Reflections on Leadership

Sounds like a corny self-help book doesn't it? Anyways, I was thinking about leadership. Namely, my band leadershipness (cool word, I know.) You should know, I'm saxophone captain so I have lots to do when it comes to stuff like that. I have one of the larger sections in the band and since it's really one giant section I get to do more cause we're always together.
Captain is a new position for our band. We didn't have them last year, so this time around we really have no idea what we're supposed to do. So far it's been pretty varied throughout the band. I do a lot, currently. I suggest a lot of things for the section, and this weekend I almost got to lead a tenor/bari sectional, but then Dave did woodwind ensemble, so we ran out of time. Disapointing, I know. I did get to do a tenor sectional at grade seven band camp when I was a student leader (even though I was just teaching them how to play D)

In brass, they were recently notified that SL's and captains can't give out pushups or any other kind of discipline. But us woodwinds still can! Although I don't like to unless it's absolutely necessary. My guidelines are the offence has to involve:

• Damage to an instrument or person
• Persistent disruption of a rehearsal
• Complete lack of respect to a leadership person, whether that be staff or student

So you can see, I don't give pushups out very often. So far, only ten to a guy who knocked a stand over onto another person's sax, where it made a rather large dent. That was yesterday, by the way.

I'm very much enjoying having the large amount of freedom I have in my role, because I'm pretty much allowed to do whatever I want, because the woodwind staff trust my judgement. And later in the year I'll be able to do even more on the field and off, as the saxes get to know me better. And maybe I can even make the tenors pay attention more in sectionals. Unlikely, I know.

Cheese on a stick!!