Band Director Trevor Rundell put a unique spin on long-term goal-setting with his students at Bartlett High School in Tennessee. He sets a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (a concept from the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins). “When I arrived at Bartlett, we immediately were thrown into COVID, so we needed something big to work toward to jumpstart the program. Our first Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) was to become Bands of America Grand National Semi-Finalists by 2028.” His band achieved that goal in 2023 – five years early.
The BHAG has been adjusted and is now to be Grand National Finalists by 2030.
“We talk about the BHAG with the students often and at every full parent meeting,” he explains. “It gives the program a sense of going somewhere, constantly reinventing itself and improving.”
Decision-making is easy because everything the band does must be working toward the BHAG, never away from it!
Bartlett High School band has earned several marching achievements, but Rundell works hard to balance competitive success with having a well-rounded program. “We put in the time, thought and energy that most are not willing to — whether its starting a private lessons program, setting really lofty goals, going really slow in the beginning so we can go fast later, adjusting our approach to better fit the weakest performer in the room, or having excruciatingly high standards and stopping every time things are not what they should be,” he explains.
What’s invaluable is having key staff members and designers who buy into the program’s goals. “Instructionally, we are adamant in our approach to fundamentals — I think we are far more stubborn than most. Put simply, we are willing to do the boring work to improve, and the kids have really bought into that by working really, really hard,” Rundell slays.
Rundell believes that all truly great competitive ensembles are built out of their concert band program and their ability to build individual players. “We structure the program around that truth,” he says with pride. “We do everything we can to make sure the program is compatible with all the other things kids like to do because we know that band is such a huge commitment.”
To keep the program healthy, Rundell strengthened the vertical alignment of the music program within the district. “We meet with the Bartlett City Schools district band cluster about three to four times a year to talk with the middle school teachers about any potential deficits we see, share instructional practices, problem-solve and plan events together,” he explains.
Rundell has even written fundamentals sets for middle schoolers that address the skills he’d like the incoming 9th graders to have.
“I think our most successful recruiting and retention efforts have not been any specific events, but by listening and responding to how the kids feel about their experience in the program,” Rundell says. “We ask ourselves: ‘Do we more or need less rehearsals?’ ‘Do we need to change the way we split classes by ability?’ ‘Should camp days be on a Saturday or Friday?’ ‘Is it better to rehearse right after school or later in the evening?’ In this way, our approach ebbs and flows.”
