The Lessons That Remain
May 20, 2009
While the lessons of checkpoints and details given to each indoor show this past season may start to fade away, other lessons are still put to use by these dedicated performers. The following are answers that performers have given to what lessons they will keep with them long after the shows have concluded.
Jen Barton from CrownGUARD – Atlanta, GA
So much of what I am involved in relates to performing arts -I am a band director, color guard instructor and performer. I have to "live it" every day in terms of the lessons and being an example of those lessons.
You can never stop discovering, learning and growing. Learning through doing andlearning through teaching are very different - my desire to march again was to learn by doing again, to be immersed in the process. Through my experiences with Northeast Independent, Aspera and now CrownGUARD, I’ve learned it's not just about dancing, spinning or tossing - it's about desiring something great and bigger than yourself.
Passion and creativity have been invested in me throughout my performance career by some of the most incredible instructors and designers - their undeniable obsessions have taught me that passion overcomes all limitations and that you should always follow that passion where it leads you. Fear is part of the process, but fear is self-doubt - letting the fear of failure fall away and you will be unlimited in what you are able to do. Making your process personal is so important. Passion is not a game, a series of hoops to jump through, not a checklist. The result is pure, true and real. If one person is moved by your passion and creativity, it is all worth it.
I've also learned that holding high expectations will cause people to rise up and meet them. Unrealistic expectations are not healthy but to be demanding of oneself and others will challenge the way you see yourself and your program, no matter what field you are in. You can even set high expectations for making your bed. Everything we do as people is so completely interrelated that setting high expectations challenges you to be better at all things, not just winter guard.
MariAlex Michalakos from STRYKE Percussion Ensemble – Palm Beach, FL
Being in a high-demand environment, such as WGI, is no easy task, but it is one of the best decisions I have made for the past four years of my life. We all know that WGI teaches you those “simple” lessons like time management and teamwork. While obtaining these simple lessons, I acquired even greater ones- my most important one being perseverance.
Perseverance enables an individual to endeavor in spite of adversities. It prevents a person from relinquishing, while striving to achieve certain goals. Everyone has a different limit to which they can be pushed, but attempting to overcome the challenges and obstacles they face is part of persevering.
I learned from perseverance that anything is possible, and because of that, I am proud to say I am a member of STRYKE Percussion’s marimba line. Last year I worked hard as an individual, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we worked even harder as an ensemble. We were very persistent and diligent in rehearsals, and it paid off with a bronze medal at championships in 2008!
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did; and for me, I’ll never stop working for what I want to achieve.
Blaique Brown from Centerville HS Color Guard, Ohio
The biggest lesson I've learned is to stay committed. There were some days where all I wanted to do was practice, and some days where that was the last thing on my mind. Either way, I've learned you have to push through because you agreed to be a part of a team that is depending on you, and you all want to achieve a common goal. This really applies later in life for me because I want to become a doctor, which means twelve more years of school. I know it's going to get crazy hard, but I'm willing to stay in order to achieve my goal."
Jonathan Tirado Timber Creek Independent – Orlando, FL
Trust
The biggest lesson I’ve learned in this activity that transfers best to everyday life has been trust. Knowing that everyone person around you is performing to their best ability and believing the entity that the ensemble represents as entertain to both the audience and members.
Indoor was different than my previous experience in Drum Corps, where it seems everything is sort of handed to us, the members. I first noticed the membership, staff and volunteers involved is increasingly larger, it would make sense that such a structure is needed for any type of organization in order to function. But the beauty in an indoor ensemble relies on the talents poured in by each changing year. It can seem quite a scare that for the indoor arena an average of 40 members is bound to a 7 minute show. This eye opener for me, coming from an outdoor activity, showed how much stronger trust is developed for such an organization between members, staff and volunteers. It’s similar to music ensembles in school, studying for classes with friends, relationships or even staying committed to favorite TV shows. It’s the belief in a concept, an item, or an emotion… the trust that you bond with others as you look to meet eye to eye with a common principle or idea that in turn you show or perform to the world.
I’ve especially taken this with my walk in my faith, trusting that in time things will work out for the best. Trusting the staff, trusting the design, and trusting each other no matter what happens to produce a 7 minute program of our indoor experience. In the same respect, the world learns to trust each other even through the bad times.
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