I recently watched the documentary Chops about a killer high school Jazz Band that participates in the Essentially Ellington competition at Lincoln Center. While the majority of the footage takes place in the months leading up to the competition and the competition itself, the first 20 minutes or so have footage from a few years before, following one student as he prepares for the high school ensemble. To me, this was the most valuable and eye-opening in regard to creating a killer music program.
At the opening of the film, a young saxophone student is given a great opportunity to play with a group of students who were older than him. The teacher made an exception to let him in the ensemble, because of how serious he was with music. That teacher took a risk and provided an amazing opportunity to that young student. That single decision was probably the biggest confidence boost and motivator for that musician's early career. Unfortunately, I have heard of many situations where the opposite happens, and one decision can ruin a young musician's desire to perform. Ultimately, in our efforts to build our programs and promote excellence, we as educators need to take risks and provide positive experiences for our students early on.
Another big motivator, and something that can help build a program is successful upper-level groups. This could be the top ensemble at the high school. In my case, the motivator was being able to be a selected percussionist to perform with all of the district bands at our annual big band bash. This is something I knew about in 4th grade and worked toward achieving as an upper-classroom a young lifetime later! The young saxophone student at the beginning of Chops knew what his high school jazz band was about, and he was working toward it years in advance! It's important to recognize that great high school ensembles really don't start in high school.
Most importantly, we need to provide exciting opportunities for our students. They don't have to be super expensive, or life-changing - but they definitely effect our students deeply. In Chops, the opportunity is the Essentially Ellington Competition. The students work as a team and motivate each other to be the best. The senior drummer Jamison Ross played a major role in motivating and inspiring the group. The teacher can't do this alone, and upperclassman are often a big help. This student wasn't your average high school musician - in 2012 he was named winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk Competition.
We can't all have award-winning groups who take home trophies from national competitions, but that doesn't mean that we can't build our programs to inspire the love of musical performance and a fine appreciation of the art form. In my small program, I hope to build on traditions and cater to both the absolute beginner and experienced performer.
It was a great film, wasn't it? They were all such talented young musicians, and it's a great story to see them through, from the beginning of the school year (and even earlier for some) to that final moment when they won the competition. Such a good feeling to see the excitement on all of their faces. It's a wonderful goal to set, whether our ensembles win or even get into a competition, I think working toward it is reward in itself.
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