Everything Band Podcast

Mickey Smith Jr. is as inspirational a music educator as you will ever meet. He is a middle school band director in Louisiana and the most recent recipient of the Grammy Music Educator Award. Topics: Growing up in a “forgotten town” in Louisiana and how he started out practicing his saxophone outside in the forest and how it took him out of that town and into a career. “You can con a con, fool a fool, but you can never kid a kid” - A conversation on perspective. “First Days, Lasting Ways” and the “GPS for Success” - Mickey’s plan for the first days of school. A conversation about teaching our own children music and how to make sure that we deposit more than we withdraw when working with our students. Be a S.O.U.N.D. adult = See yourself beyond yourself, Operate with optimism and excellence, Utilize all available resources, Nourish relationships, and Don’t stop. Links: Mickey Smith Jr. Grammy Music Educator Award Wong & Wong: First Days of School Balmages: Moscow 1941 Biography: The name Mickey Smith,