Some of you may not know that just over a year ago (as of the original posting date), I made a profession change. While I did not change my avocation, I did change my vocation. Arts and the LOVE of music are still where my heart is fullest. My transition to a vastly different field exemplifies and demonstrates the values of the skillsets that I developed through my profession as an educator and collegiate band director, and the positive impact and ROI that they do (can) represent to outside-of-academia industries and corporations.

Years ago, it became clear to me that ensemble directors, in particular -band directors and marching band directors, had similar attributes and skillsets as Corporate Leaders, Managers, Presidents, and Vice-Presidents. I began writing small blurbs about this in various articles and addressing those similarities from time to time in clinics that I would present throughout the U.S.

My most recent article about this may still be found here on MusTech.Net in September of 2016, titled: How being a Band Director is like Being a CEO. There is no question that those of us who had the “full experience” of running a successful band program have developed leadership attributes and skills that parallel those in corporate management.

The following slideshow outlines these attributes and is an outgrowth of my continuing thoughts related to this phenomenon:

This is from one of my clinics that I performed at the 2019 Music For All Summer Symposium at Ball State University. It was well-received by the band directors in attendance and provided some much-needed self-value and insight to many of those in attendance that struggle with the vastness of what we do as marching band directors. Please feel free to share this with your administrators and supervisors as a part of their “ongoing education” process as to what we do as ensemble directors and why we need their help and their support.

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