MEPA Experience- What I Learned

 If you were at this year’s MEPA Experience what did you come away with?  Here’s my answer:  First, I learned a process to use when putting together a show.  Start with a working title and run my idea through a series of tests to see if it’s a great idea or merely a good one.  Good ideas may only produce good results and my kids deserve better.  I learned that in critique I can ask judges to watch for a certain effect that I’m particularly proud of.  In fact, the judges encourage it.  I learned that when tearing down my setup after my unit performs, maybe the best thing to do with my cords is to let them be swept up in my floor.  I talked to (not e-mailed) friends and colleagues in the activity and also made a couple of new friends.  This is only a fraction of what I learned from some of the best minds in the activity.  Most of all, I learned that regardless of what I think I know, there is a huge wealth of knowledge that exists outside of the walls of my school and I’m going to have to go out in search of it.  Other directors are going to educational days armed with pad, pencil, and handouts and if I don’t go, I’m allowing others to gain an edge on me.  People I spoke to had very good reasons for not attending but for all of those times I said no to an event like this, I wonder what I missed?  How many friends didn’t I make?  The educational side of this entry is this:  I have found as a teacher that the best way to get better at what I do is not to read articles or watch DVDs although that’s important too.  It’s talking to other people who do what I do.  Don’t miss the opportunity to talk to some of the best in the business next year and don’t forget that you have as much to offer to us as we do to you.  See you next year! 

Talk Back:  What did you learn from the experience this year?  Post your comments below.

What are you getting from your judge’s tapes?

I have had the attitude too.  I’m a full time band director and know how to rehearse an ensemble.  I’ve won WGI and MEPA medals so I know the activity well, right?  Luckily, I have known some great people who didn’t allow me to spend too long thinking that I knew enough about my show and what it needed to not listen to my judges’ tapes or watch the video.  Because of those helpful colleagues, I learned where the true value of the tapes was found.  Not so much in the words but in all of the information that we sometimes forget to look for.  Here are a couple of truths that I have learned: 

 

1.)    The Tape and the Sheet Don’t Have to Match:  Maybe you have said something like this: “the comments don’t match the number”  The truth is that judges aren’t out to achieve perfect tape to sheet balance.  The tape is an aide to you in the evolution of your show, not a perfectly crafted justification of your sheet.  Remember that your show is going by rapidly and they are doing their best to credit you for the positive parts of your show and provide constructive feedback for those items needing improvement.

2.)    “Nice” is not Nice- How many times have we heard young directors upset because they have a tape full of “nice” or “good” comments but a low score.  I learned that when I get tapes full of middle of the road comments, I’ve achieved middle of the road results which will result in middle of the road numbers at best.

3.)    Open Your Mind- Professional designers know that they are not able to provide objective feedback of their own product.  When you listen, listen with an open mind.  Check your emotional attachment to your show at the door.  Some very talented people have bluntly said to me, “If they aren’t ‘getting’ your show, it’s not the judge’s fault.”  Don’t go to critique with a chip on your shoulder. I like to think of critique like a job interview.  I want the judges to remember me and my ensemble as being very interested in what the judge can do to help me and my kids acheive a higher level of performance.

4.)    Words Are Not As Important As Tone- If you’re analyzing the words, you’re missing the real value of the tape.  Animated vocal inflection with words like “outstanding” mean something completely different than a monotone “good job.”  Listening beyond the words is where the true value of the judge’s tape is found.  My friend Tim Fairbanks taught me to also watch the video of my ensemble’s performance and if a judge was in the picture, read their vocal and body language.  If they’re filling out your sheet before the show is over, you probably have some rethinking to do.  Go online and find some Blue Devils or Star of Indiana judges’ tapes and listen to what they sound like.  Listen for tone of voice and word choice.  Become a student of this and you’ll find the real value of a tape.  For the seasoned director, the judge may say very little that they don’t already know but the seasoned director knows how to dig deeper in to the tape.

5.)    Balance is the Key- Don’t listen to your tapes and rethink your entire show because of one judge’s comments.  Know where you are in the evolution of your design and weigh that against their comments.  Maybe the reason they didn’t like it was because you haven’t finished the development of that section.

 

Do you have any stories about your judges’ tapes or advice?  Post your comments by clicking underneath the title.  View all comments by clicking on the title.

 

 

Posted by Tim Parker