Ask Mike
Helping other Music Educators learn from our mistakes! No need to reinvent the wheel, Mike has been there and done that. Just ask Mike!
Mike Lunney spent 31 successful years as a head band director in the State of Texas, where his bands were consistently recognized as superior bands. Mike is still active as a clinician, mentor and adjudicator.
Derrick Killam has been involved in school music programs in the state of Texas since 1990 through music retail. Derrick has been a repair tech, shop foreman, Education Rep and currently is the Operations Manager for N-Tune Music and Sound, a NAMM Top 100 Dealer!
Episodes
48 episodes
Want a Better Band? The Man In The Mirror
After talking about rehearsal space, warm-ups, tuning, planning rehearsals, and problem solving with our groups, in this episode, Mike Lunney encourages us all to be willing to also stop and do some honest evaluation of our teaching and relatio...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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59:19
Planning the Perfect Rehearsal
The elusive perfect rehearsal. Neither Mike or Anthony will fess up if they've ever had a perfect rehearsal, but they can share ways you can plan for one! And know when rehearsal is over that progress was made... that's perfect.
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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50:36
Problem Solving: All the Things
Continuing with our guest, Anthony Gibson, the Ask Mike crew looks at several sets of problems and how to solve them! You can do it!
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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57:43
Recruiting and Retention: Tips for Keeping the Butts in the Seats!
In this episode of Ask Mike, guest Anthony Gibson shares tips for recruiting and retaining the most important part of your program, the students! Taken from session notes presented at many professional organizations and conferences, take some n...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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57:30
Warm Up and Tuning: Put Some Respect On It
Is your ensemble's warm up just something to give you time to take attendance? Do your students know why, and more importantly what the purpose of the warm ups are? Are you teaching your ensemble to tune as an ensemble, or do you give concert F...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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45:02
The Band Hall: Create the Ambiance for Success
The first of three sessions that our friend, Anthony Gibson, sat in with the guys at Ask Mike. Mr. Gibson is well versed in creating an atmosphere for success in the rehearsal hall. Your group will rehearse and perform better when you create an...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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39:49
Don't Get Trapped in a Glass Case of Emotions!
The stress of spring, contest season, losing students in your rehearsal to other activities and groups... it adds up. But Mike Lunney has some suggestions for helping to manage the emotional season. He even had to practice some of them on Derri...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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38:43
Spring Cleaning: Tone to Dynamics
Spring Cleaning, not everybody loves it but we probably all need to do a little! Whether it's our characteristic sounds and tone, our articulation, or dynamics. Mike Lunney is here to advocate for all of it! And encourage you in the process! Ti...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:22:33
Music Education the Saban Way
Mike Lunney discusses great thoughts from "How Great Do You Want To Be" by Nick Saban, and relates these thoughts to our perspective as music educators.
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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54:45
Success: What is Our Product?
Fantastic visit with Stephen Cox of the Willis Wonderland Foundation exploring how music education is taught in our schools. The ultimate question of, "What is our product?" leads to some thought provoking, perhaps challenging, discussions!
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:28:19
Teaching All Beginners in the Same Class...We See You!
Heterogeneous classroom teaching. In music education it is a big word for: Congratulations! You're teaching all the beginners in the same class! But our friend Mike Lunney has not only been there, but he also made it work and had a successful p...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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34:18
This Old Rehearsal Hall: Pt 2 - Some Admin Considerations
This is the second episode to help answer questions about New Rehearsal Space Construction.In this episode we are excited to have Jay Lester as our guest to walk back through the first episode and offer comment, as well as offer insight...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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41:29
This Old Rehearsal Hall: Navigating the Construction and Makeover Projects Pt 1
What things should an educator consider when looking at a possible new construction for a rehearsal room, or an addition or makeover of the existing rehearsal space? Season 2 of the Ask Mike Podcast starts with a two-part response to this quest...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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1:00:26
Spring Semester! You got this!
Music Educators, what you do is amazing! You are warriors, you are well able, you are so needed! Mike Lunney and Derrick Killam take a moment to say, "Thank You!" and hopefully encourage you as you gear up for the best Spring semester you've ev...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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35:04
Choosing Music: Small School Edition
In a previous episode, Mike Lunney and Derrick Killam were joined by Jason Brents and Daniel Todd to discuss choosing music to fit your performing ensemble for evaluation. It was a great episode full of great ideas.SO IS THIS EPISODE! B...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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1:03:57
Solo and Ensemble Time! Let's make your program better!
Solo and ensemble time, we've kind of turned that into necessary evil.What if I told you, if you change your perspective, it could be a huge step to make your band better! What a great opportunity to help your students become better mus...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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46:54
Marching Show Design: Yes, It's Time
I know it might feel like you just put the current show to bed, but it's time to start looking at next year's show design. In today's climate, if you are using someone to write your show or drill, they are already booking up for next year! This...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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1:06:02
Time Management: Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin...
Mike Watts returns to sit in with Mike Lunney and Derrick Killam for an enlightening conversation about Time Managment as an educator. How do we get the most out of the time we have in the classroom? Relax and listen as the voices of experience...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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53:59
Rehearsal Habits: We are what we repeatedly do!
How are your rehearsals going? Are they frustrating? Do you seem to never accomplish your goals?Aristotle said, "Quality is not an act, it is a habit." The author, Will Durant, expanded this thought when he said, "We are what w...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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1:01:21
Choosing Music: Throwing Darts at the PML
This is a great episode! We pull a question from the email, "How do I choose my music for UIL?" And we have guests Daniel Todd and Jason Brents. Along with Mike Lunney, this makes over 80 years of experience choosing music and programming for U...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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1:04:02
Being Coachable: Is It Possible We Don't Know It All?
To quote Aldous Huxley, "Experience teaches only the teachable." Once we decide we know it all, we won't grow any further. In this episode, Mike Lunney encourages us all to remain teachable, to remain coachable. None of us have all the answers,...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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52:00
Parent Meetings... How Far Did the Apple Fall From the Tree?
Listen, no one wants to believe their child is the problem child, and most of the time they aren't, it was just a problem with the child. Then there are those parent meetings where you realize, "This makes much more sense now." Mike Lunney shar...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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44:42
On A Scale of 1 - 5, What Do We Do With Contest Ratings?
As the saying goes, "Some days are diamonds, and some days...well, aren't." Recorded live from a contest venue, Mike Lunney and Derrick Killam consider healthy ways to accept a contest rating, whether it's the best or not what you hoped for. Jo...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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36:12
Finish Strong! Helping your group down the home stretch!
You're almost there, the target is in sight... so why are your kids slowing down? In this episode, Mike Lunney encourages educators to remember that when your group has been working hard for a few months toward your performance, there will be s...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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45:31
"F is First Valve!" A Visit with Eric Baker
This episode welcomes friend Eric Baker! We discuss DCI, Trumpets Mic'd Up, and the great things going on at the University of Texas Permian Basin! Great episode to help get your high school musicians connected with a college or university, hel...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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1:03:34