How Sheet Music Can Improve Your Playing Skills
Playing a musical instrument brings us pleasure, relieves the stress of the day and lets us express emotions in a healthy and nurturing way. Most of us enjoy playing the music we love, and enhancing those joys by learning to read music will help improve your musical skills as well.
In this blog, we’ll explore the many benefits of incorporating printed music (called sheet music) into your learning and playing experience. First, though, let’s explore the different kinds of sheet music that are available.
Different Sheet Music Formats
Here’s an example of what the sheet music for the theme song of the popular TV show “Stranger Things” looks like:
Of course, that particular example is an instrumental. Sheet music for music with vocals (such as Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend,” shown below) generally comes in what is called “piano/vocal” format, which looks like this:
As you can see, the main melody of the song is presented on its own stave of music, with lyrics beneath it. Below that is a dual stave piano part, which often is a reduction of the song (with melody) to support the vocal line, as in the above example. The chords to the song are presented above the “top line” melody, and are often shown as guitar chord symbols (a representation of where to put your fingers on the guitar fretboard), making sheet music an important part of learning guitar as well as keyboards.
There’s also sheet music optimized for beginners; these are generally labeled as “easy piano,” such as this version of “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen:
In addition, there are specialized versions of sheet music, such as this example of “Let It Go” arranged as a piano duet:
Download this and play along with your child — you can both learn piano together!
The Fastest Way to Learn Your Favorite Songs
The most obvious benefit to using sheet music is that it’s the quickest way to learn your favorite songs. It’s not easy to learn a song by ear (many players can’t do it, and that’s alright), and there are sheet music versions of songs designed for various levels of player — often available for instant download. No visit to a brick-and-mortar store necessary; no waiting for the delivery person either! The online Yamaha Downloadables store, for example, offers a myriad of sheet music titles, from pop and rock hits to movie and show tunes to gospel, liturgical and other genres.
Learn By Playing
Obviously you need to be able to read music to use sheet music, but you don’t need to be an expert sight-reader to do so. As with any practice tool, the rule of thumb is to start slow — very slow at first! But it’s worth it, because learning via sheet music allows you to spend more time making actual music, rather than playing rote exercises that you would never perform in public. It’s a form of “learn by doing” that is much more enjoyable than working through exercise or instructional “method” books.
Improve Your Skills
Here are some of the specific keyboard skills that can improve when you play your favorite songs from sheet music:
– Learning to play in various keys. The various songs you choose are likely to be in different keys, requiring you to pay attention to the key signature at the beginning of each line, which shows you what notes need to be played as sharps or flats. Playing music in different keys is a better way to learn the various key signatures than simply practicing scales.
– Fingering. It’s important to work out how to place your hands in the best position to cover the notes needed, as well as knowing when your hand position needs to move. You’ll need to figure this out slowly, out of tempo, and you might even need to write down the fingerings for the trickiest parts, but doing so from sheet music is an excellent way to learn this.
– Executing unfamiliar rhythmic figures. Rhythm is an important component of music, and it’s great to be able to translate what you see on the page to playing with the right “feel.” Most players tend to use the same rhythms over and over because they are familiar and already feel good. What is on the sheet music may be different than your usual way, and this will expand your rhythmic vocabulary.
– Increasing your reach. Playing arpeggiations and chords that don’t necessarily fit easily under your natural hand position is essential to coaxing a fuller sound from your keyboard. Reading from sheet music is a great way to learn to play wider arpeggiated figures and bigger-sounding chords.
– Gaining hand independence. One of the hardest things for keyboardists to master is tricky syncopations between your two hands. This is a skill best learned visually, at least at first. Being able to view those syncopations in print allows you to better see where the notes line up between your hands.
Widen Your Musical Horizons
There are lots of types of music in the world, and these various subsets of musical style and taste are called genres. If you want to learn a new musical genre, you should listen to as much of that kind of music as possible, and then try to play it. Sheet music can be your guide into these uncharted waters. Whether it’s gospel music, Latin styles such as cumbia, or modern urban music such as neo-soul, you can find sheet music of the most popular songs in every genre, and through playing them you will learn what makes that style what it is.
Improve Your Sight-Reading … and Your Bank Account
Like anything else in life, if you want to get better at doing something, you need to do it a lot. Regularly playing from sheet music will help improve your reading skills, to the point where you will eventually find that you can actually sight-read most simple scores. And a musician who reads well is more likely to be called on (and hired!) for different jobs and recording/performance opportunities.
Shared Experiences
When you want to get together with a few friends to play some music, bringing a pile of sheet music can help to quickly get everyone up and running learning the song(s) you want to play. The music provides the singer with the lyrics as well as melody, the guitar player can follow the chord symbols above the melody line, and the keyboard player can reference the piano staves provided. Everyone is covered!
Special Features of the Yamaha Sheet Music Previewer
The online Yamaha sheet music store allows you to preview the first page of each selection so you can try it before you buy it, with a number of helpful “widgets” that make the experience interactive.
Here’s the overview you’ll see if you’re using a desktop or laptop computer and you scroll down the page. As an example, we’ll use Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend,” mentioned above:
Along the top are a row of tool icons:
These provide the following helpful functions:
– The Play button (far left) plays the song automatically for you so you can hear the music on the page as well as see it.
– The Metronome icon (second from left) adjusts the playback speed slower or faster as desired.
– The Flat/Sharp icon (third from left) can be used to transpose the song to another key. This affects both the onscreen score and playback, as well as the optional PDF you create (see below) and is especially helpful if you are going to want to sing along with your playing.
– The Trumpet icon (fourth from left) is useful if you’re planning on playing the lead melody “top” line on a wind or string instrument instead of singing it. As a bonus, if you select a wind instrument, the top line melody is automatically transposed to the appropriate key.
– The Note Size icon (in the middle of the toolbar) is used to scale the size of the notes. Increasing the note sizes will make them easier to see, but will also reduce the number of bars shown in the preview, as well as how many will print per page if you download it as a PDF using the Print icon (see below). Here’s a cool tip: decrease the note size while you’re previewing a song and you’ll get more bars of the tune in your preview before purchasing!
– The Reset icon (fourth from right) undoes any tempo, key, or note size changes you’ve made and restores them to the default settings.
– The View icon (third from right) changes the look from normal printed music requiring page turns to a scrolling view.
– The Print icon (second from right) allows you to save the first page as a PDF file; from there, you can print it out so you have a hard copy. This is especially helpful if you don’t have your device near your keyboard and you want to try out the sheet music later.
– The Full-Screen icon (far right) expands the page to fill the entire screen, hiding the toolbar in the process. This sometimes only works when you click on the Preview button at the very bottom of the screen, beneath the song title.
If you’re accessing the online store from a mobile device, the display looks slightly different:
Here, the Play button on the left of the toolbar works the same as in desktop/laptop computers — it starts the music playing back. All other functions can be accessed by touching the Settings button on the right; a menu drops down showing the icons described above.
Yamaha offers hundreds of sheet music titles available for immediate downloading. Click here to view the available titles.
I called my dad, who was a professor and director of continuing education at Rutgers, in near hysterics and asked if I could come by his office to talk. When I got there, he gave me a big hug to let me know that everything was going to be OK, and then he allowed me to talk and spill all my emotions before even attempting to weigh in to help. After I calmed down, we talked through my disappointment, and my dad encouraged me to reflect on what might have led to the chain of events and challenged me to be proactive in my response to the situation. His suggestions included seeking feedback and staying focused on continuous improvement. And, most importantly, he reminded me of one of my grandfather’s favorite sayings, “As stressful as this seems, six months from now, you’re going to be worrying about something else.”
The most remarkable part was watching this student process the results and then stick around to celebrate his peers who did earn chairs, including many who asked him, “How could you not have made it?”
Failure is like any skill — the more we practice and experience it, the better we can master our ability to learn from it and move forward.
Older elementary schoolers have had enough time to familiarize themselves with some classical pieces. Plus, this is a holiday project that doesn’t break the bank. All you need are cardboard or paper mache ball ornaments and glue or Mod Podge, which can be found at most 
Make listening to winter-themed music more interesting by creating holiday dance-move cards for your mid-elementary classroom. I like to mix it up by having the students lead the dances once they are familiar with the different activities — such as take tiny elf steps, do some reindeer kicks, march like a nutcracker, etc. If your schedules allow it, you can team up with the P.E. teacher for this one.
Kids Quitting
Lunch or Bus Duty
That One Class
Some Final Tips
When I first heard of sites like 
Neurodivergent individuals often need accommodations — such as noise-reducing headphones or fidget spinners for stimulation — to make their experience in public settings like schools more positive.
Just because a sound isn’t loud to you, doesn’t mean it isn’t perceived as loud to others. Sometimes neurodivergent students need more stimulation in order to focus in music class. Here are some simple ways to accommodate your neurodiverse classroom:
Normalize fidgets and sensory tools, starting with yourself: About halfway through my first year of teaching K-2 music, I had an epiphany. I, too, could use the stress balls that I had on my desk for my students! To be honest, I was afraid that my elementary schoolers would laugh at me. But I explained, “Sometimes Miss F gets overwhelmed, too” while I squeezed a stress ball or used sensory items. This simple statement normalized the tools on my desk, encouraged conversations about sensory tools, and helped my students take them more seriously. While it might be embarrassing at first, it helps everyone get what they need in the long run.
How do our words truly affect others? Each day, we take part in dozens of conversions with our students, coworkers, family members and others. As music educators, we are tasked with communicating with our students throughout the day, and for many of us, we have the opportunity to have a continuing conversation for years before our students graduate from our programs and head out into the world.
Avoid words like “don’t” and “but.”
Have you ever had a great performance? Of course — it feels wonderful to perform at your best!
The result of these off-the-beaten-path lesson plans has been more student engagement, higher retention and overall program growth. “By adding in pop and recognizable music and adding technology, students have a positive experience in class and feel confident on their instruments,” Otto says.
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They also incorporate improv into concerts. “Sometimes there’s a solo section in a piece, or we can make one,” Otto says.
Finding Repertoire for Ensembles and “Oddsembles”
Day of the Festival
Our Solo and Ensemble Festival strengthens both our musicians’ skills and music community. Students involved often become leaders in their classes and are the most confident players in our ensembles. Rehearsing without a teacher helps them develop their critical thinking and analytical skills in music because they must break down why something isn’t working, lining up or doesn’t sound right.
However, Don did the smart thing that many of us may have heard during our student-teaching: He waited. After taking some deep breaths and calming down, Don came to some realizations. Yes, he was busy, but the reality is that everyone’s busy! And this student was left off the program at a concert that he had worked hard for. The parent and child were upset, and nothing could change that. Don’s response was indicative of what I observed was at the core of his overall demeanor — honesty — and is one of the qualities that makes him a master educator.
It’s easy to get caught up in the details, but Don Stinson’s practical advice and honesty made me feel better. Sure, right now I don’t know exactly how to do every aspect of my job, but there isn’t any podcast that can prepare me for that. I could only be sure that I would bring the openness and positive attitude that my students needed. At the Summer Symposium earlier that month, master teacher 
However, new educators should understand that they can and should have the option of enjoying a life outside of their career. I shared my ups and downs with Dan. Small things, like missing out on some after-school social events. Other small things, such as not being at some of my own children’s events because of work-related items or eating poorly during busy seasons. But these small things add up to larger issues and can sneak up on you. No one plans on their health taking a negative turn, or their friend circle shrinking, or a divorce. They just “seem to happen” and can often be a result of us putting our careers ahead of our own health and wellness.
This meeting was exciting for me. Selfishly, I got a lot out of meeting with Dan. Sometimes as a teacher in the mid-stage of your career, you reflect on the things that you do, but also on the things that you used to do. As I shared my thoughts and tips with Dan — such as being vulnerable with students to encourage musical expression, writing encouraging handwritten notes on every student’s program before a concert, and creating a not-to-do list — I started to realize that I had strayed away from some of these items in my own teaching.
Since restructuring the choir program, Rogers has noted many benefits not only in increased membership numbers, but also in the educational and emotional benefits to the students. “Choir can be female-dominated in some areas, and it’s really tough for middle school boys in choir,” Rogers says. “I wanted them to be able to have comfort and a sense of camaraderie and ownership in what they’re singing. I’ve always thought that if I have a group of students with similar voices, I can devote more time to training their technique.”
Even over Zoom, Rogers had students participate in a community circle, where ensemble members all greeted each other and shared their thoughts aloud with the group.
Straw panpipe: Straw panpipes are a great way to teach about how length affects pitch and how scales work. To make a straw panpipe, you will need wide straws and materials to connect them, such as string, popsicle sticks and rubber bands, or simply tape. While you can use thin, they are much harder to get a sound on than bubble tea/boba straws.
Popsicle-Stick Harmonica: This is one of the faster projects on our list. Popsicle-stick harmonicas require rubber bands, larger popsicle sticks, and straws or toothpicks. These “harmonicas” sound a lot like kazoos. They are super fun and buzzy, so be sure to do a lot of prep on when and where your students are allowed to play their instruments!
Cardboard Trumpets: This craft is suitable for lower elementary students and teaches about sound waves and buzzing.
Paper Plate Tambourine: Here’s another simpler project for lower elementary students. You will need paper plates, jingle bells, a hole punch and some string. Because the tambourine is made of paper, students can color or paint their instruments before they put them together, allowing for more creative freedom than some of the other projects! Check out 
Give instructions before you pass out materials.
The report was released just prior to the 
I was fortunate to travel to Washington, D.C., on September 14, 2022, to participate in NAMM’s “Hill Day” advocacy push. This event was put together to drive awareness and highlight the outcomes of student participation, and most importantly, where and how money is being spent on music education. Funding educational programs takes place at all levels of government, but NAMM specifically funds and uses current research data to track what happens to that money once it is applied to various bills and the provisions in its laws. As an advocacy coalition, we take this data to legislators and have conversations about the importance of funding key programs that will impact students, teachers and communities.
Is Music Hazardous to Your Health?
Tight Neck and Shoulders
Tight Hips
A brand for your school music program or a select ensemble should not just be about designing a cool logo and throwing it on a T-shirt. Rather, it should be about creating and sustaining a unified vision and mission for your program. To be clear, a vision should center around what you want your program to be, while a mission should focus on how you intend to get there.
Many school logos come from the same source material with varying degrees of copyright permission. Perhaps you have even encountered identical mascots from two different schools. In my hometown of Chicago, it seems as though every “Home of the Mustangs” school has the exact same horse graphic! That said, my school’s Cardinal logo is strikingly similar to our namesake from the National Football League. Because of this, I am limited by copyright as to what I can design using that particular logo.
If you want to print your logo on a banner for your marching band or other large-scale media, you must ensure the digital file is rendered in high-resolution. One of the ways resolution is measured is DPI, or dots per inch. When using a graphic meant for electronic distribution (e.g., Twitter profile, website image), 72 DPI should suffice. However, most graphics that will be printed should be at least 300 DPI. The higher the DPI, the sharper the image. Rendering high-resolution artwork will result in larger file sizes, but it will look crisper and less pixilated or grainy when displayed on larger surfaces.
I had a prime opportunity to rebrand our marching band in 2013 when our school board approved the purchase of new uniforms. At the time, we did not have a band logo or any real identity. Our uniforms were almost 25 years old, and they were mostly black with very few design elements. About a third of the uniforms were missing buttons, most did not fit properly, and some were torn from years of use. Suffice to say, no one was particularly enthusiastic about suiting up for a football game or festival.
Over the course of that year, our band formed an identity steeped in our new vision and mission of empowering one another. We decided that helping other members of our organization become the best version of themselves was just as important as achieving individual success. Our students began sharing responsibility for their own learning and holding each other accountable. We intentionally and collaboratively designed rehearsal plans to keep our organization advancing toward our goals. We sought to be the band that tried together, failed together and triumphed together.
Every elected official in our community has a band T-shirt with our logo on it. Our band parents have yard signs, window clings and face masks, among other merchandise proudly displayed throughout our community. Every 8th grader from each of our feeder schools receives a brochure with our course offerings on letterhead with our logo proudly displayed. Now that we are several years into our rebrand, we have successfully used our logo in different iterations separate from our original design to showcase specific productions from year to year.
When asked what we want our students at 
Throughout the year, I experience high moments, or peaks, with students, usually during great rehearsals and times when I feel that we are connecting and making terrific music together. However, most days are “ordinary time,” or valleys, when it seems like you are going through the motions. The kids aren’t necessarily high or low, and you’re in the weeds working through music or drills.
Besides all their wonderful musical benefits, buckets have alternate uses that have become standard in my classroom. I phase out damaged performance buckets as storage for boomwhackers, guitar strings, instrument cables and everything else that needs a separate container. My music room has no chairs but with a soft pad, buckets become a tolerable sitting surface for a short amount of time. If you’ve seen the 
First, we wrote a mission statement and vision that were adopted by staff and students. Every decision made for the group goes back to these philosophies, which helped us during the early stages of creating our massive mariachi program.
By our second year, we had a true mariachi group formed within the program. Joya became an audition-only ensemble with weekly after-school rehearsals. We had some strategic marketing goals set and wanted to get out into the community as much as possible. An original theme song called “
Our plans for Year Three drastically changed because for a full 18 months, we were not able to rehearse or build on our momentum. Students were upset, attendance was at an all-time low and music-making came to a halt. Something had to be done, so we decided to produce a record. Microphones were dropped off at students’ homes and recording began in September 2020. We released our original song, “
We ended the year with the highly anticipated release of our debut album, “JOYA.” We had a sold-out album release party and consequently released three 
Although most of the students won’t become full-time mariachis after graduation, we also have a 100% career and college placement rate for the 2022 graduating class. With a few students taking over family businesses, the rest went off to colleges and vocational schools. It is my hope that they take with them the lessons they learned through our shared experience with Mariachi Joya.
In the MMET pop music program, students join forces to form multiple bands, but the collaboration doesn’t stop there. Because of the amount of collaboration required to put on a pop music show, students get a full education not just in music performance, but also in teamwork.
From the moment they receive a new song until the moment they step on stage at a concert, students have about six weeks to learn and perfect their music — for the first three weeks they focus on learning the songs, and the rest of the time is for rehearsing.
By fostering student self-sufficiency, the MMET pop program helps prepare students for music industry jobs. Whether a student is interested in performance or in the business side of music, MMET has resources to help them reach their post-graduation goals.
Our first collaboration was within our own school during the 2019-2020 school year. Ashlyn Kuyrkendall, the choral director, and I wanted to put together a big event to open 
At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, the fine arts teachers at SCHS were approached by our district’s fine arts supervisor about starting an annual end-of-the-school-year arts event in our town. We are not the largest high school in our school system, but we are home to the central office, and Columbiana has a thriving main street, which is part of every quintessential southern town. At first, we were caught off guard because this would be our first big event since the pandemic, but as we started planning, we saw how this event would be great for our community and our school system.
The second year of the event in 2021-2022 brought more challenges. This time, the arts center was completely booked, so we were only able to use our main street area. We revamped our event with some changes that really made the event shine. First, we moved the two performance stages to each end of Main Street. This created a corridor and centralized the focus of the event. The previous year, one stage was on the street and the other was around the block at the arts center. Although this allowed for a bigger footprint, the spread-out nature of the event seemed to create less of a buzz.
Montevallo has a very successful band program, and the director, 
The idea for the mural came last summer, when the band went to the back of the practice field where a giant oak tree was located. I noticed that the tree had sustained some damage, probably when a tornado came through the town in 2021 and destroyed several homes. I told the students that the tree represented our band program. We might take shots to the exterior, but our roots and interior are strong.
Turkish composer and musicologist, Ahmet Saygun (1907-1991), is known for blending Turkish folk songs with the sounds of the West. Perhaps you’ve heard of “
Liza Lehmann (1862-1918), a soprano vocalist and composer, was born in London to a German painter father and music teacher and composer mother. She is believed to be the first woman to have been commissioned to write a musical comedy. Her performing career lasted well over a decade, then she began songwriting and composing.
Étienne Nicolas Mehul (1763-1817) was dubbed “the most important opera composer in France during the Revolution.” He was a member of the French Symphonic School of music, and according to 
Although Paul Ben-Haim (1897-1984) is a composer known for his Israeli/fusion classical pieces, he was born in Munich, Germany. He studied with 
While Czech composer Leoš Janáček (1854-1828) is considered a household name amongst classical musicians, most non-musicians haven’t heard of him. He was devoted to studying folklore and folk music, which he collected extensively.
“The most important thing is choosing the appropriate music for your group,” Lowe says.
Reaching out to other band directors who have a thriving jazz program or local jazz musicians “can be very valuable, especially for high school jazz bands,” Lowe says.
He picked their brains about music selections and ways to teach the many different genres of jazz. Lowe also asked local professionals to work with his entire band or to take a sectional out and focus on a small group of students. This was a great way for him to get plugged into the local band community, and it allowed his students at TKA to hear from a variety of instructors.
Lowe has found success producing an annual Night of Jazz that features guest artists, such as the late drummer 
“The more you can take jazz to your community, the more people will rally behind your program,” Lowe says. “Jazz is so accessible, especially for the older generation, and it’s the perfect opportunity to take your band and perform at downtown marketplaces, retirement communities and 55+ communities that are looking for entertainment.”
“This is a great example of being flexible and finding different avenues for students to showcase their hard work, especially if the students are super talented,” Lowe says.
I learned these lessons the hard way.
How often have you been told “Job well done” or “Great work” after a concert or event, and you immediately give the credit to everyone else (or the ever-popular, “The kids worked so hard!”)?
In my case, I label my strengths as “green lights.” These are the things that I am naturally good at or worked incredibly hard at. Traits and characteristics in the green category would include connecting with students, writing, playing my instrument, project management and consistency.
Yes, she still gets upset and frustrated, but this does not stop her from finding a solution to the problems that come up. Furthermore, she goes into these events expecting some issues to happen. She is mentally prepared to address surprises and solve problems. If nothing happens, that’s a bonus! Nothing is perfect, and when we expect perfection, we can easily go into a downward spiral that isn’t good for anyone. Things happen, and we can choose to either react or leave it alone.
I grew up an hour outside of Chicago in the ‘90s, during the Chicago Bulls’ six championships. A lot of my childhood was spent adoring the starting lineup of the Bulls and despising any team that wasn’t them. A famous opponent of the Bulls was Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns. In a controversial 
A great mentor equips their mentees with the tools by which to seek success. As per the high stakes nature and competitiveness of the performance world, it is imperative to remember that each risk carries the potential for yet another disappointment. When trying to empower young artists to develop the confidence and self-worth to move forward (despite the continuous stream of rejections), a calculated approach to seeking performance opportunities is especially important.
The universe has an unusually clever way of bringing life full circle. For instance, a handful of my current students are singing with companies that I have performed with some years ago. Like Christina Swanson, for instance, who is currently spending her summer working as a Festival Artist with Utah Festival Opera. Will she go on for any of her cover assignments? I’m not sure. But, what I do know is that she is equipped with the tools by which to find success should she be called upon to do so.
David Amos
Andrew Gibb-Clark
Prior to the start of the academic year, draft a strategic plan for the new music program that includes a mission. Why are you there to begin a music program? What purpose does it serve? Make it concise but keep the bigger picture in mind.
All music directors wear many hats, and they are often some of the busiest people in the school building! Developing new curriculum, units and lesson plans for multiple courses at the same time is extremely time consuming and can lead to burn-out.
As music educators, we are often “othered” and may not be seen as “core” teachers. Some districts refer to the music, art and drama teachers with a condescending label like “itinerants,” and guidance counselors might think that music is “just an elective.” Other teachers or building administrators may complain about the amount of noise coming from your room. If you are a seasoned educator, you have experienced all the above and then some. However, if you are entering a new school that is not used to having music as a course offering, all these challenges will be heightened. The best way to overcome these hurdles is with community buy-in.
Open your classroom doors — figuratively and literally! Make the music room “the place to be.” Welcome students you don’t know into your room or invite them in for lunch. Get to know them. Provide a safe and welcoming environment for anyone walking into the room, whether or not they are music students.
Texas is known for great football. And where there is great football, there is often a great band. Players, coaches and spectators appreciate the energy and presence of the marching band in the stands and on the field during halftime. The band brings more fans to games, increasing the crowd’s size and spirit.
I resented the constant “drumbeat” from spirit and athletic organizations that always seemed to want a piece of our time. “Send us a drumline for this,” “Can we get a pep band for that,” “The band can’t miss that game for the biggest contest of the year.” There always seemed to be someone requesting the band at an event that took time away from rehearsals.
In June 2020, we started discussing the upcoming season and whether the football season and marching competitions would occur. I spoke weekly with Principal Gary Comalander, head football coach Mark Soto and dance team director Stephanie Trevino. My goal was to gain insight into the community outside of band to gauge the desire to participate in a season of some kind.
Our season in 2020 extended nearly to Christmas because of the schedule change, which allowed the spirit groups the opportunity to perform “Holly Jolly Holiday Parade” together at halftime in our “Holiday Extravaganza” show. This performance showcased the unity of our various teams and represented an entire season of working to support each other, overcome obstacles and keep our students safe. It was the culmination of sharing ideas and pursuing a common goal. This special energy and synergy provided a glimpse of what it could be going forward.
Highlight student athletes who also participate in band. Look for ways to showcase their accomplishments and cheer on those athlete-musicians at the games. (See photo to the right.)