The Band Dads Podcast
Band is more than music. It’s pressure, passion, leadership, chaos, life lessons, unforgettable moments… and a community unlike anything else. The Band Dads Podcast pulls back the curtain on the world of marching band, concert band, music education, and the people who live it every day. Hosted by band dads — including a former band director bringing years of insider experience and perspective most parents never get access to — this podcast dives into the stories, challenges, victories, and culture that make band life so unique. From rehearsals, competitions, road trips, fundraising, and late-nights in the band room to the decision-making, strategy, and behind-the-scenes realities of running a successful program, we explore the conversations happening both on and off the field. Leadership. Competition. Burnout. Growth. Success. Failure. Family. The emotional highs of performance and the hilarious realities nobody talks about enough. Whether you’re a band kid, a proud parent, a music educator, or someone who simply loves hearing passionate people talk about the things that shape lives and build community, there’s something here for you. New episodes feature honest discussions, interviews, deep dives into band culture, insider perspective, and plenty of humor along the way. Because band isn’t just an activity. For many of us… it becomes part of who we are. Contact us: feedback@banddadspodcast.com https://www.banddadspodcast.com/
Episodes
Fundraising. Every band needs it, every parent has experienced it, and somebody somewhere is probably still trying to sell a roll of wrapping paper.
But before we talk about how to raise money, the Band Dads start with a bigger question: Why are band programs responsible for raising so much of it in the first place?
Scott and Chris are joined by Band Mom Leah Lang, fundraiser extraordinaire, for a conversation that st...
Competition changed marching band. But after decades of pushing the activity further, faster, bigger, and more competitive… when is enough, enough?
In this episode, Scott and Chris step back and ask some uncomfortable—but important—questions about what competitive marching band has become. Over the past 25 years, the activity has evolved tremendously. Performances are more sophisticated, production...
Band camp doesn't come with an instruction manual. So the Band Dads made a playbook.
For the Season 4 kickoff, Scott and Chris take a different approach to the band camp conversation. Instead of simply talking about what happens at camp, they dig into the strategies and philosophies behind it—and why getting those decisions right can have such a tremendous impact on the season ahead.
How should a band camp sched...
Welcome to the very first installment of Tools of the Trade—a new Band Dads series where Scott and Chris spotlight innovative ideas, resources, and practical tools that can help band programs of every size become even more successful.
To kick things off, they're introducing Band Camp Quest.
After the overwhelming response to Scott's leadership resource earlier this year, he turned his attention to one of the big...
When the final school bell rings and campuses empty for the summer, it may seem like band takes a break.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In this episode, Scott and Chris explore what they call the Summer Trifecta, the three groups quietly working behind the scenes to ensure the next marching band season is a success. What are the students doing? What are the booster organizations doing? And perhaps most impor...
Season 3 was different.
As Scott and Chris look back on another incredible season of the Band Dads Podcast, two words kept rising to the surface: strategy and depth.
This season felt more intentional than ever before. Timely episodes like Fill the Darn Chair, Leadership Season, and Contest Season weren’t just conversation, they became practical resources released exactly when band families, parents, and director...
This week, the Band Dads tackle a topic that might make some people a little uncomfortable… What do you do if you have a bad band director?
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, Scott and Chris take a thoughtful and fair approach by breaking the idea of a “bad” band director into three very different categories:
- A new educator still trying to find their footing
- A director who may struggle in a spec...
Welcome to Offbeat—a new Band Dads series where Chris and Scott go beyond the music to explore the fascinating, unusual, and sometimes downright bizarre stories behind the figures who shaped band, music education, and the art form we love.
And if you’re going to start somewhere… you might as well start with one of the most offbeat figures of them all: Percy Grainger.
When an episode opens with a con...
What Band Directors Face When It’s Just Them
Even when marching season may be over, the competition hasn’t stopped.
This time of year, band programs shift into a world that many parents and even students don’t fully understand: concert band contest season. The format is different, the pressure is different, and for band directors… the stakes can feel even higher.
In this episode...
Scott and Chris leave the confines the Scott Lang Library and take you with them to the heart of New York City—where towering skyscrapers, the energy of Times Square, and the buzz of 5th Avenue set the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime performance at Carnegie Hall.
But this episode is about more than just the performance.
It’s about why travel matters.
From gaining independence and expe...
The Band Dads are on the other side of the mic!
In this special bonus episode, Scott and Chris join Robin Eissler, founder and CEO of Booster Hub, as guests on The Boosted Volunteer Podcast. What starts as an interview quickly turns into a fun, insightful, and wide-ranging conversation about band, community, and what makes great programs thrive.
Scott and Chris share the story behind how the Band Dads Podcast got star...
It’s that time of year again—band directors everywhere are rolling out their processes for selecting student leadership teams for the upcoming fall season. The decisions made during leadership season can shape the culture, tone, and success of a band program long before the first rehearsal of summer band even begins.
In this episode, Scott reflects on a time when he realized he got it wrong. A leadership ...
The Real Bandwives – Part One
What’s it really like to be married to a band director?
In this special two-part episode of the Band Moms Podcast, Shannon, Becky, and Leah welcome guest Libby Denny for an honest, funny, and eye-opening conversation about life as a “Band Wife”—or as some call it, a Band Widow.
Shannon and Becky flip the script and step into the role of interviewers, digging i...
The conversation continues…
After the cliffhanger ending of Part One, the Band Moms are back with Libby Denny to finish the story—and this second half delivers in all the best ways.
What begins as an honest look at the challenges of being married to a band director turns into something even deeper: a celebration of the love, loyalty, and lifelong bonds that are built inside the band community. From naviga...
In Band Around the World, the Band Dads take a fun and educational journey to explore what band and music education look like across the globe. This episode was inspired by—and promised to—a listener in Dubai who is very much not a bot. From our neighbors to the north, to the discipline of elementary band programs in Japan, to Europe’s long-standing community brass band traditions, this episode hig...
It’s that time of year again—students are choosing classes and schedules are being built for next school year. And whether a band program grows, holds steady, or struggles often comes down to what happens right now. This is the most critical window for recruitment and retention, and it’s one that’s frequently underestimated—especially by parents and booster groups who are far more influ...
After a full year of conversations, laughs, debates, and unexpected moments, it was time to hit rewind.
In this special “Greatest Hits” episode, the Band Dads look back on some of the most memorable moments from the first year of the podcast. Featuring favorite clips hand-selected by Scott and Chris, joined by picks from the Band Moms and listeners from across the band community, this episode is a celebra...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… unless you’re on the naughty list.
In this special holiday-themed episode, the Band Dads get into the spirit of the season by sorting out who belongs on the naughty list and who earns a spot on the nice list. Where do band directors and band parents land—and is there a little overlap between the two?
Scott and Chris also share their favorite (and most ...
What if band directors were treated like elite, in-demand coaches?
In this thought-provoking episode, the Band Dads explore a bold idea using a comparison from the sports world. Lane Kiffin is a high-profile college football coach known for being constantly pursued by programs, frequently changing jobs, and commanding attention and salary offers based on perceived value and potential—sometimes even more than pa...
The Band Moms are back—and this week, it’s Becky’s turn in the spotlight. In this touching, funny, and deeply relatable episode, Shannon and Leah invite Becky to reflect on what it means to be the mom of a senior and to look back on the entire band journey she and her son have shared over the years. From those first nervous early experiences to the final milestones of senior year, Becky walks us th...
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