Blog Post #5: Focus Anybody

Finally, the anticipation and waiting for the performance was coming to a close. The students were eager to perform, and i could see it on their faces as they were walking off the bus. After the students had their snack, the band parents and volunteers told them to start changing into their uniforms. After the students got done changing into their uniforms, they got into their fundamental marching block formation in the parking lot. It was finally time to start the warm up process, which is crucial and should be treated in a delicate manner, for the show. The first warm up exercise we, the staff, do with the students is a physical stretch/warm up. This was the students' first competition, and they were acting very unfocused during this warm up. It was very difficult to instruct the students through the stretching process, because they were all very hyperactive. It wasn't until the playing warm up that the band started to focus on their goal. I honestly was in shock to see this focus from the band appear out of nowhere. As I began warming up the brass section I was thinking to myself, "Wow, I am really proud of these students for turning up their focus level." Unfortunately, about halfway through the warm up, I was got off guard, yet again, by my students. They were beginning to lose their focus again, probably because they were anxious to perform. They were talking and missing attacks and releases. Considering they didn't start losing their focus again until towards the end of the warm up, all i could do to help the students get their focus back was by giving them a pep talk.

 I told them that they have everything they needed to be successful for their performance, and that they just needed to get in the right state of mind. i asked them to close their eyes and envision themselves successfully executing their personal hardest moments in the show. Doing this helped them to gain focus and they performed very well. After a successful performance,  I made the connection that focus is a crucial part of performing. If anybody is not focused on the task at hand and in the right mindset to do well, than there is no  way the task will be completed at the highest possible level of achievement. I'm very proud of these students for turing on their focus. Although the band took second place at the competition, I feel that if the students had been focused from the point they got off the bus, until they were marching off the field after the performance, they could have taken first place, easily.