1. Lockwood 1
Saundra lockwood
Mrs. Taylor
3rd
life 101
Everyone wants to be something when they grow up. There are millions or careers
out there. How would anyone know what they want to be. Well for me it is my passion, I
want to help children learn how to play music on an instrument. I started band in the fifth
grade and I enjoyed making music. Music became my life, I would practice and practice
until my face hurt. I could either be a musician or I could teach little kids how to make
music. My choice was to become a band director to teach others how to play music
because being a musician helped me be a better person. As a band director I would have
to teach students how to read music, to put their instruments together, how to play notes.
One of the most important thing you would need is a college degree in music education.
If you have the right education you could do anything the job ask for you to do.
As band director you will have many different jobs to do. No band director's job is
alike, yes you have to teach students how to be a musician. One of my former band
directors had to teach fifth graders how to play their instrument, then go to the high
school and teach them how to be better musicians. The band director i have now teaches
the high school and to become better musician than he teaches high schoolers to play
guitar, then he walks up to the middle school to teach sixth graders how to play and read

2. music then he shows he seventh and eighth graders to be better musicians and how to
read different signatures. Even after doing that he has to teach marching band. These two
example of band directors show that no job is really alike other than you are teaching
your students on how to become a better musician. This career is compatible for me
because music is my passion. This career would be perfect for me because music has
helped me get through a lot and if I could teach other people what helped me then I feel
like I could give back to what has helped me. I have the skill to teach a student how to
play an instrument and to read music. This career would be perffect for me but to do this
career I would need a higher education.
Higher education I what everyone that want to be a band director needs because
you have to have a masters degree in music education. One of the top things you would
need before getting a higher degree would be "have a significant musical background."
( How Do Par. 2) that is one or the main things a band director would need the most. The
first step to getting a higher education would be to "earn a bachelor's degree in Music
Education". After getting a bachelor's in music education then you can graduate you have
to meet the states licensing requirements. This education required can be found at EKU,
UK, U of L, Murray State, Morehead, and WKU. There is no alternative routes to this
career yes you can do other things like be a musician and then become a band director but
you still have to meet state requirements and have at least a bachelor's degree. In
kentucky you have to have a masters degree in music education in the first five years of
teaching.
There are many benefits to being a band director like meeting new people. You
get to scedual soloest to come and preform wiith your band. I know personally music has

3. helped me get through a lot of things. A benifit to me would be able to teach other
students, that may be going through something like I am, to show them there is an
exscape. Some not so personal benifits are the hourly wage is 23.16 dollars. You could
make 48,180 dollars annual. (O*NET par 16) If you are a public school band director
your pay will increase in five years. As a band director you would be paid hourly on the
schools hourly pay. The pay depends on the location of the school and if it is a public or
private schoool.
Band directors are usally found in a middle school or high school. As a band
director jobs are different so depending on your job is where you would go. For example
I would have to travel if I was the band director of the Blue Coats Drum and Bugal Core
but if I was a middle school teacher I would stay at the county the middle school is
located. The cost of live average is 1000-1500 dollars a month.(Cost of Living Par. 3)
You could live on what you made per year and still have spending money. Most of the
extra money you would have would go towards you musicainship, after you finished off
your school loans if you had any but you would have enough money to live on.
The out look on this job over the next few years is getting worse because alot of
public schools are cutting music programs. One good thing about this job is in the next
10-20 years a lot of the band directors will be retiring so a lot of jobs will be open. The
only technology you would need to know is how to write music on a computer.
Technology could not take over this job, but you do need to stay up to date on new
technology. If you have to be a marching band director you might want know how to
make videos to help your students but other than that you do not need much tecchnology
skills.

4. Being a band director would mean a lot to me. Its is spreading what i love to other
people. Music helped me when my mom got diegnosed with cancer it was the only way I
could let my feelings out. There is a lot more things that childern have to deal with. As a
band director I could help others like me or I could help them find their passion. This
career would be the best oppition for me. I want to give back to what has given me so
much.