I have talked before about creating a culture where music isnt perfect. I believe that not only in teaching, but also in our adult day-to-day lives, making mistakes publicly is a good thing. Imagine however, what your teen years would have looked like if you were not afraid to make mistakes in front of your peers. What a different experience that would have been! We would step out of our comfort zones more and try new things, all in our more formative years. It could have really changed the way you viewed the world.
I believe as educators we have a strong responsibility in this area. Performing, and even just learning music, can often be very stressful and nerve wracking. Stage fright is a very real thing! However if we continue to provide opportunities for kids to play in front of their peers, these feelings can start to diminish. If we provide performance opportunities that are not formal concerts, we can start to normalize showcasing strengths and weaknesses. In University we would do this all the time in masterclass and it is something I wish I had done in high school as well.
During lockdown I have been able to put this to the test with both an elementary and teen drumline. The results have been amazing! Asking the kids to post videos of themselves working on stuff, and not being afraid to show us their half baked practice, has really added to this culture of mistake making. Now there is much less fear and much more awareness that perfection is not the goal when learning an instrument; progress is.
Hilary