Sound Leadership: Workbook

This workbook cuts past theory and forces directors and students to do actual work: self-assessments, goal-setting, team problem-solving. Lang's 16 years in the classroom shine through in every activity; he addresses the real friction points of student leadership (selecting leaders fairly, defining roles so people don't step on each other, handling conflict) with concrete worksheets and situations that feel lived-in rather than invented. Programs that use this systematically report measurable growth in ensemble cohesion and student ownership.

Music directors in band, orchestra, and choir programs who want to move beyond ad-hoc leadership and build a structured, sustainable student leader development program. This works best for directors ready to dedicate rehearsal time and staff energy to the process; it is designed for active facilitation, not independent student reading.

• Build leadership selection into your calendar early in the school year so students have time to grow into their roles before major performances and trips.
• Work through the situational questions as a full ensemble activity before narrowing down to your student leader team; this gives everyone insight into how leaders think through problems.
• Revisit the self-evaluation forms mid-year to show students their growth and adjust roles or responsibilities based on what you discover together.
• Use the team-building activities as rehearsal warmups rather than separate meetings; this normalizes leadership work as part of your regular program culture.

Use this as the foundation for your leadership training cycle: introduce one module per month during sectional time or dedicated ensemble meetings, work through the worksheets with your student officers and section leaders, then revisit the self-evaluations at the end of the year to document growth. Directors also use it as a screening tool during the leadership selection process, having candidates respond to sample situational questions to reveal who thinks systemically about ensemble problems.

• identifying and articulating personal leadership strengths and areas for growth
• collaborative decision-making and consensus-building
• delegating tasks and clarifying role boundaries
• managing conflict and addressing difficult interpersonal situations
• setting measurable ensemble goals and tracking progress
• self-evaluation and reflective practice