blog 4/1

Having read Austin's article on competitions, I can definitely observe what he was talking about in my own high school experience. My school generally did well in competitions, but I can definitely see, looking back, the pride that derived from winning. For many students, the concert was about putting out the top product. Some students were even concerned with another very excellent school(both schools almost always got straight Is) and considered this school a rival. They wanted to know who did better.

Although the situation for us was probably better than at a competing school that struggled to earn high ratings, I think there were a lot of educational temptations and challenges that accompanied this culture. It made a lot of things easier for the directors: recruiting, boosters, administrative support, personal prestige. An outside organization was placing its stamp of approval on the program and those involved, which helped make people eager and confident to support the program and make it a point of pride for the school. Students bought in because it was something they took pride in and they wanted to live up the the school's musical legacy.

However, educationally, music as a process is more important than music as a product. Students learn along the way. Maintaining the excellence in terms of competing, however, makes it tempting for the director to promote the product. The most efficient method of producing the product is to spend class time exclusively rehearsing and picking apart mistakes. It is tempting to simply instruct students what to do and not leave time for exploration or attempt deeper understanding of the material. Understanding how to rehearse, practice, and fit into a group, but it isn't everything. I felt that the other things were neglected in my high school band. Fortunately, I had private lessons to make this up for me.

I thought this culture also promoted a sense of stressfulness at performances. Directors were constantly tuning instruments, giving notes, picking at things, and generally dress rehearsing extensively. It always made me feel frantic at the start of the concert. I was bombarded with so much extra information. Even today, I feel that I perform best when I am able to walk out on stage confident in what I had already learned and practiced eager to share and express. If I haven't learned it by the day of the concert, the extra 5 minutes of dress rehearsal are not likely to make a difference.

I also felt that a strong sense of "mistake avoidance" pervaded performing and evaluations of performances. When I had a piccolo solo, I was worried mainly about playing all the correct notes. When the trumpets messed up an entrance at contest, it was thereafter referred to as "the trumpet debacle" by the band. A holistic evaluation was often lacking from students, even if the adjudicators gave such comments.

I highly doubt that, regardless of what my own philosophy might ultimately be, I will be able to just walk away from contest in my actual position. However, I do agree with a lot of what Austin says: competition can be damaging and shape the beliefs of students in negative ways. However, I hope that I, by emphasis and example, can teach my students that music making is a process and that concerts are primarily about expression and sharing, not avoiding screw ups or being better than someone else.