SIE (sigh) for PiE
Our marching tower proudly displays two banners:
Excellence is an end in of itself; it needs no justification. ~Jim Collins
Pride In Excellence
In a world inundated with ‘experts’ in every field, marching band is no exception. It seems impossible to open your corner of the internet without finding commentary, analysis, or rankings of our subjective art form.
While there are certainly elements of art that are objective, at the level of achievement often seen as we approach the end of the season, we must recognize that even the most thoughtful and informed evaluations are influenced by the perspectives and preferences of the evaluator.
In our classroom, we focus on what we can control as we strive for Pride In Excellence. As a method for teaching and reinforcing the concept, we SIE (pronounced sigh - many may remember that I’m not an excellent speeler 😂) for PiE.
At every opportunity, are we individually and collectively:
Sophisticated -
Is there a refinement beyond functionality? Does my performance reflect the music or mood I’m intending to portray?
Intentional -
Am I thoughtfully present in each rehearsal and performance moment? Am I consistently achieving my assignments? Am I open to being challenged by those around me, allowing my performance to continue developing through every rep, rehearsal, and performance until the very last opportunity?
Engaging -
Do my actions captivate and inspire the performers, staff, and audience?
If we keep our sights on these elements, we can stand tall as we exit the field for the final time, knowing that while others' evaluations can provide valuable insight, they do not define our worth.
Instead, our greatest responsibility is to honor those who laid the foundation on which we stand, those who have invested so much to make our journey possible, those who traveled alongside us, and those who will have a well-lit path to travel because of what we’ve created together.
In essence, we’re attempting to live into Collins’ follow-up quote about excellence:
Excellence is a very different word than success. There’s just something intrinsically beautiful about the idea that you make something excellent because you can, not because it will get you something. ~Collins
Be beautiful and have an AMAZING week!
Jeff