Tomorrow is the day that my orchestration students have a chance to hear their final projects read by a group of volunteers drawn the from the University’s band program. Last semester this went off without a hitch and with only a little bit of extra work required of me, primarily because my colleague who directs the bands is a great organizer and goes out of his way to help the students in my course. The whole thing went very smoothly and was relatively easy to manage.

This semester is a completely different story. My colleague is out of town, the marching band has its leadership retreat, and the jazz ensemble has a rehearsal, all on the same afternoon of the reading! To top it all off, the printer in the music department computer lab is being fickle and not working properly. This is exactly the type of logistical nightmare that used to drive me crazy as a high school music teacher!

Despite the problems and challenges posed in organizing the reading, I would do it a hundred times over. Besides the obvious value of the students hearing their arrangements, it is precisely these types of situations that create the best “teachable moments” and bring the greatest rewards for all those involved. After all, it is the end of the semester, and the stress of this time of year is both motivating and gratifying. I’m not sure if the student’s feel the same way as I do, but I think they will look back and be pleased with the experience.