#23: Erik Hermanson - Cleveland, MN

Today’s guest is Erik Hermanson who teaches 6-12 band in Cleveland, MN. Erik has built a program over 25 years that has an incredible amount of administrative, community, parent, and student support. He has approximately 90% of the student population in the band program and also serves as his school’s co-head football coach. Erik is a world class community builder, band director, and leader and I think that you will find SO many take-aways in today’s episode. This one was a real treat for me and I am excited to finally share it. You are not going to want to miss this interview!

Minnesota directors likely know of Erik as his band program has received positive press over the last couple of years. You can read all about it in this Startribune Article:

http://www.startribune.com/in-cleveland-minn-pop-715-a-dynamic-band-conductor-has-built-a-powerhouse/414828834/#19

Before we get started with the interview, a quick mention that this episode is brought to you by audible.

• If you are like me, you love reading books. However after a long day of teaching combined with family life, when your head hits the pillow at night you find yourself waking up in the morning with the book that you intended to read on your face, and being unsure of if you actually read anything.
• Enter audiobooks from Audible. Audio books aren’t new, but you maybe haven’t explored their full use. Like podcasts, they are great for listening to on your commute to and from work or playing in the background during work time in your classroom. I find myself over the course of a week or two completing an audiobook during all of my workouts and drive time to and from school.
• If you are interested in upping your “reading” game, check out this offer from The Band Director’s Lounge. You can get a free month of Audible and 2 free books when you use our referral link. Books that you acquire through audible are yours to keep even if you stop your subscription, so it is totally worth checking out!
• Audible - 30 days free + 2 free books (https://amzn.to/2UQqgCb 

Now onto my conversation with Erik!

 

Background (02:28)

Cleveland, MN (09:15)

Turning the ship around & building a program (11:35)

Co-Head Football Coach (46:10)

Family Life (52:47)

Community & Band (55:02)

Books (63:35)

• Knight: My Story, Bobby Knight
• Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life, Mike Krzyzewski
• Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography, Lou Holtz

Advice for band directors (65:35)

What makes a great band program? (66:51)

 

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And that wraps up our conversation. Something that I forgot to bring up with Erik in our conversation is his regular use o