This week on band tips were looking at what you need in your band leader.
With marching band season in full swing up again, band directors find themselves looking to their flock of members in search of that indispensible percentage that will prove themselves leaders.
Many are gregarious. Some are popular. But only a select few truly have the makings of a leader, and these members are an invaluable part of a marching program.
Teens identify with their peer group more strongly than any other models, so placing good peer examples in front an ensemble can set the tone for an entire marching season, even several years. Drum majors and section leaders with the right attitude towards the job make a director’s task that much easier, while negative leaders can misdirect the ensemble’s attitude and work ethic.
So what should a director look for in a band leader? The following series explores the traits that will prove substantial assets to any group as the marching year progresses.
An Attitude of Service: A Non-Negotiable
The most important quality for a band leader isn’t a flashy conducting style, the loudest voice for calling commands, or the biggest smile; it’s an attitude of quiet willingness to serve. Leaders need to be willing to do the thankless jobs that nobody even notices until they aren’t done. Great band leaders anticipate the ensemble’s needs and are eager to fulfill them, even if that means walking around during the group’s break time and collecting empty granola bar wrappers. Only a person who consistently demonstrates a genuine care for those under his leadership will earn the respect that inspires other members to follow that leader through challenging times.
This attitude of service is foundational in building a strong leader/follower relationship underpinned by the confidence that the band leader genuinely cares about those he is called to lead. But students will only follow as far as the leader’s expertise is capable of taking them.
When choosing band leaders, band directors face the challenge of not only assessing the candidates’ leadership abilities, but their musical and marching competency as well. Every follower needs to sense those who are leading them are extremely capable if the group is to have confidence they are in good hands. In choosing a drum major, this can sometimes create a conflict for the director — who wants to “lose” their best musician to the podium? But if that musician truly is the best leader for the position, directors usually find shifting that student from the ensemble to the leadership role ends up a net gain overall. This consideration of a members ability leads to the second trait foundational to building a great student leader.
Commitment to Excellence: Raising the Bar
The proficiency of the leader in his area of expertise has a defining effect on the achievement level of the group, so directors choosing a band leader must consider their best musicians first for leadership roles. According to Dr. John Villella, Associate Dean of West Chester University’s School of Music and President of Vivace Productions, a premier provider of leadership education: “First and foremost, a marching band leader must be an excellent musician, and if charged with marching instruction, also an excellent marcher. They must display [proficiency] at a level far above the average member. If the leaders are rehearsing and performing at a 70 percent proficiency level, all of the followers will be less proficient; likewise, if they are at 90 percent or above, the followers will also rise to a higher level.”
In this same vein, band leaders must display a commitment to improving their skills—a teachable spirit provides the fertile soil in which great leaders take root and thrive. Where a leader might lack in knowledge, they should express a willingness and determination to grow in that area.If you are looking for bracelet. There’s something to suit every look, from body-hugging to structured, from cuffs to chain chain bracelet and cuffs.
Social Sensitivity: A Dying Art?
Sometimes the biggest personalities can be blinded by their own bright glow, and while these performer-types may be a pleasure to watch in action, they often don’t make good, relational leaders. The best ensembles are based on a stable relationship of trust between its members and its leaders — trust that can be established through the leader’s attitude of service, as discussed earlier.
In terms of teaching, the best leaders have the maturity to know when to push and when to ease up — when the call for excellence means more push-ups, or whether that freshman needs a minute to avoid bursting into tears in front of her entire section. According to Dr. John Villella, President of Vivace Productions and Associate Dean of the West Chester University School of Music, “[leaders must] realize that if they want their peers to respect and follow them, the leader must place value on the followers. The fundamentals of leadership education have not changed.” However, “technology and the way people communicate have changed dramatically over the past two decades.”
Today’s technological means of communication have the potential to stunt the development of face-to-face social sensitivity, but students who show leadership potential will exhibit the ability to relate to their peers, read social cues, and effectively communicate the group’s goals in person. The member who exhibits the maturity it takes to communicate well, and the judgment to pursue that communication at the right moment, will help propel his or her marching ensemble to new levels of cohesiveness and work ethic.
The selection of a band leader is never an easy choice. But directors who do give their young musicians the opportunity to shine in areas of leadership equip these students with skills that will benefit them far beyond their days on the band field. And ensembles fortunate enough to work with well-equipped student leaders enjoy achievement and camaraderie they can find no place else.