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
100 episodes
The Wayland Baptist University Reboot: Conversations with Dr. Anthony King
Dr. Anthony King is rebuilding the Wayland Baptist University instrumental program. Mike Lunney and Derrick visit with Dr. King on how it is going, challenges he has faced, and his mindset on recruiting musicians from his experience as a colleg...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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1:06:57
Texas Bandmasters Association - Checking in on the Latest
Mike Lunney and Derrick enjoy a conversation with the TBA Executive Director-Designate, Phillip Clements, as he highlights the upcoming 2026 Convention and shares vision for the organization moving forward!
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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36:01
Defining Success For This Season
A great discussion with Mike Lunney about how we define success. Is it really the trapezoidal statue? Is it what you think your peers think about you? Let’s talk about it.
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44:02
It's The Final Countdown! Rehearsal Thoughts for the Push To Evaluations.
Can you feel it? The indecision paralysis trying to decide what to fix, do you have time to fix it, can it be fixed? Everybody breathe. In. Out. Again...Mike Lunney has some great thoughts on helping you rehearse in the heat of the final...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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56:11
Coaching As A Band Director
Nick Saban is widely recognized as an elite football coach. It is interesting that he considers creating character and awesome people more important than X's and O's. In this episode, Mike Lunney shares insights from Saban's book "How ...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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42:24
The Aftermath JJ Firenza
In the fall of 2021, Joseph "JJ" Firenza was on the band staff for Andrews High School in Texas when the unimaginable happened. The tragic crash of the band buses on the way to a football game made local and national news.Out of this eve...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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1:08:22
Everyday Carry with JJ Firenza
In the fall of 2021, Joseph "JJ" Firenza was on the band staff for Andrews High School in Texas when the unimaginable happened. The tragic crash of the band buses on the way to a football game made local and national news.Out of this eve...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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52:20
Logistics and Inventory with JJ Firenza
In the fall of 2021, Joseph "JJ" Firenza was on the band staff for Andrews High School in Texas when the unimaginable happened. The tragic crash of the band buses on the way to a football game made local and national news.Out of this eve...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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1:02:07
Checklist For Concert Band Success
Some musings as we move into our spring season of concert and sight reading. It has been an observation through the years, that some folks wait until the week or two before adjudication dates to start asking some questions. And, most of those q...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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1:09:50
Making the Most of Hosting a Clinician
Jay Lester joins Mike and Derrick again to help you and your program squeeze all the juice from a visiting clinician. What if we told you there are small things that will reap big dividends in having a clinician in your rehearsal hall. And noth...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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1:17:20
Getting Involved with Music Education Associations: We're All In This Together
Two wonderful guests in this episode, John Carroll and Britt Cole. They join the podcast to discuss their experiences with TMEA and ATSSB, two great associations dedicated to further music education and our students. John and Britt discuss how ...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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57:22
Tech Time w/Mike! Apps and Tools to Work Smarter, Not Harder!
Our last conversation in a series of episodes discussing tools to make your group better, this week Mike discusses some of the tools and apps he has found useful to make your workday smoother so you can spend more time doing the part you love, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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57:07
2026 is here! Opportunity Awaits!
We hope you are looking forward to all the great possibilities 2026 has for you and those you work with and lead. Time to recharge and head boldly into the spring!
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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9:39
Tech Time With Tim Part 3
Joined again by Tim Jones, the crew talks about tech and electronics. The conversation discusses what equipment we really need, what to look at for budgets, and helps refocus on what is a must. This episode moves from outside to ins...
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Season 2
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Episode 51
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40:56
Tech Time With Tim Part 2
Joined again by Tim Jones, the crew talks about tech and electronics. The conversation discusses what equipment we really need, what to look at for budgets, and helps refocus on what is a must.
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Season 2
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Episode 50
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47:36
Tech Time with Tim
Joined again by Tim Jones, the crew talks about tech and electronics. The conversation discusses what equipment we really need, what to look at for budgets, and helps refocus on what is a must. The first part of the conversation wil...
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Season 2
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Episode 49
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59:51
Insert "Thankful" Emoji
Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a simple thank you from Mike and Derrick. Thankful for the journey of music in our lives and for those who helped shape us along that path. Have a blessed day!
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Season 2
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Episode 48
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13:45
Say This, Not That
Whether we realize it or not, the words we choose in our classrooms matter! And our actions speak louder than our words! Excited to have guest Jett Lowrance with us on the podcast again for this episode.What great insight from Jett has h...
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Season 2
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Episode 47
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1:01:25
9 Less Conventional Life Lessons
We all have moments of reflection. Moments when we take an assessment of where we are and where we'd like to be. Take it from a couple of olds... this doesn't go away with age! In this episode, Mike and Derrick take a lighter view of some ways ...
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Season 2
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Episode 46
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1:08:37
Marches Are Still in Style…If You Know The March Style!
The concert march, it could be such a fantastic addition to your program. Unfortunately, the correct march style has been either ignored or not passed down long enough that it seems like the perfect time for Mike to answer the quiet question ou...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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1:09:10
The Culture Code: Keys to Creating a Positive Culture In Your Program
Daniel Coyle is the author of, among others, The Culture Code, a best selling book looking at tools to build culture in groups. In this episode of Ask Mike, Mike pulls out some key thoughts that should resonate with ...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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1:07:45
Ratings: I’m All Verklempt
In Texas, UIL Competitions and Evaluations are an annual part of our calendar and curriculum. It’s just part of what our music educators do in Texas. From the big picture overview, it should be straight forward and used as a tool to measure the...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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1:02:53
Inside The Circle: Looking at the concepts that created "God's Hornline!"
Don't mind Derrick fan-girling during this episode. Mike introduces us to the teaching methods and concepts that Matt Harloff (and brother Ben) developed to create the incredible sounds of the Carolina Crown brass, among others.Simple co...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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1:06:22
Estate Planning: Actually Easier than 3 against 2...
Everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to go today...One of the certainties of life, along with taxes. Is it uncomfortable to talk about? Usually. But does it have to be? Not really.We're joined by guest Tim Jones, own...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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1:34:44