Band pedagogy has become the dominant teaching approach found in secondary music education. Band pedagogy's focus on meeting performance objectives in large ensemble contexts has created inflexible and teacher-centered learning environments. This paper seeks to examine the problematic aspects of band pedagogy being at the forefront of curriculum implementation, and to propose solutions for educators that better meet the needs and interests of students. To create a clear path forward for secondary music education, educators' need to be open to informal pedagogical approaches, cultivate an awareness of their own positionality to the music curriculum, and embrace popular music practices.