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A recent post by tubashelle reminded me of a question I have been thinking about posting...

I am a high school tubist, and I'd say that I'm the strongest player/musician in my band program. I'm also senior, and I'm going into music in college, so this year my director has suggested that I take on some "leadership roles". I have a great tuba section, who take criticism well and at least listen to whatever advice I might have, so being section leader is fine. The rest of the band however, are similar to Shelle's section - without motivation or (at least it seems to me) respect for what we're doing in band. This, of course, annoys people like my section and me who try to take music seriously. But yet, I'm supposed to be leading them?

I've read articles (can't remember exactly where on the web) and talked to my private teacher about my situation, and the idea kept coming up that strong students in schools should "raise their program". I'm curious what other tubenetters think about this statement, and the duties, if any, of the strong musicians in a weak band program. Any opinions?

Waiting and watching intently for answers-
Spencer Heaps

Ah, to be in high school again. You couldn't pay me enough money to relive even a single day of it. In my HS band, the "leaders" were neither the best musicians nor the best leaders; nevertheless, their job was formidable. The vast majority of our band members (less than 40 most of the time) did not exhibit much desire to be in band at all. The most competitive audition of the year was not chair placement in any section, but the tryout for the flag team during marching season (making the team meant that you didn't have to play your instrument for the first three months of school...jump for joy!). Enter me, the All-State first chair tuba player. I have always been more of a lead by example type; people take notice, but they do not want to listen to what I have to say. The director would not let me be drum major my senior year because she thought I was too important to the ensemble as a player. Same for the hot shot trumpet player who was a year ahead of me. We should have been the leaders, but the fact was that not only were we essentially not allowed to be, but the kids would not have listened to us because they despised us. I once had to run a sectional (all low brass) during which our trombonist got up, angrily told me that I was only a good player because I had no life outside of music, and walked out. Months later, she came running up to me after graduation to tell me she was desperately in love with me, despite the fact that she had been dating someone else for two years. I already said it...you couldn't pay me enough to go back to high school. It is one year of your life, and the experience will soon pale in comparision with what is to come in your life, ESPECIALLY if you really are the kind of person people SHOULD listen to. Do what you can, let them take it or leave it, then walk away and don't lose any sleep over it.

ubertuba wrote:A recent post by tubashelle reminded me of a question I have been thinking about posting...

I am a high school tubist, and I'd say that I'm the strongest player/musician in my band program.

Then, obviously, you get to take the lead when the piano needs to be moved...



It's a huge pond out there, tadpole!

Quote: Do what you can, let them take it or leave it, then walk away and don't lose any sleep over it.


Excellent advice. In your position, I doubt You can motivate people who simply want to get an "easy C" grade on their report card. And I would say it´s not your job, neither.
Concentrate on those who will listen, but don´t exclude those who won´t. Maybe, seeing improvement/fun/whatever in the group that DOES listen, they make up their mind.

I had the same situation in my own high school, especially during marching season.

Freshman year: been playing for like six months, come in, beat the upper classman tubas at seatings, almost make all-state. don't feel I have the right to 'lead' because i really don't know whats going on.

Sophomore year was a similar situation

Junior year, after coming back from a season of Drum Corps, marching band was hell. i realized how bad the time of the drum majors (all woodwinds, becaus the the director believed that the brass were more important on the field) were. i stressed myself out trying to produce results on the field same in band, i would work to try to tell people what to do, to make things better, pissed alot of people off. and didn't improve any sections.

by senior year i realized that the only thing i could do was be as good as i could be. i did band for fun, and just played as well as i could, and didn't worry about anything else. it was a much more enjoyable year.

Being a leader mostly means providing an excellent example. When people cut up, don't participate. When they play poorly, don't try to play louder to cover them up--just play it the way it should be played. When they disparage the band director or each other, don't participate. When they complain, don't participate. Never, ever gossip. When others gossip, just quietly turn and walk away. Don't scold--that requires authority you don't have.

Compliment what is good, but not condescendingly. If you say, "that sounds a lot better than usual", the compliment comes across as an insult. Instead, say "that solo sounded really good."

Leadership and authority are two different things. Even as a senior, you have little authority in the classroom, and none assigned by the establishment. The band director is the only person in the room with true authority. The only authority you will have will be based on what you accomplish, and the respect you earn from your bandmates. This cannot be bestowed on you by anybody, not even the director. You have to earn it.

Occasional pep talks can be useful, but focus on the need for accomplishment, not on the need to impress you. So, instead of "make me proud," say something like "let's show them what we can do." Be a part of the group, talking always about what "we" can do together, as opposed to what "you" or "I" do.

Maybe you are complaining a lot, and maybe that's why your band director is inviting you to take on more leadership qualities. I said "maybe", but it's something to think about. Complaining is not showing leadership.

Rick "who was a poor leader in high school" Denney

You cannot expect to undertake this role without the support of the band teacher.

And by that, I mean--if the band teacher doesn't want to give bad grades, or even threaten to kick people out, then there isn't much that can be done. The "good" students are already impressed by you--they already look up to you, and you can motivate them just by playing well. The rest don't care, and you can't make them.

Still, do your best to help--pass knowledge along when you can. If you know a way to help them play better, or pass along a practice technique, do it. Still, making them CARE--you can't do that.

As Rick says, leadership does NOT mean authority. The minute you have to threaten or discipline ANYONE, it means that you have lost the ability to lead.

Conductors, whom you must follow in order to get a unified performance, are sometimes (incorrectly) known as band "leaders". Yet corporations have spent billions trying to recover from the dark-ages impression that your boss, the person with authority over you, is your "leader". Quite the opposite. Often it's the person with the best ideas, the smartest, or the best at communicating. A good boss knows when to recognize this, and get out of the way. The modern definition of a good supervisor is that of a coordinator, a person who can make sure projects are done correctly, and to completion.

What a conductor SHOULD be (and very often isn't).