Results and accomplishments depend on having the right team. You can’t make significant progress in programming without the right team in place. Being a program leader requires being a subject area expert, knowing the community being served, and organizing and leading people. Anything becomes possible with the right individuals and team members who are passionate about the program. I learned that finding the right people and team takes time and diligence.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Babcock.
Paul Babcock is the president and chief operating officer of MacPhail Center for Music. He has over 35 years of experience teaching percussion/drum set and enjoys working with students of all backgrounds to help them discover their passions for music and percussion to see how far they can go on their exciting music journey. Paul developed the MacPhail percussion ensemble Rimshots!, who have performed across the United States and abroad. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance & Business Administration from Monmouth College (Illinois), and a Master’s in Music Performance from University of Minnesota.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
After watching the famous jazz drummer Buddy Rich on television while growing up in a small town in west central Illinois, I knew I wanted to be a drummer. My challenge was finding the opportunity to learn drums and study music. After waiting many years, my mother found a teacher in a larger community, and we traveled there every Saturday for lessons. I found myself in my music. It was where I could succeed, find enjoyment and gain confidence. Music became such an essential part of my life that I chose it as a career. As I went through college and began my career as a musician, I developed a passion for teaching. I soon learned there are many students who, much like my early experience, didn’t have the opportunity to study music due to several reasons, including finances and proximity to a place where they could learn. It became my mission to help students, no matter their age, background or ability, find the opportunity to make music a joyous and purposeful part of their life.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
In the years leading up to construction of the new MacPhail Center for Music building in 2008, I learned the value of having a compelling vision for an organization’s future. In 2000, when MacPhail had only been an independent non-profit organization for six years, it came to a large crossroads. MacPhail needed to find a new facility due to the sale of the building it was operating within. As an organization, we learned that a strong reputation in music education alone was not enough to inspire the community to support a capital campaign. Because of this, MacPhail developed an entirely new vision for the organization. This new vision expanded MacPhail’s impact beyond the brick and mortar of a building to include various programs working in communities, all made possible by a beautiful, state-of-the-art headquarters. The community responded in significant ways when the vision demonstrated how the community would benefit from the power of music education and the expansion to new communities.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
A teacher wanted to start a simple recognition program to honor individual colleagues by creating a display area in the employee lounge. At first, I objected because there didn’t appear to be a system to recognize everyone equitably. It turned out I created more of a problem than if I had initially let the program commence, and as it turned out, they wanted to recognize me first, although I didn’t know it at the time. Another employee wisely advised me to allow the program to go forward, and I did. I learned that it’s important to support recognition efforts — and give recognition — especially when team members are advocating for it.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
MacPhail Center for Music is the largest community music school in the country, reaching over 15,000 students annually. The age range of today’s students goes from infancy to over 100 years old. MacPhail has five locations, with three in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul region, one in southern Minnesota and a summer residential facility on Madeline Island, which is located on Lake Superior in Wisconsin. MacPhail programs are also delivered in over 100 community partnership locations where music learning opportunities are presented to eliminate the barriers that geography can present. All abilities are supported in their pursuit of learning through music, fulfilling the mission of transforming lives and strengthening communities with inspiring music education opportunities, no matter the ability level or background. MacPhail also offers scholarships for free tuition for those who qualify, so no one who wants to learn music is ever turned away.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I have had the honor of personally teaching two brothers named Brian and David for over 30 years. Brian and David came to MacPhail looking for the opportunity to learn percussion so they could participate in the school band program. They were navigating a school band director who was hesitant to have students with Down syndrome participate, so they sought instruction from MacPhail to learn on their own and prove to the band director they were not only capable, but excelled at percussion. Brian and David have gone on to participate in numerous music programs through the years, been featured at events — including their high school baccalaureate — and are now successful young men with their own business and their own house. I believe the MacPhail community has been part of their success, and it has been an honor to have witnessed their love of music grow through the years. They — and all students — know they belong at MacPhail.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
As a community and society, we need to prioritize the importance of arts education. It is a vital part of learning for our youth and must be equal to any other academic pursuit. Through music education, students develop creativity and problem-solving skills while also connecting with peers and the world around them in a supportive and non-competitive environment. Music also provides a conduit for expression of the world around us. Through the arts, youth find their identity and increase self-esteem. By supporting the executive functioning skills of our youth, we are giving them the opportunity to succeed in life. To promote this, we need more arts advocacy on par with that which athletics receive. We also need government and school leaders to prioritize music education in the curriculum content and daily school schedules.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is developing support for a vision that creates change and provides a movement forward, transforming the lives of people around us. A leader inspires people to support and work toward that vision because it is meaningful to them.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why.
- Results and accomplishments depend on having the right team. You can’t make significant progress in programming without the right team in place. Being a program leader requires being a subject area expert, knowing the community being served, and organizing and leading people. Anything becomes possible with the right individuals and team members who are passionate about the program. I learned that finding the right people and team takes time and diligence.
- Everyone can be a leader. It is a learned trait. When I began my leadership journey, some thought me too young, quiet and reserved. Yet, I was fortunate to receive invaluable support and encouragement from the leadership at MacPhail. Their belief in me inspired me to pay it forward by empowering others, especially young leaders. I learned patience through mistakes and worked to develop key leadership skills. To those offered leadership roles, seize the opportunity, and remember to be patient with yourself. Your journey is about growth, not perfection.
- It is the responsibility of all of us to treat each other equally, but that isn’t always the case. Whether it is regarding the availability of music education or building skills for career development, opportunities haven’t been applied equitably across our communities. As a result of MacPhail’s scholarships, a local low-income family with six children has been able to participate in MacPhail programs, leading to life-changing experiences resulting in the pursuit of music beyond high school and college education. You must be purposeful and deliberate to be equitable for employment opportunities/training and music education.
- Intuition is as important as metrics. There is no doubt that data is a crucial part of making decisions. However, a person must look beyond the data to make decisions, or opportunities are lost. As a data-driven thinker, I’ve learned this step requires trust, which cannot be quantified.
- Listen to others, no matter their title. We often aspire to be the boss because then we will have the “authority.” That euphoric position doesn’t exist. We must be responsive to our constituents. We succeed only by listening to and understanding the needs of customers, clients, employees, board members and supporters. When we make decisions without input, we fail. We take this to heart at MacPhail, designing programs with students in mind and making changes along the way when needed.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would inspire a singing movement because it has disappeared from our cultural events and daily lives. Let’s start a movement that returns singing to daily functions and rituals for families, institutions, cultural and community gatherings. Imagine the impact on our collective health if we sang together once a day. Each time we sing, it could be from a different culture, which would increase our appreciation and acceptance of every culture from around the world. Music’s biggest benefits come from active participation in making music.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“What happens to you in life doesn’t determine your character; how you respond does.” I learned this from my mother. She raised four children after the early passing of our father. Her repeated demonstration of what it means to have strong character when faced with adversity was a valuable lesson. When confronted with challenges, we can choose how we react. It’s our decisions over time that shape the strength of our character. I often remember this quote when encountering challenges. While we may be discouraged due to the issue we are facing, this saying reminds us that we have the ability and opportunity to determine our steps in responding. This saying leads us toward a positive mindset and productive problem-solving.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Jon Batiste’s music is undeniably infectious, but his perspective on the role of music in our contemporary culture truly captivates me. His views are not only fresh and on point but also essential in reshaping the perception that participation in music is exclusive to certain individuals and not accessible to all.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Check out or support our programs and find upcoming events, along with other music education insight, at MacPhail Center for Music’s website, www.macphail.org.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
How and Why Paul Babcock Is Helping Change the Face of Accessible Music Education was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.