Last month, we began a conversation about the good, the hard and the honest questions that come with competition. Each month, I\u2019m taking on one concern I hear from directors and staff – not to dismiss it, but to look at it from a place of experience and growth. March brings us to another concern I hear often: \u201cJudging is too subjective.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judging is subjective. It always will be. However, I would argue that\u2019s exactly why the competitive arts matter.<\/p>\n
Music, movement, and performance are shaped by lived experience. Every adjudicator brings their own musical background, values, and preferences into the room. When we choose to compete, we aren\u2019t pretending that subjectivity doesn\u2019t exist\u2014we\u2019re acknowledging that it does.<\/p>\n
What matters most to me isn\u2019t whether I agree with every comment or score. It\u2019s how feedback is delivered, how it\u2019s framed for students, and how it\u2019s used.<\/p>\n
As a director, I ask myself: How can I use this immediately?<\/em><\/p>\n Some comments are constructive and actionable. Some need to be reframed before they\u2019re shared with students. Others simply don\u2019t align with the program’s values or goals. Learning to filter feedback without reacting emotionally is part of the work.<\/p>\n Students notice whether we respond thoughtfully or defensively, whether we treat feedback as information or as a personal attack. Often, our reaction teaches more than the comment itself. The trap is chasing validation instead of growth. Comments are data points, not a referendum on your worth as an educator.<\/p>\n Students benefit from hearing a variety of perspectives. Yes, even ones we don\u2019t fully align with. Those moments create real teaching opportunities. Why do we agree with this? Why don\u2019t we? What fits who we are as a program?<\/p>\n There\u2019s something powerful about students seeing their director as a learner, watching us listen, reflect, and decide what to apply and what to set aside.<\/p>\n In this role, I\u2019m often asked what makes a good judge or adjudicator. To me, it comes down to three things:<\/p>\n As directors, we don\u2019t have to accept every comment. But we do have a responsibility to model discernment and how to engage criticism without losing confidence. When students see that not every opinion defines them – and that they still get to choose how they grow from it – that lesson lasts far beyond the stage.<\/p>\n The benefit of subjective judging isn\u2019t agreement: it\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last month, we began a conversation about the good, the hard and the honest questions that come with competition. Each month, I\u2019m taking on one concern I hear from directors and staff – not to dismiss it, but to look at it from a place of experience and growth. March brings us to another concern […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,52,96],"tags":[103,115,110],"class_list":["post-4034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-educational-series","category-heart-of-america","category-music-education","tag-music-education","tag-subjective-judging","tag-why-compete"],"yoast_head":"\nOur Students Are Watching<\/h3>\n
What Makes a Good Adjudicator?<\/h3>\n
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Different Perspectives Spur Growth<\/h3>\n