jL | In Practice - Shuffle & Clear the Deck
In the classroom - shuffle the delivery, but still deliver: as the school year winds to a close, it feels like every day is a new (and disruptive) adventure. If it isn’t STAAR, it's AP testing, field trips, or assemblies. Couple this with the myriad of different directions we’re being pulled in behind the scenes, and it seems futile to run a typical rehearsal in the face of constantly shifting, atypical situations.
I'm committed to delivering high-quality experiences, but on some days, I can’t maintain my normal approach and still deliver. The only way I’ve found to not lose my sanity is to embrace the disruption and add to it.
Some of my favorites:
No conductor - keep going until I give you a big cutoff - develops ensemble timing
Student conductor - this one requires a fairly mature group (not necessarily older kids just bought in) and a really great setup
Pick a seat (my absolute fav) - 30 sec to be in a completely new seating location - cannot be next to another performer on the same instrument - great for material with timing/listening challenges
Watson ABCs - chamber groups of 1/per part
Behind the scenes – clearing the deck:
The absolute hardest part for me this time of year is watching students prepare to graduate and leave the ensemble. I often find myself looking at the brilliant young leaders in the graduating class and thinking, How can we ever do it without them?
That thought usually leads to a smile and a quiet chuckle as I remember sharing this exact sentiment with Anthony Gibson nearly 20 years ago. We were graduating a strong trombone player named Ralph, and all I could see behind him was an extremely young section in an even younger band. I called Anthony one May afternoon in a panic about what we were going to do next. With a smile in his voice, he said, “It will be fine. Someone new will rise up. You’ll see.”
As a 29-year-old who believed he had all the answers, I simply could not bring myself to believe he was right. I spent the entire summer worrying about what we were going to do for brass leadership. Then, about three days into summer band, I called AG back and told him he was right. As if by magic, students I had never seen in the light of leadership were suddenly ready to step forward and take Ralph’s place.
The reality is that, despite how difficult it can be to let go of the remarkable seniors who graduate each year, we must clear the deck to create space for the next generation of leaders.
In every program, students are waiting for the opportunity to build on the lessons learned from those who came before them. They are ready to lead. Our responsibility is to provide the confidence, the hope, and the space for them to step out of the shadows of their predecessors.
Lesson I’m Learning: Live a life worth repeating. ~ Prof. Eugene Migliaro Corporon
It was an honor and a privilege to be in the audience for the Maestro’s final official concert at UNT this afternoon. His generosity, sophistication, visionary leadership, and grace were on full display. To watch this mountain of a man and musician celebrate his students one more time while, at the same, time, seamlessly ushering in his successor, was both humbling and inspiring.
Bravo, Maestro. Thank you for leading the way.
Let me know how I can help - have an AMAZING week!
Jeff