#13: Book Review - Teaching Music With Passion, Peter Loel Boonshaft

The Band Director's Lounge Podcast

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Hello and welcome to the Band Director’s Lounge!

This week we are going to change gears a little bit and take a break from director interviews and explore a book.

Peter Loel Boonshaft is currently on the faculty of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where he is Professor of Music, Director of Bands and Director of the Graduate Conducting Program. He is co-author of Alfred Music Publishing’s new beginning method book series, Sound Innovations for Band and Sound Innovations for Strings. However he is perhaps most famous for his books for music educators:

Teaching Music with Passion (2002)

Teaching Music with Purpose (2006)

Teaching Music with Promise (2009)

Teaching with Passion, Purpose, and Promise (2010) (for non-music educators)

Each of these books offers insight and wisdom about conducting, rehearsing, and just generally recharging your music educator batteries. If anyone remember picking up the “Chicken Soup for the _____ soul books” in the 90’s, these books are kind of in the same vein. Boonshaft has written a collection of articles and essays about different facets of teaching music and interweaves inspirational quotes and personal anecdotes.

When I first started teaching, I asked a colleague who leads a great band program in the local area if he could recommend any good books for a young band director and he immediately pulled out these books. In fact, I remember him pulling it out of his desk drawer at school because even after reading it, he continues to revisit the book for additional inspiration.

The nice thing about these books is that they are concise, running around 150 pages from cover to cover. More importantly each of the sections of the book are well thought-out but are short and digestible. The music teachers’ day is long and if you have a family, that day can be even longer. I know that when I lay down to read at night I am sometimes lucky if I make it two or three pages before passing out. If you can relate, than this text is for you! You can still get something out of it in only a couple pages and most of it is immediately applicable to your teaching day the next day.

Rather than spend time telling you about what is in the book, I wanted to read several excerpts from it. There is a lot that is covered concerning preparing for and leading rehearsals, conducting, and just inspirational food for thought to keep you going during the school year.