WK 3 Reading "Art of Possibility"

Once again “The Art of Possibility” enlightened me. During Ben’s discussion in “Leading from Any Chair", I began to think about my approach to my program. His approach is very similar to mine as well as other directors I know. Our concept is to mode students to understand the interpretation of each piece for any performance. In no means am I specifying that this is a bad thing but I never once thought about if I were enabling students from performing to the best of their abilities.

I don’t think I have ever been in a rehearsal setting that did not allow engaging conversations between the director and ensemble. I make it a point to have meaningful discussions about music my ensemble is performing and about life in general. I always want students to have an enjoyable time learning about and performing music. They will also be the first to tell you that I will acknowledge any mistakes on my behalf and apologies without thinking twice. We are all humans and no one is perfect (Even though my students try their hardest to catch me on this since they think I know it all!).  I did enjoy the read about giving an individual with the precious knowledge of a particular craft an opportunity to lead. I occasionally try this with students whom I know are capable. And not just the leaders of the band; I’m referring to all with the burning desire to achieve. I do get some that are too embarrassed to come up to the podium, but those who accept are really appreciative. Maybe I will use that line on listening to the music from the back of the theatre to get more to participate. Oh, and the statement under the subtitle “Leaders Everywhere” fit perfectly with my Capstone Project. The Youth Philharmonic Orchestra had to “sight-read” a complex composition by a Cuban composer. If they did not properly prepare to sight read advanced music, they wouldn’t have been able to make it through the piece.

If Rule Number 6 isn’t one needed within my facility then I don’t know what is! One thing I can’t stand is friction in my program or in the building. I do like the fact that Zander mentioned humor as the best way to “give over ourselves”. As previously mentioned, we are all humans and we will make mistakes regardless. Instead of becoming unprofessional and acting outlandish, lighten up and laugh about it (Just venting). I can admit that during intense rehearsals preparing for a performance I can become a very rude obnoxious individual because I strive for perfection. It does somewhat stress the students out because they do not want to make any errors. Very recently have I begun to tell jokes and make a fool of myself to give them something to laugh about and ease the tension. Doing so has actually allowed them to perform better and enjoy doing so. I do appreciate the stories associated with the chapters to give personal accounts on how they approached scenarios. I don’t think I’ve been this excited about reading a book in a while.

In the chapter “The Way Things Are”, Zander expresses the need find ways to overcome negative aspects by introducing positive pathways. I try to bring this example to the table when dealing with my program. You hear so much about the Arts being underfunded; I can tell you that this statement doesn’t explain half of how much funding our programs actually receives. It becomes frustrating when we have to sustain a program with instruments purchased 3 to 4 decades before you were born. Of course, instruments that old may be beyond repair. Instead of concluding that those instruments would become doorstoppers, we find home remedies to repair them to the best of our abilities. Even though they may not be the best quality once repaired, students would still have something to use in order to participate with the rest of the class. As an educator, we have to find pathways to deliver us from certain negative aspects, which would prevent students success.