Keeping it Real

If you know me at all, you know I tell it like I see it. Today things were better at rehearsal and honestly if the band can make those kinds of strides in a 24 hour period, they can pretty much do whatever they want. I guess that's the deal though. They have to want to do it. I learned a long time ago you can't make people what they don't want to do. The best you can hope for is to put people in a position to do things they want to do. This is often easier to say than do but any way I regress...I have been "accused" of being "negative" before this year. Perhaps true. Think about what a music director does though. We generally point out mistakes and tell people how to do things. This is the nature of the beast. I mean think about it if it went like this: "I know you really like to play the wrong notes in this piece and that is fine if you want to. I think you should be allow to express yourself in this manner if you want to. Good for you! You are doing the best you can." Here is the truth. I find mistakes and fix them. Do I ever say positive things? Yes! Do most people hear them? No. They tend to focus on the other. So was I more positive today? Yes. Was the band better today? Yes. Did I tell them more things to fix? Yes. Did I tell them they did their best when they didn't? NO! and I won't. They deserve better than that and they certainly can see right through it too. Did we get better today? Yes. Are we where we should be and is the effort level a 100%. Nope. We have a long, long way to go and one things is for sure...I can't make them do it. They have to want to do it.