In Today’s News

Music man White keeps tunes flowing as leader of band

This is a great great great article about Medomak Valley High School senior Patrick White.

From the article… During Medomak Valley High School home varsity basketball games this winter, the Panthers had many student-athletes they looked at to help guide the teams to success on the court, but to keep the music flowing, and the energy in the gymnasium festive and upbeat during timeouts and halftime, there was only one leader of the band and that young man was Patrick White.

White, an 18-year-old senior, was the guiding force behind the pep band as he and his small, dedicated group of music-loving schoolmates kept the tunes flowing and gave games a fun, dramatic, almost big-time collegesque-flair.

White said: “Having the opportunity to direct and be a part of such an amazing group of people is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” he said. “It’s funny, because you’d think that playing with a band and playing a sport are two totally different things, but I really think that in a lot of aspects they’re actually the same. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to break a full-court press, or if you’re running the same four measures of a certain song over and over again to get the timing right: you need a lot of patience, practice, and persistence if you’re going to be successful.”

“Probably one of the biggest skills you need to have in either activity is the ability to be a good listener, because, frankly, we’re all wrong way more than we like to think we are. Hearing and implementing what everyone has to say not only helps you see things in a different light, but in the long run will make everyone happier and more successful. At the end of the day you’re a team, regardless of whether your pregame huddle is in a locker room or next to a drum set.”

To read the entire article written by Ken Waltz CLICK HERE.

Resources Galore

Articles, Websites, Opportunities, and Much More

Thank you to everyone who sent me information that is included in this blog post.

• Kenny G on How Arts Education influenced my life:  “I think that opportunity to encounter and engage with music all those years in school would have been life-changing even if I had become Kenny G, the accountant.” Read more by CLICKING HERE.
• Assessment article – CLICK HERE.
• Engaging educators in professional development article from Education Week – CLICK HERE.
• Very interesting science education website – CLICK HERE.
• Article on using art to teach critical thinking from Edutopia – CLICK HERE.
• Art of Ed online 9th annual conference – CLICK HERE.
• Met Museum Makes 375,000 Images Free from the NY Times – CLICK HERE.
• Article from The Guardian on commission set up to explore the benefits of the arts on children in England – CLICK HERE.