There are thousands of artists, day after day, who are getting out of bed running full speed ahead, knowing in their hearts that they can prevail over circumstances that come their way. They commit and they accept responsibility for what they accomplish. Artists who work together with others to create their art have unique opportunities to interact in groups with common interests and goals.
- The artistic work they are engaged with is truly alive in the interaction with others.
- These artists work with the knowledge that what they create will impact each other.
- They work together without shying away from what is hard or uncomfortable.
- They work toward their goals with a single minded purpose.
- They understand individual as well as group responsibility in creating their art.
I’m reminded of a concert performance I observed several years ago. It was an orchestra performance of a popular work, well known to the audience. While the orchestra musicians were young, the performance was beautiful—that is until about two-thirds of the way through the piece. Suddenly it was apparent that there was something going on that was very wrong, causing a complete collapse of the music. It was absolute cacophony, and although they appeared to end together, no one was sure how they got there at the same time.
What happened? After the concert, the musicians and the conductor were stunned. As they reflected on the experience, the sequence of events started to become clear.
They discovered that in rehearsal, rather than counting the many measures of rests, the winds had relied on a particular pattern in the percussion section, making their entrance flawlessly every time. And the conductor always reinforced the entrance with a cue. Spending the effort to count the measures seemed unnecessary. Read more…
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