The Survivor Session

Recorded live during Saied Music’s Survivor Workshop, this episode brings together Oklahoma band directors Makayla West, Whitney Yokum, and Chris Harris for an honest conversation about life as a music educator. They discuss the challenges of teaching outside their instrumental specialties, building student ownership, working with administrators, learning from mistakes, and navigating the difficult early years of a career in the band room. The episode closes with a visit to Tulsa’s Barrelfish Community Steel Band—an energetic local ensemble proving it’s hard to be sad while playing steel drums.