#30: Jonathan Chance - Luverne, AL

Hello and welcome to the Band Director’s Lounge!

My interview today takes us to the southern United States.

Jonathan Chance is from Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Troy State University and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. He has been the Director of Bands at Luverne High School for the past 15 years and has built the band program to over 200 students’ program wide. He is happily married to Beverly Chance, and they have two daughters Annalee and Brylee.  In his free time he enjoys playing Golf and spending time with his Family.

I think you are going to enjoy hearing about Mr.Chance’s program and some of his thoughts on teaching band and building a successful band program!

Before we get to the interview I want to remind you that there are a number of ways to support this podcast and help ensure that it stays operational. All of these methods are listed in the show notes. Don’t worry, I am not asking for you to write a check for a donation (though you can certainly do that through paypal). 

One of the simplest ways is to check out the Books From Episodes list on TheBandDirectorsLounge.com website. This list of books has been curated from recommendations from fellow band directors that have been on the program and include many of the books they have found inspiring and foundational to their teaching. By clicking through the links on our website and ultimately purchasing those books on Amazon, this podcast receives a small affiliate percentage that helps offset some of the hosting costs of the podcast. It’s a seemingly small task on your part, especially if you are looking for new books, but it helps us out a ton.

Okay, now onto my interview with Jonathan Chance.

Episode Overview

• Background (01:52)
• Luverne High School (05:10)
• Marching Band (08:45)
• Working with Coaches & Marching Practice (12:38)
• Recruitment (16:50)
• Local Enrichment Opportunities, Co-curriculars, and Busy Kids (18:07) 
• Alabama Performance Assessment (30:09)
• Favorite Literature, Victor Lopez, and Robert W.Smith (32:01)
• Curricular Rehearsal Plan (33:33)
• Useful Budget Purchase (36:00)
• Challenging Teaching Moment (38:05)
• Motivation & Marketing (40:40)
• Student Leadership (45:34)
• Books That Have Impacted Teaching (47:11)
• • Payne Stewart: The Authorized Biography, Tracey Stewart
• Advice for Young Band Director (48:18)
• What Makes a Great Band Program (51:34)

 

And that wraps up today’s episode.

 

If you enjoyed this episode or any other episode, consider leaving a review on any of the platforms that you listen to the show on. Itunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or Facebook. Your reviews, with or without written feedback, help get the word out about the show. At the end of the day I am doing this podcast to not only improve my own knowledge and skill set but hopefully provide this as a resource to the greater music education community. If you are able to help promote this program I would greatly appreciate it!

 

If you