Welcome to my new project called Mr. V’s Words of Inspiration.  I will be sending these out from time to time, and I hope you take a few minutes to read them.

In these short messages, I will share things I observe students doing well in our band program.  Many of these are things you may never notice unless they are pointed out.  I will not mention names, because I believe these lessons can apply to anyone.  My goal is to show how your participation in band not only makes you a better musician, but also helps you develop valuable life skills that you can use in whatever your future holds.

Here is the first one:

Recently, I was talking to a student who had just completed a major festival where she was evaluated on her performance.  She was very excited when she received her results.  Later, I saw her in the hallway, and she started to question how she had done so well.  She had a hard time believing she placed that high.  I reassured her that the results were accurate and that she truly earned them.

The truth is, she put in the work.  I heard her practicing.  I saw her take her instrument home.  I watched her spend time memorizing her scales.

The message is simple.  Hard work pays off.  It is not always easy, but the reward is always worth it.