Yesterday evening, the kids filed off the bus dressed in their uniforms and made their way to get their instruments for warm-up.  I was the last person left, and the driver took a minute to ask me the following question:

“When are y’all going to let these kids actually compete? Why would you come to something like this when they are just being evaluated? These kids need to know that the real world is full of competition.  They’ll be competing the rest of their lives and not everyone gets a trophy!”

Um, obviously, y’all – he had no idea who he was talking to.  I had to take a second, through my pouring sweat – because he wouldn’t leave the bus idling and all the windows were rolled up – to get my mind right.  Instead of spouting out my first thought of – well, that’s funny because I get evaluated on my job performance at least twice a year – I took a minute to explain.

I explained that there are competitions where you compete against other bands in your class and we will be at one of those next weekend.  However, this isn’t just an evaluation.  This is THE evaluation.  This is the Florida Bandmasters Association’s assessment of how these kids and their programs perform.  It speaks to the hard work of the kids and the staff, but unlike some other job performance evaluations, the staff have to stand back for that 10 minutes or so and allow the kids to speak for what they have been teaching them.  Nobody is handed a trophy here.  Not a single person.

You want to know what these kids are learning?  You want to know what pressure feels like?  Be the one who steps off too early, drops a rifle, or misses a high note.  You can’t hide.  And it’s on film.  To be reviewed.  By ALL your peers.  That’s pressure.  When I was in band, we’d review the film on Monday morning. These days a video is posted on social media or YouTube sometimes before the band is even back on the bus.  Whether it is the actual recording set up by the band to get a video of their performance, or a parent just posting their shots, their performances are set up for a larger audience to see.

JD is in a band of long standing tradition.  Last night, we got home around Midnight, he sat on the couch and says: Mama, I feel so much more relaxed than I have in a long time.  46 years of straight superiors.  I can go out my senior year knowing it continued with us.  The tradition didn’t fall while I was section leader.  We did our part to carry it on.

We celebrate with the bands who have developing programs and are so excited for them when they get their first year of straight superiors – or even overall superiors.  I’ll cheer the loudest.  However, don’t think that the kids in the programs who historically see straight superiors take that for granted.  They go into band camp knowing they don’t want to be the band that sees anything less.  They put on uniforms, in a band room filled with trophies from bands past, and they realize it takes a commitment every year from each person in the band.

So, why do we do it, Mr. bus driver? Where you see it as “just” an evaluation, we see it for what it really is.  It isn’t a trophy being handed out.  It isn’t being given something you haven’t earned.  It’s being told after months and months of practices that you did exactly what you set out to do.  You wanted to be the best, and you are.  You earned it. You put in the work.  You put in the sweat and maybe even tears.  You set aside personal feelings, conflict, missed out on events because you had a practice to be at, showed up tired, stayed late…..and it was worth it.

You see, this world does teach that competition is what it takes to get ahead, but these kids – well these kids are learning something more valuable than competition.  They are learning commitment.  In a world filled with people willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead, what really sets you apart, and allows you to stay at the top, is commitment.

46 years of straight superiors.  I’m beyond proud of every single one of these kids.

This is a beautiful life.