The Power of the Written Word

The Power of the Written Word
By Joe Seamer
Lead Repair Technician
Palen Music Center - Liberty, MO

“If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate.”
-General Jim Mattis

That sounds like a harsh personal critique, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more it makes sense. I work in the repair shop. I hit things with hammers and use fire. What possible use could reading have for me? I recently picked up a book at a thrift store about the history and development of tool chests starting in the 18th century. It grabbed my attention like a shiny bit of metal intrigues a raccoon. Now, two months later, I am drawing up plans to attempt to make a tool chest specific for band instrument repair tooling. There are volumes of information available to us. People who have done what we are trying to do, people who have made mistakes and learned, people who have succeeded at what we are trying to do, and people who have failed at what we are trying to do. We would be fools to not attempt to learn as much as possible from those that have gone before us. 

As musicians, there is no shortage of biographies, memoirs, and novelizations of amazing artists we can be inspired by. As directors/managers/leaders, the productivity, self help, leadership, and habits section of any library is bursting at the seams with stories of great men and women we can learn from. As humans, the rabbit hole of information is endless. The question is, what are we doing to encourage those in our charge to dive head-first into that rabbit hole? 

Does your band room have a recommended reading list? Do you curate that list yearly, making specific, calculated changes? Do you consult with trusted colleagues about your list? Have you spoken with your school librarian about having a small shelf or area to send your students to that is music/habit/leadership focused? Do you actively read and discuss with your class what you are reading?
If you aren’t doing these things, I am not judging at all. We are all busy and adding another thing seems irresponsible and impossible. However, this is something that could not only change the trajectory of your program, but also more deeply impact your students' lives. Even reading 10 pages a day, every day, would result in a wealth of knowledge gained in the course of a year. Just a small change for the beginning of the year…who knows what you and your students could discover by this time next year?

Below is my personal recommended reading list. These books have had the most direct impact on my life:

• Extreme Ownership: Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
  
• Atomic Habits: James Clear
  
• The Dichotomy of Leadership: Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
  
• Leaders Eat Last: Simon Sinek
  
• The Infinite Game: Simon Sinek
  
• The Obstacle is the Way: Ryan Holiday
  
• The Cymbal Book: Hugo Pinksterboer (I bought and read this after receiving my first DCI contract and it sparked my love affair with wanting to know how instruments worked and started me on my path as a repair technician.)
  
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams (Reading for fun and enjoyment is important too.)

Joe Seamer
Lead Repair Technician
Palen Music - Liberty, MO