Bands of America Summer Symposium + Leadership Weekend
Once again we'll be KICKin' IT IN at Illinois State University June 19-26, 2010! If you haven't already, be sure to check out BOA's web site for further details and registration information for this year's Summer Symposium.
We've been KICKin' IT IN with Bands of America since 1990 as both a speaker and clinician. During the 1998-99 school year our involvement together moved from purely a presenter to a more consultative year-long relationship. Primarily our focus has been on developing the leadership curriculum both for the Leadership Weekend Experience as well as the week long Summer Symposium programs.
Below you'll find an interview we did in 2006 along with some of the Summer Symposium video coverage over the years. In addition, there are links to explore some of the materials and a few references regarding our work together. If you're a band and/or orchestra student or director, I hope to see you at ISU this summer when we...
KICK IT IN at BOA!
Fran Kick
P.S. In September of 2006, Bands of America and Orchestra America merged with and became operating divisions of Music for All.
2006 Interview and Overview of Leadership Weekend Experience
2006 Summer Symposium Video Coverage
2006 Leadership Weekend Experience Material
In addition to designing the leadership curriculum, we also create the t-shirt logo, edit/layout the notebook materials for students and teachers, as well as assist in the marketing for each year's program.
References
The 1999 Leadership Weekend Experience launched as an expanded, multi-faceted program. Our goal was to create a more interactive series of experiences that developmentally dovetailed the messages and the methods. Following that first year of expanded design and development work with the organization, Scott McCormick shared his thoughts via the following letter:
The next two years the program grew in terms of programming and participants with over 550 students attending the 2001 Leadership Weekend Experience. Our involvement continued to expand with more hands-on involvement in the symposium's volunteer SWAG team pre-camp training. After our third year of consulting work and record-breaking attendance, Eric Martin, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Office, shared his kind words in the following letter:
While our work together continues to grow every year, so do the number of participants – averaging between 500-700 students for the Weekend Leadership Experience from 2002-2007. Currently we develop and design three layers of leadership experiences each year:
First time Leadership Weekend Experience participants
Every participating student and director who attends the week of Symposium
That's over 2,000 students, teachers, volunteers and staff for eight days KICKin' IT IN!
What past participants are saying about the BOA Leadership Weekend Experience
"When I first came to the leadership weekend, I just thought, 'Hey, two more days of vacation, neat.' I didn't think that I would gain anything from it. Boy was I wrong."
"Words fail to express the impact you have made on me and my friends this week. I was unsure about coming back to camp, but I'm so happy to be here and have this great experience."
"You make learning even the toughest leadership lessons easier to comprehend."
– Katie Enge 2005 Leadership Weekend Participant
"Thank you so much for the 2006 Leadership Weekend Experience. Your words were energetic, funny, and powerful. I feel much more equipped to be a real leader wherever I am."
"Thank you for sharing your talents and love of leadership with participants at the Music for All Summer Symposium. Your opening session was amazing. The fun-good-work cycle is brilliant. Our music staff met to work on our mission + vision of the department and we kept coming back to the fun-good-work cycle as a guide. My fine arts director loved it."
– Steve Nendza
2006 Participating Band Director
"This was truly amazing. It was really a life-changing experience and I wouldn't miss this for anything. It made me think in so many new ways and contributed so many new ideas. I'm taking away so much from this weekend."
– Sarah Lewandowski
2008 First-time Leadership Weekend Participant
"It was AMAZING! Like nothing I could do anywhere else. I loved Timber Pointe and the concepts that went with it. I loved it all. You can't get this experience anywhere else."
– Elizabeth Klaes
2008 Returning Leadership Weekend Participant
"I learned more info than I could ever use and I learned it in a fun way. A lot of the info was new and interestingly presented. You get information here that you will not hear anywhere else. These speakers need to be heard by as many students as possible. Meeting all the other students in small group sessions was so easy. The small group sessions created an intimate setting where you could discuss everything and make new friends. No one was rude or unfriendly. Everyone was open to meeting you."
"This is my third year and I think I learned more this year than my previous two years combined. More connections were made and more things 'clicked.' They teach life lessons that apply to everything."
– Robert Clark
2008 First-time Leadership Weekend Participant
"I met some of the coolest people EVER and learned so many vital facets of leadership that I will surely apply to band and everything else I do. The speakers were fantastic. Everyone was so friendly that I connected with lots of students and SWAGs instantaneously. I will definitely use the notebook materials for future reference and the small-group discussions were GREAT! I'm definitely not the same person I was when I first came to this experience. Thank you!"
– Kirsten Clark
2008 First-Time Leadership Weekend Participant
"I thought I learned a lot last year, but I learned even MORE this year (I'm figuring it out). I'm glad the students that previously attended got to go even more in-depth with leadership and work more on team building. It taught me so much about communication and that the key to success is by cooperating, listening to ideas, and looking at the situation in a different way."
"The Leadership Weekend Experience was very useful because I'm a first-year section leader. I had a blast! I felt that the clinics helped me develop (and continue to develop) into a better leader. The clinics helped me get new ideas on how to get not only my section but the whole band on the same level of commitment."
"I overcame a lot of my personal hang-ups to realize my part in band. Last year, I was more introverted, but this year I let go and I met so many more people and learned so much more. It's positively LIFE-CHANGING! It gives you a bigger view of band outside your own band world. I'm amazed at how the teachers live the way they teach! They're so genuine. I've accomplished things I've never dreamed I could do here. I've got like a leadership high, a surge of positive motivation. I'm going to change my band!"
"It was eye-opening. The staff here and all the students are so open to new things and new people. There is such a diverse culture here and it is amazing to meet so many people. The information presented during the sessions dealt with so many new situations. So many simple points put across and illustrated so that they really hit home. The notebook really helped guide you through the process and gives notes to remind you in the future."
Music for All's mission is to create, provide and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all.
More about Fran Kick
If you're interested in reviewing a few of the many letters received from other people and programs who have KICKed IT IN with Fran Kick simply click on the links below:
"The words above were taken from an FCCLA Fall Leadership Meeting evaluation sheet. I wanted to share them with you as a way to saying thank you for all you did to make the Fall Leadership Meeting successful this year. Your keynote addresses were fundamental to the success of our Fall Leadership Meeting and the entire State Association owes you a debt of gratitude for the time, interest and learning opportunities that you brought to students from all over Georgia."
– Charla Allen Executive Director of FCCLA Georgia
"THANK YOU for joining us to KICK IT IN at the 2000 Great Lakes Regional Conference at Indiana University. Fran, you were clearly the highlight of our Saturday events. Your incredibly positive attitude and your ability to reach people to motivate themselves impacted the students, advisors and guests who attended your keynote address and your workshop way beyond the short time they spent in Bloomington. Each of them have taken what they learned and applied it on their campuses, in their communities and in their everyday lives."
– Joy McVey Golden Key International Great Lakes Regional Director
"WOW - what a camp! Your wonderful presentation made our program extra special. We certainly enjoyed having you motivate our student leaders. Your message aspired our group in many ways. Your methods of motivating our large group was almost unbelievable. You have received the highest possible ratings on our program evaluation form. Your witty humor, mixed with a heartfelt message, held us captive to the end. I can clearly say that your speaking has had a positive effect on us all, and I hope that others will be able to benefit from your speaking as well as we did."
– Angie Dee Ohio DECA Summer Leadership Retreat Director
"Thank you for KICKing off our highly successful New York State Conference for Administrators of Nonpublic Schools [October 2001]. This was the largest attendance in its 17-year history and the most diverse. These have been difficult times for everyone here in New York State and your opening keynote was just what the nonpublic school community needed to start our event in an enthusiastically positive direction. The message you shared was right on target and hit the nail on the head for the organizations that attended. Pulling together such a diverse group of people from the many organizations that were represented is no easy task. However, you had everyone interacting with each other and completely engaged in the first ten minutes of your keynote! Your breakout session was also just what we needed. In the past, many sessions have been very 'sit and listen' kinds of presentations. Not yours! You had them literally up on their feet making things happen!"
– Thomas Hogan New York State Department of Education
"THANK YOU for the excellent presentation you made at the Cross Training. Your style, in which you use humor to make your point was on target for the audience in each of the sessions. Many people have stopped me, since the training, to say how much they enjoyed the training and that they are definitely taking a new approach to work and life in general after hearing your presentation. Change is very difficult for many people. Your presentation was perfect to address this matter."
– Pamela Rourke, Director of the Sullivan Co. Emp. & Training Center, New York
"The only non-positive comment in the evaluations of Fran's sessions was that the room was crowded! A sampling of comments from Fran's sessions speaks for itself: 'tons of energy and enthusiasm and fun, extremely positive and high energy, it's about time we emphasize the positive, Fran is one of the most dynamic and interesting presenters I have seen' And they go on and on! In addition to his great presentation manner, Fran is easy to work with, flexible and well prepared. He not only talks about leadership and motivation, he walks the talk."
– Russ Simon, Senior Policy Associate for NYATEP, New York
"Thank you again for the outstanding seminar you recently gave to my sales organization. In my almost ten years with Proctor & Gamble, your seminar was one of the two best training presentations I have attended. My sales organization continues to rave about your seminar. Several employees have commented on your enthusiastic delivery style and enjoyed the many colorful examples you shared."
