Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • June 2014
10
Tim Lautzenheiser is a trusted friend to anyone interested in working with young people in developing a desire for excellence and a passion
for high level achievement. His career involves ten years of successful college band directing at Northern Michigan University, the University
of Missouri, and New Mexico State University. Following his tenure at the university level, he spent three years with McCormick’s Enterprises
working as Executive Director of Bands of America. In 1981, Tim created Attitude Concepts for Today, Inc., an organization designed to
manage the many requests for workshops, seminars, and convention speaking engagements focusing on the area of positive attitude and
effective leadership training. Over two million students have experienced his acclaimed student leadership workshops over the last three
decades. He presently serves as Vice President of Education for Conn-Selmer, Inc. In addition, he continues his rigorous travel schedule touting
the importance of arts education for every child.
His books, produced by G.I.A. Publications, Inc., continue to be bestsellers in the educational world. He is also co-author of popular band
method
Essential Elements
and is the Senior Educational Consultant for Hal Leonard, Inc. Tim is the Senior Educational Advisor for Music
for All and NAMM (The International Music Products Association).
Tim holds degrees from Ball State University and the University of Alabama. In 1995 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from
the VanderCook College of Music. He is presently an adjunct faculty member at Ball State University (Earl Dunn Distinguished Lecturer),
Indiana-Purdue/Ft. Wayne University, and Butler University. In addition, he serves on The Midwest Clinic Board of Directors and the Western
International Band Clinic/American Band College Board of Directors.
FEAR OF SUCCESS:
Why would someone be fright-
ened at the prospect of success? Isn’t that what we are
trying to achieve? Isn’t that the pay-off for all of our
hard work? Ah yes, but success brings along some
companions that are not always part of our comfort
zone. For example:
•
More Responsibility:
A successful person will be
expected to uphold the level of responsibility needed
to maintain the achieved standard.
•
Higher Expectations:
Winners are expected to
keep winning. In most cases this means going beyond
the level of the initial success.
•
Being in the Limelight:
Successful people are seen
and heard by all. There is no place to hide; those who
are successful are always being scrutinized by others.
•
The Long Fall to the Next Failure:
When
the successful person faces the inevitable failure, the
distance to the bottom of the mountain is more severe
than for those who do not try at all.
•
Separation from Friends:
The success of one
often creates a chasm between the individual and the
rest of the crowd. Peer pressure often serves as the
deciding factor in whether to push the extra mile or
not; stay with the crowd, play safe.
Based on the two expressed fears (failure/success),
the most comfortable place to be is “It’s good enough.”
The mind logically concludes, “Do what you have
to do to avoid failure, but be careful not to catapult
yourself to a high level of success.”
To counteract this reasoning, we, as educators,
must be the first to model the benefits of both failure
and success. In other words, we must be willing to
set the pace by demonstrating our own willingness to
push the envelope-of-possibility. Failure (that results
from an effort to achieve) needs to be rewarded with
guided encouragement to “learn from the mistakes”
and then use the newly discovered data as we make
a second, third, fourth attempt. Success (resulting
from a calculated effort) needs to be acknowledged
immediately, followed by the assurance that the value
of the learning process was more important than the
achieved product/outcome.
Students will reach beyond “It’s good enough”
when they understand there is a personal benefit
to both failure and success.
We, as educators, must
reinforce this behavior to insure that positive seeking
of higher levels of proficiency becomes an integral part
of our students’ behavior habits.
The only time it’s good enough is when we decide to
take action on the fact—it’s
not
good enough.
Deal ing Wi th “ It ’s Good Enough. ”