Скачать или смотреть The Worst Decision I Ever Made as a Band Director

Some lessons stick with you because you got them right.
Others stick because you got them very wrong.

In this video, I tell the story of one of the worst decisions I ever made as a high school band director. We had a marching band competition scheduled on a football field, and a serious thunderstorm was moving in fast. I had the option to move the event indoors… and I didn’t take it.

I tempted fate.

Within minutes, the rain started. Then came the thunder and lightning — putting students on the field and people in the stands at risk. After a conversation with another band director, I finally made the call to pivot and move the rest of the event indoors.

It was stressful. It was humbling. And it was a moment that stayed with me.

What mattered most wasn’t the mistake — it was what I learned from it. Because a few years later, when I faced the same exact situation, I made a much better decision.

I’ve learned that mistakes aren’t failures if you’re willing to learn from them. They’re feedback. They’re teachers. And if you pay attention, they help you make better decisions the next time around — which is exactly what happened when I faced the same situation a few years later.

This story is about judgment, leadership, listening to others, and learning from failure so you don’t repeat it.

If you’ve ever made a call you wish you could take back — this one’s for you.