The Key to a Successful Band - Focus on the Individual

What makes a band successful?

Of course, what everyone considers "success" might be different, but for the purposes of this thought experiment, let's agree that a successful band is one that plays quality music, sustains a good band culture with a healthy number of players, and is continually improving their musicianship and building their skills and repertoire. 

Can a band be exceptional if its individual players are just... average? At the majority of band practices, most bands will use their time together to run music as an ensemble – fixing the breaks, working on unison, trying for better starts and stops. But the key to improving a band doesn’t reside solely in rehearsing as a group. Instead, it lies in advancing each individual member's skills. Imagine if every player in a grade four band achieved a grade three solo level. Wouldn't a higher skill level around the circle elevate the overall performance of the group?

Playing in a band can also allow players to hide behind the collective sound, avoiding the scrutiny they might face as soloists. But what's the cost of this comfort zone? A band can't truly excel unless each member is accountable for their improvement. 

It might seem counterintuitive, but by focusing less on band practice and more on individual development, the whole group benefits. If members work to improve their skills on their own, rehearsals could shift from running the same tunes over and over, to refining the overall sound and finer details of how the ensemble plays together.

So next time you’re practicing, ask yourself: Am I contributing my best to our sound?

Encourage your bandmates to invest in their skills, and invest in your own! Immerse yourself in great quality piping wherever you can, work on your piping a bit every day, and seek out feedback on your playing from fellow pipers or a tutor, for starters.

How much further ahead could your band be at this time next year if every piper in your corps did just that? 

Check out the Dojo Conversations podcast as Jim and I discuss the "formula" that a listener hypothesises could be the solution for struggling pipe bands everywhere.