#15: Miles Mortensen - Minnetonka, MN

The Band Director's Lounge Podcast

Download Episode!

Today’s guest is Miles Mortensen who teaches at Minnetonka High School in Minnetonka, MN. There are many great bands in the twin cities, but I would say that the MHS program is one of the premier band programs. Miles is a master music educator so I was grateful to be able to sit down and record an episode for the Band Director’s Lounge. He was also my supervising teacher for student teaching and he really helped me bridge the gap from the theoretical teaching experience of undergrad to real world application. More importantly, Miles has built a band program and culture that fosters musical excellence but that is also engaging and fun.

A Band Director’s Lounge trivia tidbit- the fact that you are listening to this right now is entirely due to Miles. I was sitting on the idea for this show for a good 6 months, trying to decide whether or not it would be a viable and worthwhile project. It was through a conversation with him when we crossed paths at the Minnesota State Fair that he encouraged me to pursue this. Fast forward a few months and here we are able to chat on the show!

Episode Overview

• Miles Mortensen (00:00)
• Minnetonka High School (07:41)
• Scheduling and Phy. Ed. Waiver for Marching Band (11:14)
• Building a Marching Band (18:40)
• Minnetonka High School Band - Then and Now (30:31)
• Building a Booster (39:50)
• Programming and Literature Selection (49:16)
• “Travel Studies” (59:18)
• Working with a Former Student (66:58)
• Recommended Books (71:43)
  • The Creative Director: Alternative Rehearsal Techniques - Edward Lisk
  • Note Grouping: A Method For Achieving Expression - James Morgan Thurmond
  • The Conductor's Legacy: Conductors on Conducting for Wind Band
• Advice for Young Band Directors (75:58)
• What Makes a Great Band Program? (80:33)

As always, if you haven’t done so, be sure to hit subscribe to this podcast. If you think of it, recommend it to a friend or colleague.

If you know of someone that you think would make a great guest on the Band Director’s Lounge, please send me a message on facebook or to my email listed in the shownotes. Thanks for tuning into this episode! I hope to see you back here for our next conversation in The Band Director’s Lounge.

Other Resources

• Miles Mortensen(Guest)
• Logan Burnside (Show Host)
• http://thebanddirectorslounge.com (Podcast Website)
• https://www.facebook.com/TheBandDirectorsLounge/ (FB Website)
• Nominate someone to be interviewed

Support The Band Director’s Lounge

• Eargasm Earplugs
• Audible - 30 days free + 2 free books
• Donate to support the podcast
• Books mentioned in this episode
  • The Creative Director: Alternative Rehearsal Techniques - Edward Lisk
  • Note Grouping: A Method For Achieving Expression - James Morgan Thurmond
  • The Conductor's Legacy: Conductors on Conducting for Wind Band
• Books from episodes