R&L Education / National Association for Music Education (NAfME)
Pages: 266
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Trim: 6⅜ x 9½
978-1-61048-345-2 • Hardback • September 2011 • $112.00 • (£86.00)
978-1-61048-346-9 • Paperback • September 2011 • $56.00 • (£43.00)
Ron Kearns is a retired band director, performing artist and record producer. He adjudicates festivals and conducts clinics throughout the United States and Canada.
Part 1 Part One and Part Two
Chapter 2 Chapter 1. So You Want to Be a Band Director!
Chapter 3 Chapter 2. Building a Program in Your Current School or a New School
Chapter 4 Chapter 3. Creating a Handbook for Band
Chapter 5 Chapter 4. Developing Lesson Plans
Chapter 6 Chapter 5. A Successful First Performance
Chapter 7 Chapter 6. Developing a Support System for your Band Program
Chapter 8 Chapter 7. Festival Participation and Preparation
Chapter 9 Chapter 8. Developing a Budget for Your Band
Chapter 10 Chapter 9. Developing Musicianship in Band Class
Chapter 11 Chapter 10. Classroom Management
Chapter 12 Chapter 11. Improving Your Band's Performance
Chapter 13 Chapter 12. Developing an Elementary Band Program
Chapter 14 Chapter 13. Structuring Your Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble
Chapter 15 Chapter 14. Using Small Ensembles to Improve Your Band's Sound
Chapter 16 Chapter 15. Developing Satellite Groups for Your Band
Chapter 17 Chapter 16. Developing a Marching Band as Part of the Complete Band Program
Chapter 18 Chapter 17. Developing a Jazz Ensemble as Part of Your Overall Band Program
Chapter 19 Chapter 18. Using Technology and Multimedia in Band Class
Chapter 20 Chapter 19. Quick Fixes and Emergency Repairs
Chapter 21 Chapter 20. Non Music Responsibilities of Band Directors
Chapter 22 Chapter 21. General Program Management
Chapter 23 Chapter 22. Sample Forms
Ron Kearns has created a thorough, detailed, and practical approach to developing a successful band program based on the experiences and knowledge he acquired as a band director for thirty years. Well done!
— Robert White, instructional facilitator of music, Howard County Public Schools
Ron Kearns' book will prove to be a "must have" resource for any band director - rookie or not. It is full of ideas and tips that are immediately applicable and usable.
— Bill Hollin, music educator, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, Hagerstown, Maryland
Ron Kearns' reference guide for building and maintaining a band program is more than just another resource book for instrumental music teachers in the public and private sector. It is a 'must-have' addition to the library of any band director interested in improving the quality of his or her instrumental music program from top to bottom…it helps solve problems. Band directors have to be 'jacks of all trades'—this book arms them with all the tools and suggestions they need to become successful instrumental music teachers. It is well thought out and presented in an easy-to-read manner.
— Willie L. Hill Jr., chair, MENC Society for Jazz Education
Ron Kearns' Quick Reference for Band Directors will quickly become one of the most referenced documents in the field of music education. Kearns has taken his 30 years of experience teaching music to create a how-to-manual on seemingly everything you need to know about presenting solid principles on the fundamentals of building a successful band program. I highly recommend this book to not only the newly minted band director, but to those experienced directors who are still looking for better, more efficient ways to develop their programs.
— Rufus Jones Jr.
Everything you need to know at your fingertips—from a director who has done it all. An excellent resource for new directors as well as experienced ones.
— Sally Wagner, director of bands, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt, Maryland
Kearns devoted one chapter to developing an elementary program and another to having a successful first performance. His tone is direct and conversational. The twenty-two chapters are complete in themselves, and the detailed table of contents enables the reader to go directly to the chapter related to his or her immediate need….The author’s thirty years of teaching experience is most evident in his recommendations for managing boosters organizations, recruiting, being a colleague within the whole-school environment, and the focus on musicality in all types of band settings. With separate chapters on small ensembles, marching band, and jazz band, Quick Reference for Band Directors encompasses the breadth of ensembles a high school director is expected to be familiar with. Many chapters conclude with lists of composers and publishers, which will be useful for younger directors who may need guidance in repertoire selection. Kearns’ matter-of-fact writing style should make this text an accessible resource for developing band directors.
— Music Educators Journal