Before the drill, choreography, staging, and visual effect can work, students need a foundation they can perform consistently. By Christopher Keniley This past weekend, I had the opportunity to adjudicate Visual Performance – Ensemble at the Geneseo Maple Leaf Classic. It was a great day of marching band, with programs of different sizes and experience…
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What more than 25 years of teaching, marching band, and adjudication have taught me about competition, scores, and student growth By Christopher Keniley Competition has been part of my life in music for a long time. I have experienced it as a student, performer, instructor, percussion educator, staff member, and now as an adjudicator. After…
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There’s always something happening at Chris K Music, and now there’s another way to follow along. You can find Chris K Music on Instagram at @chriskmusiclessons, where I share more of the day-to-day work, events, and behind-the-scenes moments that make up my life in music. From private music lessons and instrument repairs to music education,…
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Marching band competitions naturally come with numbers. Scores are announced. Placements are awarded. Captions are recognized. Students, directors, parents, and fans wait to hear where their band finished. But from the judge’s perspective, some of the most important work happens before a score is ever entered. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to serve…
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When a student walks into a music lesson, band rehearsal, choir room, or practice space, they aren’t simply learning notes and rhythms. They’re using math. They’re exploring science. They’re experiencing history and culture. They’re developing language and reading skills. They’re training their bodies, strengthening concentration, using technology, solving problems, expressing ideas, and learning how to…
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From General Effect at Stagg to Music Performance at Plainfield South Marching band season has always been one of my favorite times of the year. After months of camps, rehearsals, show design, drill, music, and preparation, September is when programs finally get the opportunity to put their work in front of an audience and an…
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Another part of marching season begins this weekend as I start my 2026 adjudication schedule at the Stagg Marching Band Jamboree. Marching band season has already been underway for quite some time for me. The summer and early fall have been filled with band camps, clinics, rehearsals, percussion instruction, drill writing, show design, and working…
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There are certain milestones in running a small business that make you stop for a minute and appreciate how far things have come. This is one of those moments for me. My current weekly lesson schedule at Chris K Music is officially full. When I started teaching music, I never imagined that years later I…
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The 2026 marching band season is underway, and I’m excited and grateful to share that my adjudication schedule has now grown to five marching band events this fall. Each opportunity to serve as a marching band adjudicator is something I value. Thank you to the directors, contest organizers, schools, and organizations who have invited me…
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Chris K Music is excited to share that Christopher Keniley’s newest editorial has been published by Notable Men. The article, “Music Education Is About More Than Creating Musicians,” explores a philosophy that has shaped Keniley’s work throughout more than 25 years in music education: the greatest benefits of learning music often extend far beyond the…
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