In this heartfelt episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley reconnects with longtime friend and veteran educator Glenn Williams to talk about three transformative books that every music teacher should consider reading—or rereading. With decades of experience leading high school bands, mentoring student teachers, and shaping music education culture, Glenn shares how these books shaped his career and can help you recharge, reflect, and reconnect with your purpose.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The power of The Last Lecture and defining your “dash”
• Why The Art of Possibility can reshape your classroom culture (yes, even rule #6!)
• How A Guide to Student Teaching in Band offers timeless teaching wisdom—even for seasoned educators
• Plus: Glenn breaks down the 7 Norms of Collaboration and offers practical tools to build healthier, more effective school teams.

Whether you’re heading into summer or back to the podium, this episode offers reflection, inspiration, and the kind of perspective that only comes from a career well-lived—and deeply loved.

In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, Lesley Moffat sits down with Don Crafton, founder and CEO of Sight Reading Factory, to explore how this innovative platform helps band directors save time, reduce stress, and build stronger music literacy in their students.

Don shares how his own frustrations as a band director led him to create a customizable, algorithm-based tool that allows for fresh sight reading exercises every time. You’ll learn how Sight Reading Factory:

• Eliminates the chaos of paper sight reading materials
• Makes daily sight reading realistic and time-efficient (even just 5 minutes!)
• Offers auto-assessment and instant visual feedback for student growth
• Supports differentiation, SPED, and ELL learners with built-in data collection
• Reinforces concepts alongside method books—even for beginners
• Provides powerful data for teacher evaluations and administrative conversations

Whether you're new to tech or a seasoned pro, this episode will show you how to use sight reading not just to prep for performance, but to foster independence and confidence in every student.

https://sightreadingfactory.com

It’s a milestone moment! In this very special 100th episode of Band Director Boot Camp, host Lesley Moffat reflects on two years of podcasting, over 22,000 downloads, and the incredible community of music educators that made it all possible.

This episode is more than a celebration—it’s a recommitment to the mission of helping band directors amplify their impact, not their workload. Lesley shares the story behind starting the podcast in May 2023, what she’s learned from 100 powerful conversations, and how her background in teaching, AI tools, and sustainable systems fuels the work she does today.

You’ll hear about the upcoming release of her next book, The Balanced Band Director, as well as exciting new resources like Band Director Buddy GPTs and Get Sh*t Done sessions to help you save time and energy while doing your best work.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

🎉 Why this podcast was created (and how it’s grown into a movement)

📚 A sneak peek at Lesley’s upcoming book and what makes it different

💡 How AI is transforming how directors manage their programs

🧠 The mindset shift every busy teacher needs

🎺 Heartfelt gratitude to the guests, listeners, and mentors who made this milestone possible

This episode is packed with personal stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and a powerful invitation to be part of what’s next. Whether you’ve been here since episode one or just found us, thank you for being part of this journey. You are the reason it matters.

Resources & Links:

• Band Director Buddy GPT Tools
• Join the mPowered Music Educator Academy
• Kennelly Keys Music – Proud Platinum Sponsor