Value of Competition
Value of High-Stepping Band Competitions
High-Stepping Band competitions have been in existences for years all over the country. With the decline in high-stepping events around the 1980’s, bands ventured into events that were governed by the “Crops Style” rules and concept. Anyone comparing the ‘High Step’ style and the ‘Crops Style’ would see that the styles differ in tempo, technique, step method, marching method and presentation.
Because the styles and technique differ, high-stepping bands would shy from crop style competitions. The scoring method does not support the high step technique and bands typically place low in the crop style competition.
The “Battle of the Bands” concept opened the door for high-step bands to perform and exhibit the high-step style to an audience eager to see these bands on the field. The events were fashioned by promoters that often were not music educators. No formal scoring or evaluation of marching techniques, music concepts, or general effects by music educators are used during these events.
So, in essence, we get a show that is entertaining with no procedure to render a form of evaluation from which to improve and develop a band program. Directors often ask if band competitions are important for their band program. Directors contemplate if competitions will damage band moral if they lose or place low in a competition?
The fact of the matter is that band competitions offer positive and educational benefits, such as establishing goals, instilling motivation, and providing positive feedback. Competitions also provide students with instant motivation. Performing for (or against) other bands and receiving scores from judges provide plenty of incentive. Competitions also provide feedback from judges in the form of tapes and written comments. These comments can be powerful educational tools and can help students improve by providing immediate, specific and constructive feedback.
Life skills such as hard work, preparation, confidence, commitment, consistency, attitude, leadership, teamwork and focus are developed by participating in competitions. Although band members can learn these skills without competing, the value is reinforced when a group receives rankings, ratings and scores. Students become better people. With the proper approach and the right values in mind, competition can provide the spark that some students need to get excited about band. It can also be an effective recruiting tool.
Unfortunately, some band directors schedule a lot of performances to keep the students busy and shy away from competitions for fear that a poor evaluation from the bands performance would make the director seem incompetent. For a band director to imply that “we are too good to compete”, reflects blind confidence or fear and can be mistaken by outsiders as a teacher’s inadequacy. Directors should know that competitions help them, as well as, their band students develop. Music Specialist and Supervisors of school systems that support their music programs encourage competitions and often review scores to improve music programs in the system.
Directors should stress in their band programs that what counts in competition is “effort” and winning is not the goal, but success is doing your best. When a band’s goal is to win and it does not, a variety of responses can follow. The range from blame, anger, envy, low morale, and even hostile rivalries can develop. We can not control how another band performs but we do have control over our own preparation and performance.
Asymmetrix Entertainment Inc. was established to support music education in our schools across the country. Our main goal is to create a platform for ‘High-Stepping Bands’ to compete, learn and improve through organized educational competitions. We believe competition can help our students become better musicians. We also believe that competitive bands can be more successful in developing self-discipline, good practice habits, high expectations and pride as opposed to bands that do not compete.
Success in band programs does not come from winning awards; it comes from the things we can control: our effort, a desire to perform at a high level, and reaching our potential. Success is a journey and not a destination.
