XYZ Band Leadership Layouts, Plans,

and Motivational Activities

Notes to director:
1. Steal like a professional. Dont try to reinvent the wheel. Take
as much or as little of this manual as you see fit.
2. This first section is the large scope plan. The second section will
address motivation. The third section will be some activities that
can help promote change and help students learn how to be
more efficient and better cooperative and creative learners.

SECTION 1- How to start a leadership group

Ask yourself:
Why do you need student leaders?
Who is going to be a student leader?
What are they going to lead?
Where are they going to do it?
How are they going to do it?

More in Depth Details:
Set expectations / goals for your leaders.
Construct and design your program of leadership based on
the above questions.
Establish a hierarchy

Consider the Outcomes of student leadership
How will leadership help the program?
How will Leadership help you?
How will this help the student?

Now Create a System
Make sure that what ever you put in place that it is
compatible with your ensemble.
o Be careful of which responsibilities you give which
students.
Establish a very Clear job description so that each student
knows what is expected of him or her.

The Selection Process note: this process is entirely up to you, some systems
may not work for every situation. Consider Evolution and not revolution.
Have a student election
o This may or may not serve as simply the nomination
process, but now the kids have ownership.
Interview and audition
o Justify student selection or question it.
o Ask What are strengths and how are you going to use
them?
o Ask: What are your weaknesses? How can you use this
opportunity to make yourself better?
o Ask Take your name out of the pile and who is the best
section leader? Remember it cant be you
o When confronted with adverse conditions we find out
who the best leaders are.
Who is always there no matter what is standing in
their way.
Drum majors need to do the following.
o Essay explaining why thy want to be drum major.
o Conducting audition
This should be as hard or as easy as they will be
required to conduct.
Keep it practical.
o Interview process.
Same as above.

Section 2- Motivation

First consider what motivation is and the three types:
1. Competition-
a. Is a great motivation
b. But it is temporary and shallow
c. It is only 10% effective
d. Yet It is a good start
2. Cooperation-
a. It is not as interesting and instantly gratifying as
competition
b. It is closer to 80% effective in motivation
3. Creation-
a. When a group creates together it is almost 100% effective
b. If it is yours why wouldnt you like it?
c. Be creative.

Section 3- Activities to Stimulate Positive Change

Activity #1 for Change

In order for students to change they need to be aware that there is a
need for change. The following is a simple activity that one can lead
to get students to realize the need for positive change: as a group, as
individual, as musician, and as a person.
1. Start by asking the group these questions:
a. Who wants this year to be the best year ever?
i. Desired out come- all hands shoot up.
b. How many of you think that in order to be the best
something needs to change?
i. Desired result- All hands shoot up.
ii. Possible result- not as many hands as before.
c. How many of you think that solution to having the best
year ever can be found in something that you buy?
i. Desired result-No hands go up.
ii. Possible result- Some hands go up
iii. Worst case scenario- Some one says buy a new band
director.
d. How many of you think that to be the best year ever
something needs to change inside of us

INFO- There are two fears of the human creature. 1- Fear of Failure.
Remind yourself and the kids that failure is the key to success.
Analogy: You are already at no, it cant get any worse, so try asking
her out.
2- Fear of Success- because then you have to deal with it. Analogy: if
she says yes then you have to take her out and you are bad at that
too! so get better.
We all have the same view of things its how much energy we put
behind it! Example: Senior accent vs. Junior accent vs. Soph etc

Activity #2 for positive change: Clasping hands game

1. To get outside your comfort zone you need to take a risk.
2. Have students clasp their hand together with their fingers
interlocked in front of them.
3. Have them check if they have right thumb over left, or left over
right.
a. Left over right means they are good lovers
b. Right over left means they are cognitive thinkers.
c. Joke- if you did parallel you think you are a good lover.
4. Then have them reverse their grasp
a. Desired result- should be uncomfortable to the students.
b. Result should be instant and very noticeable.
5. Have them separate their hands and practice clasping their
hands together the other way.
6. Then after a couple of practices have them rest and then try
again.
a. Then ask how many students went back to old habits.
7. What can they take from this?
a. When given the option or when things get difficult or
uncomfortable we revert back to habits.
b. Change is difficult, and it takes practice.

Activity #3 for positive change- Crossing arms
This is similar to the hand clasping.

1. Have the students cross their arms; as if they are upset.
2. Ask them to check their arms.
a. Are they left hand up, right hand in?
b. Are they Right hand in, Left hand up?
c. Are they both up? Or Both down.
3. Next ask them to reverse it.
a. Desired result- should be very obviously uncomfortable.
4. Practice switching back and forth from habit to other
5. After a couple of practices have them relax and then have them
cross their arms and then ask if they did old or new?
6. What can they take away from this?
a. If we want to make change we need to be ok with things
being uncomfortable, for a little while.
b. We need to be aware that if things start to change that
when things get hard we can resort to old habits.

Activity #4 for positive change- Reach for the sky.
1. Ask the students to reach as high as they can.
2. Then ask them to reach one inch higher.
a. Desired result- Everyone reaches higher.
3. What can they learn?
a. We are only willing to try as what is comfortable.
b. Why dont we try our hardest the first time.

Activity #5 for positive change- Team Work

Rounds One through nine will stress the competition motivation.
1. Have students sit in their sections
2. Then have students Number off 1,2,& 3 down rows to avoid
being with people they know.
a. Time how long it takes them to number off and let them
know.
3. Make 3 circles side by side with each other with each group.
a. Secretly Time how long it takes them to form groups.
4. Assign at random one group leader.
5. Round one
a. Start left to right everyone needs to say red around the
circle (like telephone) and when it gets back to the leader
the leader should shout stop!
b. Who ever finishes first wins.
c. You can do a championship round of it takes two to take
the win
d. Time it and let them know how long it took.
6. Round two
a. go to the right.
b. Time it again and let them know if they improved.
i. Who ever the winner is sets the new time.
c. You can add a champion round.
7. Round three
a. go to the left again and switch the word to blue.
b. Repeat above.
8. Round four
a. Switch and go the other way.
b. Keep timing and monitoring their improvement.
9. Round five
a. Have the students go right and now the action to pass is
Snapping with both hands.
10. Round Six S
a. witch directions
11. Round Seven
a. The action to pass now Clapping
12. Round Eight
a. switch.
13. Round Nine
a. Have each group do all 4 actions alternating directions and
action every time it gets back to the leader.
Round ten will now utilize Cooperation motivation.
14. Round Nine
a. For round nine you will need to break and merge the
circles so that everyone now has to work together.
b. Try blue first, or red, or snap or clap.
c. Time the first trial of either.
d. Do this a few times to get some improvement.
15. Round Eleven (stresses creativity)
a. Everyone come up with a creative way to quickly and
silently get back to your spots.
b. Have them creatively come up with a solution to any
problem.