Listen To This Now: Jack Stamp on Why Music Matters
Dr. Jack Stamp has long been regarded as one of the most influential American wind band composers and conductors of the past half-century. Known for works such as Gavorkna Fanfare, Pastime, and Psalm 42, his catalog has become foundational literature for ensembles around the world. Beyond his compositional output, Stamp has served as a conductor, clinician, university professor, recording artist, and passionate advocate for music education. His rehearsal language, humor, and deeply human approach to artistry have shaped generations of teachers and students. Above all, he is a musician who speaks with both conviction and compassion about why this work matters. Personally, I think his videos are must-see TV for any ensemble director and/or music educator. A dear friend of mine, Patrick J. Burns, recommended that I watch (really listen) to a talk that Jack gave a number of years ago, and I was recently reminded of it. I think of it as one of the most influential and inspiring 6 minutes that any music educator can listen to.
Listening to Jack Stamp speak makes you remember how deeply music education matters — not only for the notes and bars, but for the hearts and minds of our students. He asks us to consider what often happens in a school when choices are made: sports may be prioritized, academics judged by grades, and sometimes music pushed to the margins. Stamp shows with clarity and conviction that music is not a luxury, but a vital arena of growth: intellectual, emotional, social, and profoundly human. Stamp’s core argument rests on what music demands: striving for something more than just “good enough.” He reminds us that “music demands perfection,” not because perfection is attainable, but because the pursuit itself builds character. Every rehearsal is an invitation to refine, reflect, and stretch. This process strengthens students in ways that few other subjects can, cultivating discipline and resilience that extend far beyond the band room.
It’s not simply technical mastery that matters. Stamp emphasizes that music engages both sides of the brain simultaneously — the analytical and the emotional. Students must listen deeply, think critically, respond intuitively, and express authentically. In doing so, they develop empathy, communication skills, and emotional awareness that shape them as full human beings. These are transformative experiences that ripple into every aspect of their academic and personal lives.
Stamp also points out that music provides uniquely high stakes. When students perform, there are no retakes, no edits, no do-overs. Mistakes are public, immediate, and shared. But this is exactly why music education is powerful: it teaches accountability and collective responsibility. Students learn what it means to prepare thoroughly, support one another, recover from mistakes, and move forward with purpose. For educators, Stamp’s message is a call to bring these values into daily practice. Encourage students to reach beyond correctness and toward intention. Create rehearsal spaces where risk-taking is safe, reflection is normal, and emotional engagement is part of the process. Invite students into conversations about why music challenges them — intellectually, physically, and emotionally — and celebrate the personal growth that comes from sustained effort.
Equally important is the advocacy potential of Stamp’s video. Share it widely: with administrators who need a reminder of music’s academic significance, with parents who may not see the hidden work behind rehearsals, and with school boards making budget decisions. Use Stamp’s eloquent clarity to elevate the conversation about why music programs deserve attention, investment, and protection. His words provide a powerful counter-narrative to the notion that the arts are optional. By incorporating Stamp’s perspective into the classroom and using his speech as a rallying point for advocacy, music educators amplify far more than sound. They reinforce a vision of music education that shapes better thinkers, better collaborators, and better human beings. And in doing so, they ensure that the values Stamp articulates so passionately continue to resonate in every rehearsal room, on every stage, and in every student who carries music forward.