Tardiness is chronic in my school and so they have hired a truant office now who will be visiting anyones house who is tardy more than three times in a quarter.

That takes time and leadership–the book he recommended we read, that I recommend to you is The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Manger Meets the Monkey. Anyone running a band section got these books, and they helped us out a lot.

Now, direct course of action. Start practice on time. Yeah, half your band may not be there. Start anyway. Post a sign on the door–enter quiety and join in. Ensure you have enough spacing and chairs etc that people can get around those already sitted.

I would keep doing this for several practices, see what results you get. Yeah those practices are going to be rough, but it’s going to bring home the message that band doesn’t wait on late people. Band is about being on time, practicing what you need to away from school, and doing your part in the ochestra when you’re there.

If the kids think they sound great and don’t (and most don’t, we sure didn’t at first) I would have anyone they don’t know, any friend really, come in, claim it’s someone from a upitty music college, and he’s here to critic the class–because hey, maybe you aren’t right–maybe it’s just your flawed judgement (tell them this, really) and you want a second opinion.

Lead them through your current music.

Right down everything you’ve already been saying ahead of time on a noteboard for this person. They should pretend to take notes during the performance. They must be able to stand up and convincingly read from it and address the students in a neutral tone. Trumpets are late coming in, clarinets out of tunes, lead flute strident–whatever is happening in real life, write down a good dozen of your worst enemies.

After the good speaker is done confirming what’s wrong with your band, shake there hand, thank them, and have them leave.

It’s a shtick. yeah. it worked on us pretty darn well, as I recall. He didn’t tell us until much later in the year. What was the result–we actually started *listening* to our band director. Dear lord–everything he said was true! We weren’t playing well! Yet our director was there, to help us understand what we could do different, if we wanted to commit to it.

This got longer than I expected. Did I mention my band director was one of the most influencial adults in my life?

Announce your schedule (also post it in the band room) and — very important — stick to it!

For example,

7:50 – 8:05

Arrival, set-up, warm-up

8:05

Band practice begins — no exceptions

Late students must have a tardy slip

First tardy: warning

Second tardy: 5 points off grade

Third tardy: detention

The students who are late will tell their parents to get them to school on time! No one likes to walk into an event that has already started (think about how you like it when you walk into a class after the teacher has already started the lesson, or into a meeting after your boss has already started talking). It is very uncomfortable.

You will also be teaching your students a valuable lesson in life. Be on time — not because you will be rewarded but because it is the right thing to do — be considerate of other people and their time (teachers, students, bosses, co-workers, etc.)

If you want to reward the students, make it a collective reward. For example, you could say, “When you learn four new pieces and play them well, you will earn a class party.”

Hope this helps!

1) For however long it takes the students to get ready, that time is added to the end of the rehearsal. This way, the parents get the hint that you’re not kidding when you say that each moment you have with them is important. Yes, it got some parents upset, but they got exceedingly better with getting their kids to practice on time.

2) One of the band moms sometimes brought Krispy Kreme donuts (yum) or usually bananas. She didn’t buy enough for the whole band. When kids started realizing that this was happening, they pushed their parents to bring them earlier so that they could get a treat.

Plus I say you should implement a motto like we had: Tiger Band Time is 10 minutes early. Which meant that if practice started at 8am, you better be ready at 7:50; this included having your instrument ready, your water, your music, etc.