When I started at my current position in 2005, I inherited a stack of music three feet tall that was mostly SINGLE sheets of music that had not been filed. The school was first opened in the 1970s. It seemed like nobody had organized the library ever!

It took me the entire school year, but I was finally able to get that all organized and now have a system in place that is easy to maintain.

Have you ever wondered how to get a bunch of groups to perform in a short amount of time? I remember when my two oldest kids were in high school. The concerts were great, but they seemed to drag on as the stage crew set each chair exactly in place between each group. I didn't care about the chairs!

Incorporating some advice from friend and fellow band teacher Wayne Hoey, this past May my spring concert included 5 performing groups and we finished in 62 minutes! Parents told me that was their favorite concert ever.

But you need a plan. See www.jamesdivine.net for mine.