It was a crisp morning in 1988 in Lubbock, Texas, and I found myself waiting for the last truck to finish loading at the Municipal Coliseum, ready to head to the next city and concert. That day marked the end of my stint as a college student working for a concert promoter, helping bring some of the biggest names in rock to town. The band on this particular day was Metallica. Despite their larger-than-life personas, like many of the artists I encountered, the Metallica members were surprisingly down-to-earth, quiet, and respectful.
From Bon Jovi to David Copperfield, my job was to ensure that the promoter met the contractual obligations to the artists on the day of the show. This included tasks as varied as hiring chiropractors, pre-ordering meals, and fulfilling the often extensive and specific demands listed in each band’s “hospitality rider.”
Most of these requests were practical and necessary to accommodate entertainers who spent months on the road. But some were downright peculiar. I remember being tasked with purchasing pre-packaged T-shirts and underwear to be placed outside the showers after a New Kids on the Block concert and tracking down an authentic Texas Tech football jersey for Jon Bon Jovi to wear during an encore. Sometimes, the roses for a magic trick weren’t quite long enough, or Evian water wasn’t available, but I always did my best to meet these demands.
The promoters kept inviting me back because they valued people with a strong sense of responsibility and respect for getting the job done and allowing the artists to exist without interference. These values—responsibility and respect—were instilled in me through my upbringing, reinforced at home, in school, at church, and through sports. When a coach, parent, pastor, or teacher told me to do something, I understood the importance of respecting their authority and following the rules, as long as it was neither illegal nor immoral. This mindset helped me deliver on contractual obligations, even when the requests seemed trivial or didn’t make much sense to me.
In the music business, you occasionally encounter artists who aren’t always the most reasonable or well-behaved, but if they wanted five bags of yellow M&Ms, I did my best to deliver them—always with respect and responsibility.
These experiences taught me valuable lessons that resonate today, especially in the context of our schools. Just as I had to follow the rules set by artists and promoters, our schools are guided by numerous rules and regulations. Federal or state governments dictate many rules, others by dress code committees, safety and security experts, or the school board. At the start of each school year, it’s our duty to ensure that everyone is aware of these rules as outlined in handbooks and legal documents and to help everyone understand the reasons behind them. Students have been informed, parents have signed handbooks, and educators have endured countless hours of training to comply with these standards.
We encourage open dialogue and feedback regarding these rules and regulations because, often, these conversations lead to meaningful changes. My request is that this feedback be offered with the same respect and consideration that we all would want to receive.
In my view, approaching any job or task with respect and responsibility teaches others its importance. It bestows a sense of value upon those we treat with respect—a value we all seek as human beings. When I showed respect and responsibility to artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, just as I did for my parents, pastor, or football coach, it fostered trust.
As a parent of two children, I wanted them to see me treating everyone, regardless of status or position, with the respect and care we all deserve. Building a legacy based on mutual respect and responsibility isn’t just a personal mission—it’s the Wylie Way.
Helpful Respect & Responsibility Family Engagement Links:
- Next week, students in K-8 will receive a lesson on Respect and Responsibility. We have a PARENT COMPANION PIECE (Spanish) if you would like to talk to your child about the lesson.
- During our upcoming Wylie Way Day on Sept. 11, we will provide a Responsibility lesson. Parent guides that align with the Wylie Way Day can be found HERE for elementary and HERE for secondary.
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