Reflection on Interview
Mr. Randy Greenwell

On October 30, 2006, I observed my former band director, Mr. Randy Greenwell, in action at Lawrence Central High School. The purpose of this visit was to remind myself of some of the ways that administrative duties are handled at LC and to interview Mr. Greenwell to learn some more specifics.

The actual time spent at LC on the 30th ended up being much less than I had planned. Upon arriving at LC, Mr. Greenwell remembered that he had to leave around 10:00 to go to a dentist’s appointment, but would return around 12:00. However, it should also be said that my time of observation was not all that informative. When I was a student, I was very involved with the performing arts office; I was a student assistant my senior year, so I did many administrative duties. Also, as one of the “favorite students,” I was often asked to do things that most students normally would, including updating instrument databases, re-organizing the music library, and adjusting the Microsoft Access database for the financial accounts, among many other things. Lastly, I have spent the last three summers as paid staff working with the marching band. These experiences have allowed me to see nearly every possible facet of the Lawrence Central band program (as well as the whole performing arts department, really).

The program as a whole is entirely too complex and extensive to describe every thing that I agree or disagree with. In general, though, I feel that the program runs very well and with all the right motivations and intentions. I think that this is very important; far too many band programs have their musical and competitive goals and priorities out of order. While I certainly not endorse a Machiavellian perspective where the ends justify the means, I would say that the means can be wrong, regardless of the ends. Most importantly, if the beginnings, the underlying attitudes, are not appropriate, the means nor the ends will be the best that can be offered the students.

LC is all about making music. As a member as well as an outsider (whose perspectives have changed since leaving LC), I can honestly say that LC puts the most emphasis on having musical experiences. In rehearsal and in performance, the directors (Matt James is Randy’s assistant) attempt to convey musical concepts and techniques to the students. As ensemble directors, they do not function with “lesson plans” that include learning modules other than ensemble rehearsing (despite some schools of thought that would say this is useful). However, they come to every rehearsal well-prepared (well, almost every rehearsal) and with a clear plan in mind. This method does not preclude learning. To have an effective rehearsal, learning is necessary. They will take the time to talk about the history of the piece or of the genre, about the composer or the time in history, or about a specific musical concept or technique contained within the piece at hand. These discussions all require the students to learn, but they also improve the quality of the ensemble. In my opinion, this is the best way to run an ensemble class, an ensemble rehearsal. This method can be successful in the high school level as well as the collegiate level, but middle school ensembles need a bit more individual attention (as well as the teaching of simple things such as fingerings and notation).

From an administrative point of view, a couple of roles must be described. First, LC does not have a band booster program. Instead, they have the Lawrence Central Performing Arts Association, Inc. (LCPAA), a 501c3 not-for-profit (tax-exempt) organization, which has its own board and participating members. It is not legally bound to the high school at all, but it works in concert with LC’s programs and activities. The Director of Performing Arts (Matt James) sits on LCPAA’s board as the only non-elected member. LCHS essentially pays teacher salaries and, when money is available (often actually through the Lawrence Township Foundation), purchases instruments, uniforms, and music. Otherwise, nearly everything else is handled through the LCPAA. Also, the students do not pay fees to the high school. Each student has an yearly “quota” fee that is paid directly to the LCPAA. This quota covers all appropriate costs for the year. It is from these funds (as well as fundraising), then, that other staff is paid, entry fees are paid, music is licensed, transportation is arranged, and so forth. While Matt holds the position of Director of Performing Arts, Randy is the Performing Arts Department Chair. Thus, he handles the school-related side of everything. He goes to the school-wide department chair meetings and deals with the financial issues that the school is involved in. They work together very well, both from an administrative point of view as well as a musical point of view.

When asked about his daily routine, Randy stated that, aside from the obvious time spent in rehearsal, the main thing he regularly deals with is discipline. Even this, he said, really isn’t that bad and does not take a ton of time. He said that he most of the discipline time is actually spent with what he calls “needy” kids – kids who may not so much be in trouble as are just in need of attention, who have some emotional issues, who are having personal conflicts with other students, or are just minor discipline problems in class. He only deals with these kinds of issues really only arise 2-3 times a month, he said.

One of the most interesting things that we talked about during our interview portion was regarding his organization methods. First, he said that he makes lists. Most of his lists are only mental, but he has found it important to compartmentalize and arrange the things he has to do. He also attempts to keep a very solid calendar. Both for his ensemble’s events as well as his other professional events, he tries to set these dates as early as possible and keep them as rigid as possible, so that he can remember and so that further planning goes more smoothly. Finally, he said that he takes specific times to just answer the phone and emails. Saying you “have to make choices,” Randy talked about how for much of the day he will not answer the phone, even if he’s nearby and hears it ringing. But once his designated hour or two of phone/email/communication time arrives, then that is all that he does for this time. You just have “to compartmentalize,” he said, describing that this is the only way he has found in which everything will actually get done.

Overall, I cannot say that I agree 100% with everything that is done at Lawrence Central. However, I also cannot presently think of anything, at least anything significant, that I would do differently. I think the ensembles, the rehearsals, and the performance products are all top-notch, and they serve as an excellent model to many band programs nation-wide. Administratively, many things are done atypically at LC, in particular existing without a booster organization but with a completely separate, incorporated entity. Despite some occasional flaws, this setup works quite effectively in this situation. By no means would I say that this setup is best for all programs; I simply believe that it is the best setup for LC. As I head into the profession in another year and a half, I will certainly keep in mind the lessons learned and methods observed at Lawrence Central and apply whatever aspects I find appropriate.

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