Why compete? Why take your students on the road, put them in front of judges, clinicians and adjudicators, and give up evenings, weekends and personal time with family and friends to do it? Early in my career, I had to answer those questions for myself. Over time, I\u2019ve learned that every music educator answers them differently. That answer can change as your program, your students and your own life evolve.<\/p>\n
Over the next several months, I want to be transparent and honest about something that often gets oversimplified: competitive events in the performing arts. Whether it is a choral, marching band, winter guard, drum line or solo competition, this isn\u2019t an argument for or against competition. It\u2019s a conversation about why many of us choose to engage anyway. All while withstanding the very real challenges.<\/p>\n
I grew up in Indiana, where competition, especially basketball, is a part of the culture. Competitive show choir and marching band also have their roots not far from where I was raised. Arts competitions became an outlet for students who were athletes, students who weren\u2019t and those who fell somewhere in between. For me, performing for evaluation felt normal. But \u201cnormal\u201d doesn\u2019t mean easy, healthy or always right.<\/p>\n
I also know many outstanding educators who choose not to compete and do INCREDIBLE, artistic work. That perspective deserves respect.<\/p>\n
In this series, I will explore both sides: one concern and one benefit each month. I\u2019ll start with the common reasons directors hesitate to compete, not because they\u2019re wrong, but because those fears are justified. I hope by naming those concerns openly, we can have a more thoughtful, less defensive conversation about how competitive experiences can fit into a healthy, student-centered program.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a director, I hope this feels familiar. If you\u2019re a parent or administrator reading along, I hope it offers context and clarity. It\u2019s not about trophies. It\u2019s about perspective.<\/p>\n
Yours in song,
\nDan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why compete? Why take your students on the road, put them in front of judges, clinicians and adjudicators, and give up evenings, weekends and personal time with family and friends to do it? Early in my career, I had to answer those questions for myself. Over time, I\u2019ve learned that every music educator answers them […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4024,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,52,96,95,57],"tags":[70,111,110],"class_list":["post-4010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-educational-series","category-heart-of-america","category-music-education","category-performance-opportunities","category-tips","tag-choir-competition","tag-show-choir-competition","tag-why-compete"],"yoast_head":"\n