Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2014
9
Cooperation Creates Victory
We are a society that thrives
on
competition
. We
compete
in
school for grades, we
compete
in
our professional lives to achieve
positions and titles, and we
compete
in our daily life-patterns
for everything from a faster lane on
the freeway to a winning number
in the local lottery. We like to win,
to get ahead, and to maneuver
ourselves to a better vantage point.
Perhaps Darwin’s proposed theory
in his popular writing,
Survival
of the Fittest
clearly evidences
our competitive spirit—our
ongoing, ever-present, striving to
get to the front of the pack. It
is powerful motivational fuel for
the human, but like any energy
force,
competition
can be used in
a positive and/or negative fashion.
The athletic community has very
successfully embraced competition
as a traditional outgrowth of the
physical education curriculum.
Football games, basketball
tournaments, track and field meets,
etc. have become mainstays of every
institution. School themes are built
around a string-of-victories or a
state championship; the winning
team often becomes the flagship
of community pride. Though it
is a gross generalization, we see
winning as good and not-winning
as not-so-good.
Observing
the positive
enthusiasm generated by
competition
, other disciplines have
quickly jumped on the bandwagon.
Our schools now have science
fairs, 4-H shows, debate clubs,
essay contests, and music festivals
recognizing the achievements of
an array of talents
ranging from a
flute solo to a 400-
piece marching
band.
The good news
is that all of these
organized com-
petitive forums
have created much
excitement; how-
ever, we must be
clearly aware there
can be a downside
to the win-at-all-costs attitude.
As educators, the cautionary
responsibility rests directly on
our shoulders. Take heed, for the
instant gratification of first place
can become a haunting detriment
when it alone is the measure of
accomplishment.
When we ask students to “go
the extra mile” by committing
their valuable time to the art of
making music, we must focus on
the
intrinsic benefits
they will gain
as a result of their investment,
rather than the
extrinsic rewards
that come as a by-product of their
dedication. If “getting first place”
is more important than the joy of
an inspired performance (whatever
the adjudication outcome), then it
is time to do some philosophical
re-prioritizing. Is the goal to add
more trophies of achievement to the
shelves in the rehearsal room or to
stretch the students
to a new level
of artistic com-
munication? The
musical growth of
the students
must
stand as the top
priority in every
instance.
Over the years
the ongoing debate
about the value-
of-competition (in
our musical world)
has caused many music educators
to avoid any aspect of adjudication/
evaluation. Much like the ostrich
with its head in the sand, this may
be an over-reaction or escape. It
may also be an unrealistic approach
to preparing our students to address
the realities of life. At the same time,
if everything from chair placement
to a solo audition is couched in a
competitive framework, the need
to beat the fellow musician takes
precedence over the personal
growth and development gained
by a solid program of healthy self-
discipline. The key to a successful
balance is achieved through the
careful guidance of the teacher.
Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
Instead of dangl ing
the proverbial
compet i t ive carrot
in front of the
student/s, we might
be better served
i f we reward and
recognize their
success-habi ts/
patterns.