Student Leadership - Band Council

The Reds Band is one of the most visible student organizations on campus. It is recognized not only for its high standards of performance, but also for the quality experience afforded to its members. The Student Leadership Team (Band Council) plays a critical role in upholding the tradition, quality, and experience of the bands. These students demonstrate the highest musical, ethical, and social standards in their role as leaders. 

Thank you for showing an interest in being a part of the Reds Band Student Leadership Team. We hope you will find the application process to be interesting and enriching regardless of the outcome. This application represents a significant departure from the standard way of selecting student leaders. In addition, some leadership positions* have been added or deleted to better fit the current organization. If you have any questions about the process or your application, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Sorensen at any time. Good luck, and work hard to best represent yourself through this process. 

Your candidacy will be judged on the following criteria:

1.     Past performance 

2.     Quality of your application 

3.     Future leadership potential 

4.     Best fit for the individual and organization 

When completing the application, be honest, creative, thorough, and complete. Don’t say what you think the director might want to hear. Say what you really think. Leaders are people who can offer something new and different to the organization. This application process is structured so that you will gain insights into yourself as a person, so please be honest and thorough. You need to open up and show the person that you truly are, or what you aspire to be. Whether you are chosen to participate in the office you apply for is not the ultimate point. Dig deep inside, answer the questions, and complete the service project with the intent of learning something new. 

Please do not fill out this application unless you are prepared to participate in the leadership training process. 

Positions available*:     Presidency (3 Members)                     Class Representatives

                                        Morale/Historian                                   Secretary/Librarian

                                        Drum Major/PB Conductor                  Outreach/Marketing   

                                        Social Media Chair                                Equipment/Logistics

Applications due:         All applications must be completed and all elements turned in by: 

17 April 2023

Please be prompt and professional with your application. (Late applications may not be considered, as the ability to meet a deadline is a key responsibility of the Leadership Team.) Some positions may need to participate in interviews and evaluations. You will be contacted to schedule an interview if this applies to you. 

When submitting:        Please make sure that all elements are enclosed in one email and are clearly labeled with your name. Title the email, “Student Leadership Application.” You may want to create a Google Drive folder to hold all of the elements of the application. Make sure your materials are clean and neat, grammatically correct, organized, etc.

Resume tips for #1:      Don’t let the word “resume” scare you. If you don’t have a resume, simply make a list of any volunteer experience, awards, or leadership positions you have held. A sparse resume won’t necessarily keep you from being selected.

Rules for #5:                HAVE FUN WITH THIS. Be sure to use common sense and follow all laws, rules, and recommendations for safety and health.                                   

                                    Some ideas: 

• Creative video about something we do (or should do) in band 

• Write a song, poem, or story, or create a work of visual art

• Use social media to do something positive

Please include the following in your email:

Name 

Position(s) Applying for 

Current G.P.A.

E-mail address

1. Please provide a resume. Be sure to highlight your past leadership roles and experiences.  

2. In writing OR a video, please answer the following questions: What are your greatest personal strengths? Pick at least one of the following problems, and tell how you would solve it:

·       How do we get band students to practice?

·       How do we get people to show up on time (early) for call times?

·       How do we get people to come to non-required events, like socials and service projects?

·       How do we build our audience?

What are some other areas in which the band organization could improve, and how would you improve those things?

3. Interview someone at Cedar High School (student, faculty, or administrator) and ask him or her for views on leadership. What did you learn from your conversation? How are their views different from yours? Try to keep your interview around 15 minutes, and remember that, not only are you interviewing them, you are also an advocate for the band with this person. 

Complete the following projects:

4. Complete a service project for someone in your family, or at your house. The scope and duration of the project are at your discretion, but this doesn’t need to be huge. Generally, this should be something that can be done in an afternoon or less. You may choose something that you think needs to be done, or you may ask your parents for a project. If you have any questions about the validity of your chosen project, please email the director prior to starting it. 

5. DAZZLE ME: this is where you have the opportunity to show your creative side. You may do anything that you deem appropriate to demonstrate that you are able to “think outside the box” and address issues in a different manner. This is the portion of the application where you should expect to learn the most about yourself as an individual. Therefore, take a risk here. Once again, this should be fun for you. 

Please understand that, if chosen, you will be held to a higher standard of behavior, performance, and work ethic than your peers. You must be willing to sacrifice by leading through your example, so that others around you may succeed. Serving in a leadership capacity will elevate the band experience for others and will provide you with a tremendous growth opportunity that will change you forever. 

Thank you for applying to serve on the Student Leadership Team. Again, if you should have any questions about the application or selection process, please email Mr. Sorensen at keith.sorensen@ironmail.org.

Go Reds!

*Positions on the Student Leadership Team change from year to year depending on the needs of the band. If you are selected to serve on the SL Team, you may be offered a position for which you did not apply.