Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2015
20
want them to hear what
we
see, but often we settle for them
hearing only what
they
do. In a perfect world, we must
strive to help them “see” the full score we have in front of
us with their ears.
In full context, we are trying to help them be aware of
their surroundings and how they relate or fit in. This is
the radar that should be spinning all the time, inside band
and to the outside world. So, critical listening involves the
following:
a. Awareness of surroundings
• Developing a power of observation and how to improve it
• Awareness of how it affects you
• Awareness of how you affect it
b. Comparative listening
• Comparing against an expected standard
• Knowing what to listen for or be aware of
• Sorting through different strata of information (musical
or otherwise) all happening simultaneously
• Developing the art of filtering the most relevant
information
Independent Action:
Yogi Berra, one of our most profound modern day
philosophers (and legendary catcher for the New York
Yankees) is credited for saying, “When you come to a fork
in the road, take it.” Quite simply, this means making a
decision and acting on it. This is crucial in helping students
grow if they are truly going to thrive. Too often, we make
decisions for them: “raise your pitch, play a note this long,
play louder/softer, stay with the metronome”. I could go
on and on. We’re not teaching them to be leaders, we’re
teaching them to be followers. We reinforce academic
bulimia by making sure they do exactly as we’ve told
them, when we’ve told them. Knowledge of data without
transforming it into wise application is useless.
This is an easy trap to fall into because we want them
to experience the highest levels of success. We don’t want
them (us) to fail; but, in doing so, we aren’t teaching
them
how
to fail.
Yes, I said how to fail.
I agree with John
Maxwell when in his book
Talent is Never Enough
he says,
“Success is never final and failure doesn’t have to be fatal”.
When students are put in a position to make independent
decisions, they will sometimes make the wrong ones and
momentarily fail. It’s OK. If we don’t allow students that
chance, we can’t help them figure out how to make better
ones and grow to succeed.
How students learn to act on critical thinking and
critical listening must be to develop independence. To
merely follow directions doesn’t do it. It’s not what they
know, it’s
can they use it
. So, elements of independent
action are:
a. Drawing on knowledge to act
• Helping students learn to access what they already know
without us
• Requiring students make a decision and act on it
• Helping students consider the results of independent
action, gauge its success and then adapt
b. Developing independence to act
• Helping students gain confidence to act independently
• Helping them develop that skill
• Helping them build a level of trust in their actions
As teachers, we can’t and shouldn’t make all the
decisions for them. We have to develop the wisdom to
know what to teach them and when, but also to have the
patience, persistence and the courage to move them closer
to independence. As we do, they will learn how to learn—
and that’s what it’s all about.
Extemporaneous Compromise:
This is the art of developing flexibility, awareness and
adapting to constantly changing circumstances. There
are never any two seemingly identical rehearsals or
performances that are the same. Helping students develop
the awareness and flexibility to adapt instantly is multi-
tasking at it’s finest. A few hints…
a. Leading and following
• Discovering who is leading
• Recognizing when to follow
• Acknowledging when change has to occur, and how
to adapt
Survival or Thrival
What are we preparing students for — band or life?
