We are getting into, what is for me anyway, one of the most challenging parts of the year. And while the ever building avalanche of performances, festivals, and events is looming from now through May, what really makes this time of year tough is the smaller things. It’s harder to get up in the morning. Small tasks seem to stack up and require more effort than they did before. Rest and motivation are winning this cruel game of hide and seek that will continue for the next few months. And if I’m feeling it, then chances are pretty good that students are feeling it too.
Hibernation feels like it should be a part of my natural being, even if it isn’t technically an option.
Since hibernation isn’t an option, something else is going to have to change. But what can we do to help boost our own, and our students’ psyches and push through the funk?
Enter Richard Floyd. I picked up his book, The Artistry of Teaching and Making Music, from the GIA booth while at the Michigan Music Conference after hearing about it during the Conductor’s Symposium. From the moment I started reading, I knew it was going to be an awesome journey. Floyd is totally speaking my language, preaching to my choir, playing on the same team.
One of the points Floyd makes early on is the importance of rehearsing within a positive context. As musicians, we are so trained to find all the “problems” in our work so that we can fix them. The word “don’t” becomes a regular part of our vocabulary. However, Floyd suggests that “instead of telling students what not to do, frame instructional comments in a fashion that creates a positive image of what is expected or what needs to be accomplished...The focus shifts from an avoidance of getting it wrong to a passion for refining and enhancing the music.” (p. 36)
YES.
I’m practically vibrating while reading because this resonates so deeply. But I’m also thinking- why not take this even further? Instead of dwelling on the difficult-ness, the frustrations, the rest that is no where to be found this time of year, let’s also consider what might happen when we verbalize the positive. The reasons why we are here. The idea that when we step the band room, we do so with the intent of leaving the stress of the world behind and enjoy being in the moment with each other to create something beautiful. How special it is to gather together and make something that enriches our humanity for a few moments each day.
I’ve started consciously using more positive language in rehearsal. We practice rolling our backs, shrugging the weight of the world off our shoulders, and letting our spines breathe. We discuss where we want to put our energy; entrances, rests, releases, phrases. We are coming from a place of musical intent rather than trying to target all the “don’t”s. Not only is our musical progress energized by positive verbiage, but the climate of our room, interactions with one another, and culture we’re building have all benefited already from these positive perspectives. Using positive language doesn’t always come naturally. But, it is effective when coming from a place of truth, sincerity, and genuine care. (No one hates insincere “toxic” positivity more than moi. I can’t stand it, high schoolers can’t stand it. Ain’t nobody got time for that.)
At the end of the day, I want my classroom to be a positive place where whomever walks in finds a place of safety, enjoyment, fulfillment, and joy. I can’t expect it to become that place if I don’t even use the words to make it so. It takes a lot of awareness and effort, but the payoff in the end is huge. In using words like “joy”, “energy”, “beauty”, “fun”, and the like, I am consciously filling my classroom with all the things I want for my students and myself, and shifting the focus back onto the things that make music worth making and life worth living. As cliche as it might be, Ghandi was right...
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