#21: Amanda Kaus - Rochester, MN

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Today I am chatting with Amanda Kaus who teaches 9-12 band at Century High School in Rochester, MN.

The Century bands number close to 300 in a high school of around 1300 students - an amazing level of involvement. On top of great numbers, they are also a high performing band program. Kids are fired up about music at Century High School!

Amanda Kaus directs four curricular bands, a co-curricular jazz band, marching band, in addition to the pit orchestra for the winter musical. She has served on the MMEA leadership team as band vice president and was recently appointed as a Minnesota High School League representative. She is an active member of the local music education community.

This episode is brought to you by Eargasam Earplugs.

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I personally wear these during pep band events and indoor marching band rehearsals and they work great.

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Alright let’s dive in to our conversation.

Episode Overview

• Background - Amanda Kaus (02:38)
• Century High School (07:31)
• Marching Band (12:32)
• “The Big 9” Music Festival (16:09)
• Favorite Literature (19:57)
• Budget Purchases (23:29)
• Student Motivation, Buy-in, and Recruitment (25:24)
• Student Leadership (29:18)
• Books that have impacted teaching (36:36)
  • Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Harper Perennial Modern Classics), Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
  • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel H. Pink
  • Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, Seth Godin
• Advice for band directors (38:38)
• What makes a great band program? (40:32)

That wraps up this episode. If you want to connect with Amanda, be sure to look for a link to her band’s website in the shownotes. If you are interested in checking out any of the books that Amanda mentioned during our conversation, you can find links to these books in the show notes and on the website. Remember if you