Update: Authoritariansm Avoided (for today)

This past week, I had the pleasure of once again attending the Florida Music Education Association’s annual conference. To update on a previous posting: On Thursday evening, at the FBA business meeting, the contentious issue of restricting marching band performances arose. This came in the form of a motion, already passed by the board, which would have required district secretaries to monitor the activities of other directors, tally the number of marching contests (note: not football games, parades, or other performances), and report violators to the Florida Bandmasters Association. Violators of the rules would have faced financial penalties of up to $500 in addition to referrals for mentoring and re-education to correct deviant philosophies. I am happy to say that this measure was defeated soundly by the membership of the FBA, and that the slippery slope towards authoritarian practices has been averted for now.

That being said, there are real issues regarding marching band which are not going away any time soon. I was privileged to hear a wonderful clinic on the topic of “Building a Band Curriculum Your Way” by Dr. Bentley Shellahamer. Dr. Shellahamer touched on the value of academic freedom: how this has been such a huge part of our heritage as band directors, how this has been lost in most public school classrooms, and how this is in danger in music education classrooms if we don’t take care to build a strong music curriculum for our programs. And I agree that an over-emphasis on competitive marching band/winter guard/indoor percussion will lead some administrators to view band as simply another sport/activity which utilizes a disproportionate share of limited resources. Surely a good music program should teach a student more than a series of 3rd clarinet parts; too many students leave American band programs with memories of a shelf full of trophies and no desire to ever pick up their instrument again. The trick is to find a way to inspire a love and understanding of music without imposing a one-size fits all curriculum approach. All band teachers need to find their path through the polarizing extremes of “all competition is bad” and “I’m a failure if I don’t win state marching championships”; even with the best of advice there are no concrete answers to this one for every situation. Here’s hoping that our profession can maintain that freedom to develop individual programs and philosophies for the indefinite future.