Simplify Success
As we move towards the heart of the competitive fall marching band season, most ensembles and educators begin to ask the question: What is success? The definition is often corrupted, which makes it seem that much harder to attain. But success can be defined as this: Meaningful Progress. To define it any more specifically is to leave so much defined as failure when, in reality, most failures are simply delayed success.
The Fuel
How does competition factor into success? Competition is not everything, but it also is not nothing. So what is it? Competition is the fuel. It is the great motivator that keeps things moving. Without it, there may not be the same urgency for success, and that competition is meaningful. If we define success as above, it must be the competition that greases the wheels. It makes you more efficient, more resilient, and more resourceful. Competition forces you to do more with less.
It is the grit and determination built by consistency and motivated by the will to compete. This bleeds into everything. There can only be one winner at the end, but to win the “big game” you must begin with winning the many “small games” that precede it. That will to compete helps bring more efficiency all the way down to the smallest of processes: Is there a more efficient way to teach? Can you sequence/prioritize rehearsals or practice in a more direct or streamlined way?
The refinement of processes takes time and dedication. But that is expedited with the understanding that a competitor is out there doing the same thing, with the goal to defeat you. So you prepare for the contest - did you improve or eliminate your weaknesses? Were you disciplined enough in rehearsal to trust the performance will proceed correctly? Has your training elevated the ensemble’s ability to perform?
That’s competition. It is the test of every single thing you do, not just the performance itself. That is what motivates the grind, and what helps provide even more value to the work. Like a shot of adrenaline when you win, and a heartbreak when you lose, the contest can make it worth it. The feedback of competitive success drives the re-evaluation of your processes for the next contest, and on and on it goes.
Welcome the Competition
Competition is not the only thing that matters - it should be viewed as the culmination and celebration of the work the ensemble has put in and a test of your processes against others. Framing success and competition this way for your ensemble can help students (and sometimes parents) understand that competition is very important, but is not everything. It allows you to win with humility and to lose with grace, all with the understanding that each contest is a stepping stone on a much larger journey of success.
So, welcome the competition. Don’t shy away from it. Just remember how success is defined and the role that competition has. There is nothing wrong with trying to “win the game!” Students want to win - and that is OK! The competitive success is important to the well being of any ensemble, but defining success as “meaningful progress” means that the score you get at the end of the season is not the only metric to determine progress. That number becomes a guidepost to evaluate processes and techniques in the off-season, and to re-examine your “playbook” to bring a better fight in the future.
Embrace competition. What are your opponents doing better than you? What gives you an edge? Where can you leverage a weakness into a strength? Where can you remove a weakness altogether? This examination takes time, but makes everyone better.