Thanks for the Response (Part 2 in a Series)
In my last entry (Critical Mass), I discussed my struggles with receiving criticism/feedback and how I had to turn a corner so I could benefit from that feedback. Once was able to make that change in my attitude, I learned how to then use that criticism to benefit not only myself but also my students.
Here are some practical ways I began using what the judges/audience was giving me. After all, judges are “paid” audience members.
If possible, I would listen to the judges tapes BEFORE the judges critique that took place at the conclusion of the competition. We would usually divide the tapes up among the staff to save time. This provided us with an opportunity to ask for more clarity from the adjudicator about their comments or to ask questions about how we could address performance issues going forward.
I quit playing entire judges tapes for the full band. I found those sessions to be unproductive. Some students just weren’t interested in listening to a full tape in that setting. Instead, I may pick one or two short excerpts to play for the full group. This was a way of bringing emphasis to a particular segment of the show or fundamental performance aspect. This also gave me a chance to maybe highlight a really positive comment and brag on the group some. Sections could request a time to listen to a tape instead. This gave the students an opportunity to discuss the comments in a smaller setting.
Before the next rehearsal, I would sit by myself and listen to each judge’s tape grouped by caption area (visual, music, color guard, percussion, etc.). I would take notes as I listened and look for similarities in comments from multiple judges. If I heard something more than twice, I really made note of it. I would also compare the newest comments to those of previous performances. Was I still hearing the same comment being made about a particular segment of our performance? Was a “problem” spot from earlier getting a better review this time around?
I would take the most vivid comments and narrow them down so I could condense things into a few statements. I’d type those up and post them on the band room wall along with the hard copies of the individual judges sheets. This way the students could read them for themselves.
I would also post the recap sheet from the entire competition so students could see our caption scores along with those of other bands. They could also track trends over the course of the season as I would leave everything posted until the conclusion of our last competition. They could see the areas where we were excelling and the areas we really needed to focus our attention.
I would involve the. band staff in discussions about the feedback we had received.and as a team we would chart our course of strategy for the next week of rehearsals. Having the staff feel ownership was crucial to making progress.
At the conclusion of the season, I would catalogue comments to be carried forward into the next season. These were usually in the area of programming/design, but sometimes they would challenge me to look at the level of the group’s training and ways to improve how we were operating as an ensemble.
These strategies were my way of saying,, “Thanks for the response.”
Speaking of responses. I love getting feedback from readers. If you have something you’d like to share in way of a response, please post a comment. Maybe you have a strategy you use with your group that others would find as a way to benefit. —DB