There is always the cliche in education that we are “training the leaders of tomorrow” but what does that mean in music? Why does leadership matter to music students?
We need to train music students to be leaders and to seek out opportunities. Jazz musicians used to join a union and wait by the phone to get calls for gigs. Those days have passed! Musicians have to seek opportunities for themselves. We have to create opportunities and not wait for them to come to us.
Here are aspects of leadership that we need to encourage in our students:
Know how to run rehearsals
Know how to:
budget time and manage time
communicate with others in a respectful manner
hear and think critically about the music that is being rehearsedKnow how to make performance decisions
Why are they playing a piece?
Why did they choose to play that piece?
What concepts are they incorporating into their playing?Know how to organize a gig
How to:
present materials to a band to be ready for rehearsals
write a set list
manage the logistics (sound check, hauling/loading gear, PA equipment, etc.)Know how to write and arrange music
using notation programs to prepare original music or arrangements for performanceKnow how to publicize an event
Making posters
Using social mediaKnow how to talk to an audience
Feeling comfortable talking to non-musicians about music
Being able to explain music in a succinct and understandable way
Introducing music and musicians in ways that draw in an audience
What if students are followers and not leaders? That sets them to be in a position to not know how to seek opportunities and might be sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. Followers will have a difficult path to success.
Here are ways that we as educators could easily be training our students to be followers and not leaders:
Rehearsals
Not asking for any input from students during rehearsal. Students are as a result disengaged and not connected with the process of music making.
Students only rehearse with a teacher in the room. Students do not learn the skills of managing time and self assessment.Repertoire
Mandating repertoire to students without allowing them to make their own choices about what to play. Students could be disconnected from the music they are performing.Performances
Students are not encouraged to publicize for their own concerts. Students are not aware that as professionals that they will need to publicize their own events.
There is little or no concern about whether or not there is an audience or if there is a strong attendance at the event. We need to no train our students that it is acceptable to perform to an empty room.
In general, do educators spend too much time on concerts and not enough time on music training? Is the pageantry associated with events a distraction from the education? Do the concerts too often reflect the director’s interests and not the interests of the students? Does a heavy-handed educator force students to be followers and not allow for students to become leaders?
For a completely different take on leadership in jazz, see this article in the World Economic Forum.