High Needs, Monumental Successes: Teaching Music to Low-Income and Underserved Students

By Don Stinson

Every student deserves an excellent teacher, a fair chance at success, and the opportunity to participate in a school music program.With considerable depth and care— and wonderful practical suggestions— High Needs, Monumental Successes addresses the nuanced but critically important topic of teaching music to low-income and high-needs students.Drawing from the latest scholarship, his own life experience, and years as a music educator, author Don Stinson presents clear strategies and ideas for teaching, supporting, and advocating for these students.This book covers a range of relevant topics: attendance, classroom expectations, grading policies, mental health, motivation, programming, securing funds, time management, and locating financial resources for students, among many others. Especially helpful are the example scenarios and questions for teachers scattered throughout the book, as well as sample responses for each.High Needs, Monumental Successes keeps the best interest of the students at its core, equipping teachers with the tools they need to better understand and serve all members of their band, orchestra, choir, and general music programs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781622778003

Book preview

G-10350cover.jpgHigh Needs, Monumental Successes: Teaching Music to Low-Income and Underserved Students.

In honor of Ted Lega.

High Needs, Monumental Successes:

Teaching Music to Low-Income and Underserved Students

Don Stinson

Book layout by Martha Chlipala

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G-10350

eISBN: 978-1-62277-800-3

Print ISBN: 978-1-62277-596-5

Table of Contents

FOREWORD: Dr. Charles T. Menghini, President Emeritus, VanderCook College of Music

FOREWORD: Dr. Roosevelt Griffin, III, Band Director, Harvey School District 152; CEO, The Griffin Institute of Performing Arts

INTRODUCTION

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

PART I: Characteristics of a Low-Income/High-Needs Student: Some Facts and Observations

Understanding Poverty

Observations of Low-Income Students in Music Programs

The Types of Poverty

Minimum Wage: Breaking Down the Math

What Does It Cost to Be Poor?

Music Students: Who Are We Teaching?

Digging Deeper: YOUR SCHOOL AND YOUR STUDENTS

Your School Report Card/Accountability Report

Asking Questions

Important Terms to Know

Comparing Your Program to Your School Report Card: Is There a Place for Every Learner?

Attendance Issues: Why Do They Happen? What Could We Do?

Why Do Students Miss School or Classes?

What Is Negotiable?

Concert and Event Attendance: Providing Support

Student and Family Mobility

Grading Policies

PART II: Understanding Why and Acting with Empathy

Know (and Embrace) Your Situation

Does the Doctor Only Have Office Hours During Rehearsal?

Dealing with Perceptions

You’re So Good for a...

Some Kids Have to Make Adult Choices

Family Structures May Vary

PART III: So What Can We Do?

Music Classes: A Recipe for Chaos or Success

Instrument Issues

Breaking Traditions: Moving Beyond the Tried-and-True Ensemble Approaches?

Practicing Not Required

Elements of Our Routine

Communication

Fostering Value and Self-Respect

Behavior Expectations and Classroom Management

Proactive Measures

What Doesn’t Work

Mental Health and Poverty

Fostering Value and Respect in Your Community

Public Relations for Your Students and Program/Building Community

Low-Income Area Students in Wealthier Areas

Programming and Adapting for YOUR Ensemble

Marching Band, Show Choir, and Other Expensive Ensembles

Remote, Hybrid, and Blended Learning

Mentoring Programs

Advocate for Diversity in Teaching Staff

Undocumented Students

Special Education Students and Musical Opportunities

Post-Graduation and Your Students

PART IV: Money, Parent Groups, Student Travel

What Money Buys

The Every Student Succeeds Act

Title I Funds

How to Ask for Money

Grants and Resources

Talking to Your Students About Money

Parent Groups

Student Travel

Travel Opportunities in a Low-Income Area School

Fundraising and Paying the Bill

PART V: Competition, Motivation, and the Teacher

Competition

Are the Stakes Too High?

Competition or Cooperation?

Motivation

What About the Teacher? Work-Life Balance

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOLIET CENTRAL BAND: Privacy Disclaimer and Official Bio

ABOUT THE JOLIET CENTRAL BAND

SCENARIO RESPONSES

Scenario Response: New Student and Concert Attendance

Scenario Response: No Instrument and New Shoes

Scenario Response: Low-Quality Instrument

Scenario Response: A Scheduling Error in Ensemble Class

Scenario Response: A New Policy Threatens the Concert

Scenario Response: Teacher Layoffs and New Windows

Scenario Response: Band Trip Extension

PART VI: Appendices

APPENDIX A: Sample Documents

Sample Ensemble Routine

Sample Rehearsal Plan Formula and Implementation

Sample Proposal: New Uniforms

Sample Fundraising Campaign: Commissioning New Band Works

Sample Course Proposal:

Introductory Performance Music

High School Proposal

APPENDIX B: Setting up a 501(c)3

APPENDIX C: Evaluation Evidence

What the Music Teacher Can Do to Deliberately Document Danielson Domains

APPENDIX D: Supplementary Material: The Bandmasters Podcast Series

REFERENCES

The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.

—Diogenes

Foreword

Dr. Charles T. Menghini,

President Emeritus,

VanderCook College of Music

Another long day at the college had come to an end, and it was time to wrap up last-minute business, jump in the car, and face rush-hour traffic. It was a scene that had become all too normal as I headed out to clinic a school band in suburban Chicago. There were no GPS devices in my car or on my phone, so the only thing I had to rely on to help me measure if I was going to be on time to my commitment or not was the car radio station and their traffic on the eights. I had a responsibility to get to the school on time. Students were sitting in a band room waiting on the guest clinician who was going to help them perfect their music for an upcoming performance.

Me, I was sitting in my car, pumping my brakes, checking my watch, and waiting for the next traffic update in hopes that I would be on time so I could impart my knowledge and work my magic with these young students. It seemed like an eternity, but somehow, I arrived on time. I was met by the director, who had the band ready. These young artists were warmed up and sitting neatly and professionally in their rows. They had obviously been given the talk by the director so they could make an impression on me. They were wonderful. Their level of performance was so much more than I had hoped, but as is with every ensemble, there was another level to which they needed to aspire, and I was just the guy who was going to get them there!

We had rehearsed for about an hour and I continued to turn up the heat, degree by degree. As I imparted my latest pearl of wisdom, I glanced to my right to see a young man slouching in his chair, giving me the air that he was bored with the whole scene. Being raised in an authoritarian home and having studied with my share of authoritarian band directors and teachers, I had learned, almost to the point of perfection, how to get someone’s attention with total disregard for who was on the receiving end of my wrath. Tonight, it was this young man’s turn, a trumpet player. When the rehearsal ended, I remember saying something to him about what and why I said what I said, but I don’t think it did much to heal the wound to this young man’s psyche. Later, I learned that his mother might be giving me a call to set things straight but, fortunately for me, that did not happen.

Fast forward about ten years, and a young man walks into my office at VanderCook College of Music carrying a trumpet. He wants to transfer to VanderCook to earn his bachelor of music education degree. With an associate degree completed, he has made it clear he wants to become a band director. Having been recommended to VanderCook by his high school band director, he believes this is the place for him. I am beyond thrilled.

As we talked about his future, we also visited a bit about his past. And then it hit me—hit me like a ton of bricks. This was the same young man who, ten or so years ago, was the trumpet player who appeared to not be paying attention during MY clinic with his school band.

Fortunately, it was in the past and something he graciously could now laugh off. I wish I could have said the same thing. All of a sudden, those bricks that hit me got a bit heavier, and I felt a sense of guilt and remorse I carry with me to this day. Here I sat with a doctorate degree in hand and had just been reminded that my degree did not dot all the I’s or cross all the T’s that I needed in my role as teacher. I was unaware of all the things of which I was unaware. As I look back, I realize that it is too bad I did not have a manual to help me learn more and help me understand things and situations that so many of my students endured during the forty-one years I taught band in public schools and college.

Now that has changed. Thanks to the life experiences and vision of Don Stinson we have a manual, driven by real-life experiences and observations, to help us learn about and chart those waters that were never sailed in our undergraduate or graduate degree journeys.

High Needs, Monumental Successes: Teaching Music to Low-Income and Underserved Students is more than a book. It is a resource. It is a must-read for every teacher at every level. Though it just so happens to be written by a band director, this band director has lived life as a low-income, underserved student—a band director who, as a junior high school student, sat in a rehearsal with his friends only to be singled out by a clinician who simply did not understand.

As I read this book, I learned much—so much that if there is an after-life and if I get to come back as a band director or teacher, I will use it as my manifesto, my instruction manual on how to be more effective and more human, both on the podium and off.

If you have spent any time in the classroom, and especially if you teach music or are a band director, you will relate to the stories and situations that are expertly presented in the chapters to follow. As you do, please take them to heart. Learn from them. Hopefully when that day comes and you are stuck in traffic, you will arrive with greater empathy and understanding than I did, and you will arrive better equipped to help every child learn.

Foreword

Dr. Roosevelt Griffin, III,

Band Director,

Harvey School District 152;

CEO, The Griffin Institute of Performing Arts

While in high school, I was in awe of many teachers’ ability to relate and engage with students. These abilities must have been a gift given at birth because they were present with some but absent in others. These gifted educators saw my full potential and were very instrumental in my successes in and out of the classroom. I was raised, along with my younger brother, with limited financial resources and an abundance of support from my mother. She provided an environment that was loving and nurturing, and she strongly encouraged academic excellence and civic duty. She pushed us to be actively involved in sports and other activities that would teach us valuable life skills. I considered her to be very progressive in her approach to parenting, constantly wanting better for us. This active lifestyle was fun, but there were specific tasks and lifestyle considerations that, at times, seemed difficult for a mother with two children to manage and endure. It required sacrifice and commitment from her as well other members of our support system. This included family members, neighbors, and, yes, even teachers.

Fortunately, my teachers understood the sacrifices made in my home and wanted to contribute to my success. They understood that public transportation was a reality for me. They understood that a job while in high school was not a choice, but it was a necessity. They understood, without lowering standards, that accommodations may be required to ensure my success. They understood that my mother’s income should not determine the quality of my educational experiences.

I recall my mother being unable to afford the purchase of a band instrument when I was in fifth grade. My band director at the time, another gifted educator, was determined to not let this deter my participation. Not only did he arrange for my transportation to and from rehearsals, he provided me with a school-owned instrument at no cost. It was different than the instrument that I was currently playing, but it would allow me to stay in band. That gesture positioned me to go on to do a lot more than play Hot Cross Buns on a new instrument. I went on to become the first person in our family to attend college. Not only was I a first-generation college student, but I received a full scholarship which resulted in a bachelor of arts degree in music performance. I am now a successful music educator and business owner with a doctorate and an international reach in music education. This would not have been possible without the care and understanding of a gifted educator.

My current area of expertise lies in teaching in areas of need, working with many students with upbringings similar to mine. I use my experiences and knowledge to teach with a level of empathy that empowers my students to also reach musical excellence and civic awareness. This approach holds much weight in my professional success. Don Stinson’s High Needs, Monumental Successes: Teaching Music to Low-Income and Underserved Students is a great resource for educators and future educators alike to begin to understand how they might effectively teach in schools of need. Although there are many approaches regarding this subject, Stinson’s work provides insight and a different perspective to those who may be uncomfortable or lack experience. It does not alter who you are, but rather provides considerations and valuable tools to help you reach beyond the barriers associated with educating all students. The bottom line is this: It is not a student or their socioeconomic background that results in success. It is the willingness and desire of the educator to bring out the excellence within the student. Whether they attend a school that has ample resources or a school that has very few, students are equally gifted. They just need someone humble and willing to bring it out.

Introduction

Music is expensive and time consuming. Countless articles and studies describe the benefits of music education and participation, but for low-income and underserved families, many factors prevent access. There are, of course, financial barriers—but the issue is more complex. There are also extenuating circumstances that may prevent families from developing an adequate support system, and while many of these families recognize the benefits of music education, they need guidance on the decisions that will best support their child’s development.

There are many terms used to describe students without a lot of money or support. Low-income, high-needs, underserved, less fortunate, poor, poverty-stricken, and impoverished immediately come to mind. I relate closely to the terms low-income, high-need because, at times, I was one of them. I grew up in Joliet, Illinois, and by the time I was in third grade, I had lived in five different apartments and houses. One residence was a one-bedroom apartment in the back of a water softener shop in Crest Hill, Illinois. I later found out that my parents worked in the shop to get a discount on living expenses. Our next apartment was in a rough part of town, on a four-house, dead-end street.

Gang-affiliated hangouts took up half of the road. We experienced two break-ins, one on the night of my mother and stepfather’s wedding. My mother, stepfather, and I later moved into a rent-to-own house, where we lived until I was college-aged. My mother had had a difficult life. She became pregnant at fifteen with her first child, my half-brother. She had two more children with her first husband, but a sudden accident killed him, leaving her widowed with three children. I came from her second marriage, but my father left us when I was three. My mother eventually remarried. She worked as a waitress and did taxes on the side until she became disabled and could no longer work. My stepfather was a forklift mechanic. Eventually, he was laid off from his job in Illinois and had to travel across state lines to work in Wisconsin. My parents tried hard, but never found financial success. Frequently, they spent too much money, and other times, emergencies would wipe us out for the month. I worked in some capacity starting in fifth grade, holding two paper routes and mowing lawns. As a high schooler, I focused on band and academics, but outside of school, I taught private lessons and worked at a sandwich shop and a video rental store. I kept some of the money that I earned, and I gave some to my parents to help pay the phone bill and cover emergencies.

This is my story, but it is not unique; there are more similarities than differences in my upbringing compared with friends in my area. I still struggle to shed the low-income label that others placed on me (or that I put on myself), but I can say with confidence that the school system saved me. My schools and teachers helped my classmates and me to have a fighting chance in the world. They understood the value of every student, regardless of income level or experience.

This book is intended to help other schools and teachers do the same. Its goal is to paint a picture of the backgrounds and experiences of low-income and high-needs students, and provide strategies and ideas to help music educators teach, support, and advocate for students from low-income and high-needs situations. Chances are, we all have at least one student affected by poverty in our music classroom. Teaching performance music in a low-income and high-needs area has specific challenges, but it can be rewarding and impactful for the students, teachers, and community. Every student deserves an excellent teacher and a fair chance at success.

How to Use This Book

You can read this book either beginning to end or in segments relevant to your specific situations. Some sections are written from a research or scholarly writing perspective, while others evolved from particular situations I have encountered, both as a student and teacher. Some sections are stand-alone stories of how I have encountered and overcome challenges with this population. The characteristics of students and programs may be familiar, but I’m sure that many of us deal with new situations each year. If you have teaching experience, you know that interruptions are a given, and this book is no exception. Teaching is not a straight line and nearly every story is relevant, so you will see that I provide tips and side notes along the way.

A note on numbers and statistics: Information about poverty, including minimum wage and assistance programs, has been included with the most up-to-date numbers, and we can only hope that these numbers quickly become outdated because we have moved in a positive direction.

If time is on your side, I recommend a cover-to-cover approach to this book, to help you experience the wide and evolving gamut of teaching low-income area students through music. If you’re in the thick of it, refer to the table of contents to find the section that best fits your situation. Throughout, I have included many samples of planning documents; feel free to adapt these if they are helpful for you and your program. I have also included scenarios with questions music teachers may encounter throughout their career. The end of the book contains responses to these scenarios, but there are no right or wrong answers. I encourage you to respond on your own before viewing my opinions. The scenarios I present are based on various teachers’ situations and experiences, but I’ve changed names, locations, times, and other identifiers to respect and protect the privacy of students, parents, teachers, and schools. Because low-income and underserved populations are a diverse group, the stories are broad, and no population should be overgeneralized or pigeon-holed. Everyone’s low-income experiences are unique.

As you read, you may wonder about things I left out. You may ask, What about this? or Why did you omit a group or situation? Please know that I did not deliberately omit anyone or anything. The more I wrote, the more complex the topic became and the harder this project was to finish. Several of these chapters could be the topic of a separate book. Education changes frequently. Existing challenges in low-income areas may be addressed just in time for new challenges to immediately replace them. You’ll also encounter a fair amount of healthy hypocrisy from me. For example, I am a proponent of student autonomy in the music classroom, but I also require my woodwind players to use a specific reed brand and strength. I stand by both of these statements.

This book is many things, but its most important function is to act as a springboard to help music teachers look deeper into all parts of their classes and programs.

Part I:

Characteristics of a Low-Income/High-Needs Student: Some Facts and Observations

Understanding Poverty

The federal poverty line for a family of four in the United States is $26,200. ¹ Poverty typically refers to those without enough income or material possessions to fulfill basic human needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Individuals and families living in poverty either go without or survive with lower quality versions of these basic needs.

The National Center for Children in Poverty states that Black, American Indian, and Hispanic children are disproportionately economically disadvantaged, with approximately 60% considered low-income. 28% of white and Asian students are considered low-income, and 40% of students identifying as other races are low-income. These students are more likely to come from parents who are immigrants, and these parents are less likely to have a college education or, in some cases, even a high school diploma.²

Low-income students are more likely to have divorced parents or may be raised by one parent. High rates of mobility are prevalent; some students may move multiple times before they are 18. Most of these families rent; only 35% of low-income families report owning a home. They may struggle to pay utility and housing bills. Children may not have health insurance. If they do, there is a chance that they are covered under public insurance programs.³

Observations of Low-Income Students in Music Programs

For the last five years, I have taught in an urban school district where 73% of the students are considered at or below the poverty line. The school racial/ethnic diversity is 65% Hispanic, 18% Black, 14% white, 2.4% two or more races, .5% American Indian, and .4% Asian. 16% of our students receive special education and related services in accordance with an individualized education program. Nearly 3% of our students are homeless, and 12% of our students move in or out of our school each school year. Our graduation rate is 73%, and 36% of our students are considered chronic absentees.

In my time working with low-income students in a band program, I regularly must accommodate for challenges typical of low-income communities: unpredictable behavior, poor school attendance, and a lack of proper materials. Many students in my program either do not have an instrument or have a low-quality instrument that does not meet minimum requirements. An increasing number of my students do not regularly attend school, rehearsals, or concerts. Their reasons are varied: Some have outside jobs, some don’t have transportation, others come from differing family priorities, and still others simply lack family support for their musical pursuits.

Families who struggle to meet basic needs are under daily stress, and these students and families operate in a state of fight or flight. They often appear unprepared for difficult situations and when challenged will either give up or overreact. Their reactions can seem disproportionate and their behavior can appear unpredictable. It can sometimes appear that they lack the capacity to meet social norms. Many low-income students place an inordinately heavy emphasis on respect and may seem to overreact if they feel disrespected. The me first attitude is prevalent; a lot of convincing and teaching must happen to help these students see that commitment and group work is essential. Previous teachers, schools, and personal experiences may influence their willingness to trust.

Maslow matters. As the American psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote in his influential heirarchy of needs paper of 1943, people whose basic human needs are not met are not likely to meet higher goals, either.⁴ This plays out daily in the music room: Students without adequate food and shelter are more focused on survival skills than on Sousa. It’s natural for the music educator to focus on musical elements and become occupied with fixing a phrase or correcting a note, but you’re only going to get so far when you are working with students who may be ill or unhealthy due to food and health issues, or who are simply not getting enough sleep. (The latter may be typical of most high school students!)

People who have not interacted with students from low-income backgrounds may only know the incomplete and stereotypical portrayal they see in the media. I’ve had a number of guests, including clinicians, guest artists, and colleagues, who were apprehensive to visit my school. Some told me that they expected to walk into a tough situation with some big, intimidating students. What they found was not much different than their own schools and neighborhoods. This surprised many of them. After some discussions, we realized that they had never experienced students from these areas outside of what they saw in some popular movies and TV shows. Inner-city high school kids in Hollywood films are often played by actors in their late twenties and thirties, raising our expectations that the real-life inner-city kids are more mature than the children they actually are. Media has portrayed some of these students as lacking self-esteem, fragile, potentially violent or uncontrollable, or even lost causes. Rural students don’t get a fair shake, either. Many films and shows attempt to paint rural people as simplistic, uneducated, and bigoted. They may use rural people as comic relief, or a character to be looked down upon. These portrayals unfortunately reinforce widely held preconceptions and biases that poor people are uneducated or lazy. This is untrue, of course. Students from low-income areas are in essence no different than the rest of us. When properly understood, respected, and supported, they have the potential to look, act, and learn just like other children, and they deserve the same high standards and rigor presented to students in so-called better performing schools.

My real-world experiences and observations have encouraged me to look more deeply into how and why people live in poverty and how we as teachers—specifically music teachers—can provide a better learning experience and equal access to success through empathy, understanding, and a shift in classroom and music program management.

The Types of Poverty

Poverty is more complicated than just not having enough money. Understanding the wide variety of ways in which individuals and groups are affected by poverty can help teachers get the best from every student. Though every situation is unique, most poverty situations can be categorized. Eric Jensen’s Teaching with Poverty in Mind describes the six types of poverty.⁵

Situational poverty

Situational poverty occurs when a sudden