacy, and community relationships. They also talk about the importance of building a community around the program. Bruce shares how a uniform emergency unexpectedly helped launch a thriving parent booster organization and the philosophy that guided its fundraising: if you're going to have a fundraiser, it should actually be fun. The conversation becomes especially personal as they reflect on what it was like for Lesley to grow up in the band program, eventually become her father's student, and later follow him into the profession. They revisit All-State, solo and ensemble, Carnegie Hall, and the experiences that helped change the direction of Lesley's life. Bruce also shares lessons from his 20 years leading the Washington Music Educators Association after leaving the classroom, including why professional relationships matter so much for music educators who are often the only person doing their job in the building. And after decades in music education, some of his most valuable advice is surprisingly simple: Advocate for your program. Get people to help you. Protect your sanity. Don't be afraid to say no. And every time you add something, consider taking something else away. As Lesley begins the final year of the career that started in her dad's band room, this episode is both a look back and a reminder of what lasts. The technology changes. The educational initiatives change. The demands change. But creating a place where students belong, helping them discover what they're capable of, and building relationships that can influence the rest of their lives? That part never goes out of date.

If taking a sick day makes you nervous because you're convinced the entire band program might unravel without you, this episode is for you. Band directors are really good at taking responsibility. Sometimes, we're a little too good at it. In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with veteran band director Robert Sanchez about what he calls "white-knuckling": holding so tightly to every detail of the program that eventually the job begins controlling you instead of the other way around. Robert has spent more than 20 years building and revitalizing band programs, but some of his biggest lessons about leadership came when he was forced to step away. After breaking his foot and missing four weeks of school, Robert returned to discover something surprising: his band was better than when he left. It wasn't because they didn't need him. It was because the systems, student leadership, and culture he'd built allowed the program to continue without depending on him for every decision. That's a very different definition of successful leadership. Lesley and Robert talk about practical ways directors can begin giving students more ownership. Uniforms, social media, concert setup, equipment, organization, and countless other responsibilities don't automatically have to belong to the director. In fact, giving those jobs to students can accomplish two things at once: reduce the director's workload while helping students on the fringes of the program become important members of the community. They also dig into something many music educators struggle with: when the thing you love becomes your career, you need something else in your life that isn't your job. For Robert, martial arts, running, coaching, family, and fitness have helped him build an identity outside the band room. Those experiences have also taught him lessons about perseverance, leadership, discipline, and wellness that make him a better educator. And if stepping away from your email, delegating a responsibility, or allowing something to be less than perfect feels impossible, Robert offers a little perspective: It's just band. The email can wait until Monday. Someone else can set up the stage. A student might actually manage the uniforms better than you. And the program doesn't need to fall apart just because you aren't holding every piece of it together. Your goal isn't to make yourself indispensable. It's to build students, systems, and a culture strong enough that you don't have to white-knuckle your way through your career.

Band directors are often the people students trust when something is wrong. We notice the student who suddenly isn't acting like themselves. We hear about problems at home, relationship struggles, anxiety, and situations that can be incredibly heavy. And because we're educators, our instinct is often to jump in and fix things. But what if our job isn't to fix them? In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with speaker, author, and mental health advocate Joshua Rivedal, founder of the I'm Possible Project, about mental health, resilience, burnout, and the courage it takes to ask for help. Joshua shares his own experience with mental health struggles, losing his father to suicide, reaching a crisis point himself, and ultimately getting the support he needed. That experience led him to dedicate much of his work to helping others have conversations about mental health that can sometimes feel uncomfortable but are incredibly important. For music educators, one of the most important takeaways is recognizing the difference between supporting a student and trying to save them. As Joshua puts it, you're a piece of the safety net, not the entire safety net. Teachers can listen, validate what a student is experiencing, ask thoughtful open-ended questions, and connect them with counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other appropriate resources. Lesley and Joshua also turn the conversation toward the educator. When you're supporting dozens or even hundreds of students while carrying your own responsibilities, that emotional load adds up. Joshua shares some warning signs of burnout, including exhaustion, losing interest in things you once enjoyed, people-pleasing, putting everyone else's needs ahead of your own, and believing you're the only person who can solve every problem. The good news is that resilience isn't simply something you're born with. It can be developed. Instead of waiting until you're overwhelmed, Joshua recommends creating small routines and systems that support your wellness. Take the five-minute walk. Ask for help with something small. Practice self-compassion. Examine the beliefs that tell you that you have to do everything yourself. Band directors are already masters at creating systems for their students. Maybe it's time to give yourself that same gift. Taking care of yourself doesn't take away from your students. It helps ensure that you can continue showing up for them without losing yourself in the process.

Teaching has a way of becoming more than a job. Before long, you're staying late, answering messages after hours, volunteering for one more committee, and giving so much of yourself to your students that there isn't much left when you get home. In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with Dr. Yvette Dixon-Ledford, author of Teacher by Day: A No-Guilt Guide to Boundaries, Balance, and Bliss, about what it takes to love teaching without allowing it to consume your entire identity. After 24 years in education, Yvette knows how easy it is to fall into the belief that being a dedicated teacher means always doing more. She shares how challenges in her personal life forced her to look closely at where she was spending her time and energy and recognize that constantly pouring into her profession was leaving other parts of her life running on empty. Lesley and Yvette talk about setting boundaries with parents, colleagues, and administrators, including why saying no doesn't make you less committed to your students. They also discuss the guilt that often comes with leaving work on time, the importance of valuing yourself outside your professional role, and how gratitude and positive affirmations can help educators reconnect with who they are beyond the classroom. One of Yvette's simplest pieces of advice may also be the hardest for many educators: make "no" your best friend. Every time you appropriately say no to another demand on your time, you're creating space to say yes to something that matters in your own life. You can be an excellent teacher without giving your job unlimited access to you. In fact, protecting the person you are outside the classroom may be one of the best things you can do for the teacher you are inside it.

Every music educator eventually faces a moment that makes them question whether they can keep going. Whether it's burnout, a difficult administrator, losing a position, or simply feeling like you've hit a dead end, those moments can leave you wondering what's next. In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat welcomes Dr. Suzanne Gindin, whose career has been filled with unexpected pivots, professional setbacks, and powerful reinventions. From being dismissed from a prestigious conducting studio to having successful programs eliminated, Suzanne shares how she repeatedly found a way to move forward without losing her passion for music education. One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is learning not to let someone else's opinion define your worth. Suzanne explains how shifting her perspective helped her stop comparing herself to others and start trusting her own path. She also introduces her simple but powerful 80/20 Rule, encouraging educators to let go of perfectionism and embrace progress over impossible standards. If you've ever questioned your future in music education, this episode is a reminder that setbacks don't have to become stopping points. Sometimes the career you were meant to have is waiting on the other side of a pivot.

What if becoming a better band director started with taking better care of yourself? In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat welcomes Dr. Jen Rafferty, former music educator, educational psychologist, and author of The Empowered Educator. Together, they have an honest conversation about the hidden toll that music education can take on our physical and emotional well-being, and why so many dedicated teachers end up believing that burnout is simply part of the job. Jen shares her deeply personal journey through divorce, the pandemic, chronic stress, and burnout, and how those experiences led her to rethink the relationship between identity, teaching, and wellness. She explains why so many music educators tie their self-worth to their work, and how that mindset can leave us exhausted, overwhelmed, and disconnected from ourselves. More importantly, this episode offers practical strategies you can begin using immediately. Jen introduces two simple but powerful practices: moving through your day just 10% slower to increase awareness, and taking intentional breathing breaks to calm your nervous system and interrupt the cycle of chronic stress. Lesley also shares how these same wellness strategies can benefit students when incorporated into daily classroom routines. If you've been ignoring the warning signs of burnout, constantly pushing through fatigue, or telling yourself, "It is what it is," this conversation is a reminder that taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's one of the most important things you can do for both yourself and your students. Dr. Jen Rafferty is an educator, author, and founder of Empowered Educator, an organization dedicated to elevating the teaching experience by prioritizing educator well-being.. Jen has been featured in Forbes, Authority Magazine, Medium, Thrive Global, Best Holistic Life Magazine, Wellness Voice Magazine, and was on the TEDx stage with her talk, Generational Change begins with Empowered Teachers. She is also the host of the podcast, Unlock Your Teaching Potential, which has been rated in the top 2.5% of podcasts globally. Her book, The Empowered Educator: 10 Lessons to Prevent Burnout, Reclaim Your Joy, and Unlock Your Teaching Potential will be available on August 4th through Penguin Random House. https://empowerededucator.com/book

In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat sits down with lifelong music educator and author Dr. David Gregory for a heartfelt reminder of why this work matters. David’s book, Students as Teachers: Things They Taught Me, Life Lessons They Gave Me, grew from stories shared by former students spanning more than 50 years of his career. When he asked what they remembered most from being in band, very few mentioned scales, technique, or specific musical skills. Instead, they remembered finding a place where they belonged, being given opportunities they never thought possible, and having a teacher who listened to them and made them feel important. Through moving, funny, and sometimes surprising stories, David explores how students teach us about belonging, discovery, perseverance, equality, leadership, and the lasting power of simply showing up. He reminds us that while the mechanics of being a band director may feel impossible, we are not expected to do everything. We are called to focus on the most important things, especially the students sitting in front of us. You’ll hear about a student whose Midwest performance inspired a 42-year career in music education, another who credited band with helping him finish high school, and a bass clarinet player who discovered halfway through marching season that her feet were supposed to land with the beat. Each story reveals something deeper about the influence teachers have, often without realizing it at the time. This episode is not about adding another task to your list. It is an invitation to pause, reflect, and remember that your students notice more than you think, carry your lessons farther than you may ever see, and often teach you just as much as you teach them.

What if the biggest challenge in your music program isn't teaching the music, but getting students to practice consistently once they leave your classroom? In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat sits down with educator and app developer Alvin Simpson to discuss a challenge every music teacher knows well: students who say they're practicing, but don't seem to be improving. Alvin shares how years of teaching beginning and middle school band led him to create Practice Pet, a gamified practice app designed to help students develop consistent practice habits, stay motivated, and take greater ownership of their musical growth. Together, Lesley and Alvin explore the difference between simply playing through music and truly practicing, why habit formation matters, and how teachers can encourage student independence without adding more work to their own plates. You'll also hear: Why practicing is a skill that must be taughtThe difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivationHow gamification can help students build lasting habitsWays parents can support practice at home, even if they aren't musiciansHow better practice habits can improve rehearsal efficiencyCreative ways teachers are using Practice Pet in their programsWhy the ultimate goal is for students to outgrow the app and become self-motivated musiciansIf you've ever wondered how to get students to practice more effectively, build confidence, and make faster musical progress, this conversation offers practical ideas you can implement right away.

There’s a moment so many music educators hit where they realize they love teaching… but the job is quietly consuming every ounce of energy they have. Staying late every night. Feeling guilty for taking care of yourself. Trying to be a great teacher, parent, spouse, human… all at the same time. Running on caffeine and adrenaline and wondering if this pace is sustainable. In this episode of the Band Director Boot Camp Podcast, Lesley Moffat talks with Ben Blessing, a 6th through 12th grade band director, former active-duty Marine musician, ultrarunner, composer, and performer with the 25th Army Band. Ben shares how lessons from military music, endurance racing, and family life have shaped the way he approaches teaching without burning out. From refusing to check school email outside contract hours to treating prep time with the same focus as class time, Ben offers practical reminders that sustainable teaching does not happen by accident. Lesley and Ben discuss how boundaries, physical wellness, mindful use of time, and family priorities can help music educators stay energized for their students and still have a life outside the band room. You’ll hear about: Why leaving at contract time can make you more productiveHow physical wellness supports better teachingThe power of treating prep time like protected work timeWhy email boundaries matterHow to model balance for students and your own familyBen’s work as a composer and where to find his musicThere’s a part in this episode where Lesley talks about ending up in the hospital because she ignored her own health for too long, a stark reminder of what can happen in our realities when we run out of steam. If this episode helps even one teacher avoid that path, it’s worth it. You do not have to earn exhaustion to prove you care. The dream isn’t just building a great music program. The dream is building a great music program AND still having a life.

In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat welcomes Kate Fitzpatrick Harnish and Bridget Sweet, co-authors of Motherhood in the Music Education Academy, for an honest conversation about parenting, caregiving, and the realities of building a music education career while raising children. Kate and Bridget share the personal and professional experiences that led them to write this book, including navigating demanding teaching roles, tenure-track expectations, pregnancy, miscarriage, child loss, and the isolation that can come from trying to do meaningful work in systems that were not built with mothers in mind. They talk about how silence around these issues can be harmful, and why visibility matters so much for current and future music educators. This conversation also explores the gap between being expected to care for students and not always being supported in caring for your own family. Kate and Bridget highlight the importance of finding community, asking questions, learning your rights, and not assuming institutions automatically know how to support pregnancy, parenting, or bereavement well. They also remind listeners that priorities can shift season by season, and that it is okay to define success in a way that reflects your actual life. Whether you are a mother, a parent, a caregiver, someone thinking about starting a family, or someone who wants to better support colleagues navigating this intersection, this episode offers thoughtful insight, reassurance, and a much-needed reminder that these stories deserve space in music education.

In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with jazz educator and author Milas Yoes about how to start, grow, or strengthen a jazz band, even if jazz was never your primary background. If you’ve ever felt underprepared to teach jazz, this conversation will help you see that you likely know more than you think you do, and that confidence can be built step by step. Milas shares why he wrote Diving into Jazz Band with Confidence and Joy for directors who may have landed a jazz band assignment without much formal jazz pedagogy training. He talks honestly about the importance of choosing music that truly fits your students, especially paying close attention to rhythm section needs, instrumentation, and skill level so students can be successful instead of overwhelmed. The conversation also highlights one of the most rewarding parts of jazz education: improvisation. Milas breaks down a simple and approachable way to introduce improvisation using a groove, limited note choices, call and response, and “safety in numbers” so students can experiment without fear. He reminds us that the first solos are supposed to be messy, and that jazz creates a unique space for students to take risks, find their voice, and sometimes thrive in ways they do not in traditional band settings. This episode is a great reminder that jazz band is not just another ensemble. It can be a place where students blossom creatively, build confidence, and connect with music in a deeply personal way. And for directors, it can become one of the most joyful parts of teaching.

In this energizing episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat talks with educator and speaker Phil Januszewski about what it takes to move beyond survival mode and build a career that feels sustainable. Phil shares the idea of identifying your “errs” - the roles, interests, and parts of yourself that make you who you are - and intentionally making space for them in your daily life. Together, Lesley and Phil unpack why so many educators lose sight of themselves in the constant role of giver, and how even small, scheduled moments of joy can help refill your tank. They talk about building structure that supports your well-being, habit stacking, decluttering habits that no longer serve you, and finding ways to bring your natural gifts into the classroom so both you and your students benefit. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering where you went in the middle of serving everyone else, this conversation is a powerful reminder that taking care of yourself is not selfish. It is necessary. This episode will leave you thinking differently about your time, your energy, and the small choices that can help you thrive for the long game. Phil Januszewski Social Media Links: Website: https://philjanuszewski.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilJanuszewskiSpeaks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philjanuszewski YouTube: https://youtube.com/@philjanuszewski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philjanuszewski Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@philjanuszewski Twitter/X: https://x.com/philjanuszewski Positive Growth Clothing Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PositiveGrowthStore Link to Subscribe to Positive Growth Lounge Emails: https://mailchi.mp/efbb1914fa7b/join-the-positive-growth-lounge-email-list