Teaching Thoughts 10/19/21
Here is a mess of ideas, revelations, observations and reflections from my own teaching in the last few months.
Let's talk about competition. Within an ensemble, or within any group of people, I believe the natural human tendency is to stand out. Even the most introverted people I know will work their way into a comfortable enough position to want to be the center of attention. As a teacher of music, this sounds like great naturally occurring motivation that will be passed down to students as they stay in the same group of musicians for years. As a teacher of ensembles, there is one road block, a single aspect that will scare off 70% percent of students from truly wanting to step up and become the best: leadership. In the modern age of music teaching in high schools, the first chair will often have to be a teaching role as much as it is a playing role, usually to the benefit of the teacher in streamlining rehearsals and creating a hierarchy of knowledge being passed all the way down to the rookies. The big questions here: don't these older students want to play? Are we really only teaching 3 years from 9th to 12th grade if seniors have to spend their time passing knowledge down?
Great, now let's talk about the marching arts, specifically show design. There are so many wrong approaches to show design, the wrongest being directors basing shows of their own interests. This sounds obvious, but can be disastrous come September or February when half your band or drumline has gone from buying into the performance to completely checked out, I've seen it happen more than a few times. Now, no director (that I deal with) will do JUST shows using JUST their favorite boomer rock from the early 80's year after year, BUT this sort of director-show concept has many different looks in practice.
The Good Ole Days Show: "This was my favorite band of all time, let's do the show they did! Wait, the activity has changed in 10+ years? Wait, my own teaching style has changed in the 10+ years since I last taught this music? Wait, students don't like hearing me talk about students I prefer to them?" Yes, yes, yes.
The DCI Knockoff Show: "I can't stop watching this clip of Carolina Crown doing that trombone slide in Beast, we GOTTA do that in our show! Let's put 20k down on whatever mics and electronics they use to make it happen. Wait, the things I see in DCI are too advanced for the general high school population, even at low open class levels? Wait, I shouldn't take inspiration only from the marching arts to put into a marching show? Wait, not every kid in my band even like DCI, including the half that are literally ineligible because of the instrument I assigned to them 7 years ago?" Yes x3
The Anti Marching Show: "DCI is poison! With those flashy new costumes they have! Playing all this newfangled drivel, sprinting all over the place and, whats this, MICROPHONES?? This show I've thought up will bring the marching arts back to an age of refinement with the powers of my good friends Richard Wagner and Ludwig Von Beethoven! Wait, this show is a complete bore to watch to the 99% percent of the audience that isn't myself and the one parent who plays organ at church? Wait, the marching arts have always been hokey and trend-chasing and that's why the general public likes it so much? Wait, where did half my band go?" Yes, yes, probably your local DCA corps.
The Just Bad Idea Show: "IDK let's do a show about those funny seaguls from finding nemo. Wait, my program is shrinking because the kids that like marching don't like that I spend the length of a law and order episode designing the show because I much prefer teaching jazz band? Wait, I can just consult someone about my show idea and fix most of my problems? Wait, I can just buy a pre packaged show for a thousand dollars and not have to worry about it?" You get the idea.
Designing shows is hard, if you choose to do it. But doctors, lawyers and band directors all share the same god complex, if you don't know how to design a show, don't assume it's easy, and don't assume your first one will be perfect. All of the big names in marching show design didn't get to where they were right after their bachelors degree, they've been growing with the activity for decades and doing the dirty work for the directors they write for. Ask for help, hire a design staff member, start early, and don't rush the process.
Woof, that was a long one. Here's a quick one: should I prioritize students that pay for private lessons from me?
Easy answer: No.
Difficult answer: If your lessons were any good you wouldn't need to.
Final thought for this post, bringing it full circle and talking about competition from unit perspective. Hey! BOA Grand Nationals is right around the corner! Some band somewhere is going to be called the Best Marching Band In the United States! That's cool, how can my band do that? Well, when I look at competitive ensembles, specifically ones that win, I notice one of two effort ratios: 75:25, Teacher to Student: Now, it'd be pretty messed up if I told you that these students didn't work hard and earn their W, because that isn't the case. This ratio simply explains that the program, the repertoire they picked, the show they designed, the staff they built and the resources they have could carry a lot of bands of similar size to that trophy. They play the strategy game, and they play it better than anyone else. Look at DCI, look at NASCAR, look at professional poker. The same high calibre performers, the same engines, the same deck of cards, all just plugged into the smartest and most efficient playbook. 25:75, Teacher to Student: Now, it'd be pretty messed up if I told you that these teachers didn't work hard and earn their W, because that isn't the case. This ratio simply explains how an ensemble's culture can encourage students to put it all on the line for the final product. It starts with reliability on the other members, then evolves into individual responsibility recognition, then before you know it each member of the ensemble, 100%, are doing everything they can to win. Think about the Cinderella stories that pop up every March in NCAA basketball. Nothing extraordinary about the program's history, everything extraordinary about how the players put in the effort on and off the court. If you've made it this far, I'll leave you with a point of reference. I've never led an ensemble to a big victory (on only one attempt) so I can't tell you that anything I can say on the matter is law, or even remotely true. But this is my blog where I write about what I see. You get the idea.
Hey, thanks for reading all of this.