Growing Your Musician: A Practical Guide for Band and Orchestra Parents

Written for a 'civilian parent,' not a college-educated musical professional, Growing Your Musician: A Practical Guide for Band and Orchestra Parents, Second edition has a light but informative approach to band and orchestra, interspersed with interesting stories and anecdotes. Informative checklists and quizzes sprinkled throughout the book make a dense topic interesting and accessible while simultaneously focusing on important issues. Growing Your Musician aims to help students develop musical skills faster and facilitate better communication among teachers and parents about their progress. Using the National Standards as a benchmark, Growing Your Musician tackles critical performance areas that are often overlooked by 'civilians' and teachers alike. This book bridges the gap between parents who want the best for their children but don't exactly know what to do!

Tony Bancroft began his instrumental music career at age eleven, playing tuba in middle school band. He continued to pursue his love of music into adulthood, earning a bachelor's degree in music from UCLA and a master's degree in music from Yale University. Performances at Carnegie Hall and at music festivals around the world are among the highlights of his musical career. He currently serves as the music director for the El Segundo Unified School District in California, and the city has honored him with four public commendations. In 2003, he was selected as an alternate for a Fulbright Teaching Scholarship and was a nominee for the Music Center of Los Angeles County's prestigious Bravo Award.