Extracts from the Gordon Bowie Paper” (1990)
AN OVERVIEW OF FACTORS INFLUENCING MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT AND STABILITY IN AMERICAN ADULT
AMATEUR BANDS
Edited By Marlin Strand
with a special emphasis on Band Leadership
and its impact on
Success, Growth and Sustainment of the
Community Band
There are numerous success stories in the band movement, but
many community bands flourish briefly, and then decline in the face of personnel
pressures. Traditional bands that have
survived through the years and maintained the valuable and artistic repertoire
of the adult band (distinct from the educational repertoire) need to adapt and
grow as times change if they are not to dwindle and perish. Because society as a whole no longer places a
premium on adult band membership, the key issue is attracting and retaining
enough of the right players to allow a band to perpetuate its special
activities.
What is a "band?"The eminent band
conductor and scholar Richard Franko
Goldman concluded that it is "A number of musicians who play together on
portable musical instruments,
especially those making a loud sound, as certain wind instruments (trumpets,
clarinets -- also drums and cymbals.)"
How and why do bands survive
and flourish? The distinguishing characteristic which promotes longevity
may be the ability of a band to function as
an institution, rather than as an ad hoc group existing at the pleasure
of its members. One important criterion
is the critical size of the band, below which
survival may be threatened, or perhaps a critical structural (Instrumental)
element that is essential for longevity. Also a certain type of leader, or a
particular leadership style, is a major factor in band longevity.
Different types of bands have differing levels of achievement,
pay, association, and organization. Even
within these band types, unique characters or "organizational
personalities" emanating from their history and circumstances, and their current leadership and membership
dictate their success over time. Band
personalities change slowly over time as new members are recruited and older
ones leave. Occasionally, a radical or rapid
period of change is encountered, usually in conjunction with a change in
leadership or circumstances.
When people group together to play in a band they must
interact to coordinate their efforts, giving their music making a social
dimension. They also are an audience for each other's music making, thereby providing greater satisfaction
for themselves and each other, even during practice for a larger audience.
When a band's size expands beyond twenty members it loses
some of its small group attributes and assumes the attributes of an
institution. The role of the leader becomes more pronounced, officers and a written
constitution or organizational plan is required. Secondary goals develop, fostering the
elaboration of specialized duties and secondary roles. Cliques and subgroups
may develop, as increased size lessens the possibilities for total face-to face
communication in group pattern maintenance. A delicate balance of rewards
versus costs to the individual members determines their satisfaction in the
group and ultimately their choice to commit to its goals and continue to
participate. The needs of the band for its members mean that this same balance,
applied collectively, determines the ability of the band to persist.
Intrinsic rewards are chiefly the pleasure of music making,
the pursuit and accomplishment of an aesthetic goal, and the social contact
with other group members who are also involved in pursuit of the same goal.
These are the main reasons that people begin music study in the first place,
and carry over strongly in band membership. Extrinsic rewards can include
adulation or admiration from an audience; praise from a specific individual;
the use of a uniform or instrument; refreshments, drinks, meals, or parties;
and social contacts made in the band for purposes not related to the band. Generally,
economic compensation is not provided to the player.
"Services given for love' are services given without
charge, but the use of them is not without cost. By using these “musical
services” the leader accepts obligations; he must feed the faithful and he must
also, through adequate propaganda, nourish the cause itself. Nevertheless there are differences between
these costs and the costs incurred in making use of paid personnel."
The costs to the member are time, energy, and the
contribution of the member's musical skill. Quality of the player may be due to
the feelings of personal guilt
and inadequacy that a musician feels every time a mistake is made or a less than artistic rendition is accomplished.
These are assuaged by participation in a high quality group performance.
If members feel that their overall results are high quality, then large commitments of time and energy are justified. Where
pride is present loyalty is enhanced.
What role does the Leader play? Band leaders and elected
officers often assume the roles of ambassadors or become politicians who seek
to influence the larger band scene.
After performances, members tend to organize their recollections in ways
that enhance pride in their band, and as officers and leaders make statements
which promote cohesiveness and group identity.
In larger and more diversified bands, such as military or
professional bands, there is a feudal aspect which is felt in allegiance to a
leader, specialized functions or roles for the various members often defined by ranks or pay differentials, and the
transactional or pragmatic aspect symbolized by the pay for services ethic of
the professional musician. The large
amateur band can, in the best cases, straddle these categories and feudal allegiances
and organization, and depend instead on the volunteer's zeal and group
cohesiveness.
Bands can thrive (using the North
Shore Chicago Band Model) as player satisfaction is maintained through the
highest standards in performance and organization, stringent attendance
policies, and sufficient physical accommodations for the band rehearsal and
performance spaces. . Access to an extensive library of the very best in
accepted band literature, as well as a constant supply of the best new
releases, keeps members continually interested in a variety of challenging material.
The North Shore Leader states: “The
unpaid adult community band that does its thing strictly for the love of
playing music is a beautiful thing to behold.
Free from the salary-oriented concerns and issues of livelihood, members
can enjoy their recreational hours together in the rehearsal of good music and
can share their talents on an unpaid basis with their friends and neighbors in
concert. One of the greatest thrills in
the world is to accomplish great things on a completely volunteer basis.”
What kind of Band Leader is the best? Perhaps the most
important factor in a band's overall personality is its form of organization,
and the leaders selected for the organizational roles. Two models seem to predominate. In
one, the conductor is the absolute leader, responsible for finance,
personnel, travel, schedule, bookings, seating, music acquisition, and indeed
all phases of organizational activity in addition to actually directing the
music. Many commercial bands are structured
in this way, and although an agent or impresario may be used, and some of the
more menial tasks delegated, the leader has the role of absolute dictator. This type of band very often exists only for
a specific job or series, and is fully paid.
When organized only for a specific engagement in musician's parlance it
is a "pick up band." In the
other model, the band is structured as a democracy, with elected
officers, divided responsibilities, often the usual club model, with president,
secretary, treasurer, and a music director
who may be either elected, appointed, or employed. Town, municipal, and
fraternal bands are most often structured this way, and tend to be primarily
volunteer.
Regardless of whether the overall organization follows the
democratic or dictatorial pattern, during the actual rehearsals and
performances the conductor's word is law where musical matters are concerned. This is
a norm which is found in all musical groups: it has its origins in
symphonic practice, the common training of musicians, and practical necessity. There is also much variation in the amount of
control actually exerted by the elected officers, versus the musical director,
and a nominal democracy may, in fact, be a practical dictatorship. A quasi-military arrangement which straddles
the line between the democratic and dictatorial models is sometimes
encountered. Except for the service
bands and a few definitely professional bands in larger cities, nowadays most
bands fall in to this category. In most
of these the leader is paid at least in part for his role and members are occasionally
paid but mostly are not compensated monetarily.
What are the characteristics of the typical Band Leader? Bands often affiliate around a particular
leader, and numerous examples of extremely dynamic leadership styles
abound. It might be fair to say that
leadership of a musical organization is practically a laboratory situation for
leadership style inasmuch as the vast majority of ensembles focus around the
conductor who directs, teaches, chooses what will and will not be attempted,
and often organizes, schedules and sometimes even arranges the financing of all
activities of the band. Some leadership
styles encourage and foster a quasi-democratic participation with the affairs of the band, with the
conductor as musical and overall director, but with club-like officers and divided
duties in practical areas. A very few
leaders provide such unique musical interpretations that fascination with the
end result is of supreme importance for many members and becomes a key
element in membership retention.
Leaders may be generally classified into two main types or styles: task
leaders and socio-emotional leaders. Each type of leader will
influence the band differently.
According to Nixon:
"...task
leaders direct and strongly influence group task behavior, make important contributions to it, and are
recognized by other group members for performing their leadership role.
...socio-emotional
leaders tend to do the most to keep relationships among members cordial and friendly, to be most liked, to make tactful comments; to heal hurt
feelings arising from group interaction, and to try to harmonize differences of opinion.
Thus, in general, this kind of leader or specialist tends to
concentrate more than the task leader on
reducing the frustration, disappointments, and hostilities or
disagreements that develop in group
interaction, and as a result may be better liked."25
What does the Band Leader do? The band leader talks more, moves
more, does more than any other member in the rehearsal or concert
situation. The role demands exchanging
glances with every participant, signaling the beginning and end of each phase
of activity, controlling discipline and demeanor of the situation, and in
general being the focus of attention and source of energy, as well as
communicating every musical detail. The
leader must possess sufficient technical
skill in a specific vocabulary of standard gestures and what has been
called "the grammar of conducting," as well as a procedural skill
known as "rehearsal technique," to be effective in communicating and
coordinating musical detail. A broad background and depth of knowledge in music
is also required in order to know which
musical details he or she wishes to communicate. Trained
musicians quickly lose patience with any music director found to be lacking in
any of these areas.
Because of the complexity of group performance, the sections
and individuals are dependent on the leader for their music making, and
generally do no more than a little warming up and practicing until directed by
the leader, who by his or her actions catalyzes their efforts into a product
which is more than the sum of the individual parts. Musicians are conditioned to expect this type
of leadership from the beginning of their musical training, through hours of
classes and rehearsals from childhood on.
The teacher is the center of the band class, and the pattern is carried
on into adult membership, where the leader usually assumes the role of
teacher in any matter of musical complexity. Indeed it is only this type of
leader-centered organization which permits the finely coordinated effort of a
large number of individual instrumentalists to be rendered into a single
unified performance. It is not
surprising that the leader as teacher assumes so much importance in defining
the individual character of each band.
It is also not surprising that the leader, when charismatic, can engender an almost fanatical
loyalty among members.
What are the ideal characteristics of the best band leader? Through
the years of musical training, much of which is a striving for almost
unattainable levels of perfection, the better musicians come to expect
something very special, almost super-human from their ideal leader.
They seek a leader who can assuage their practice-room guilt, overcome their
performance anxiety, and make of their effort something much more glorious than
their own mere tooting. Their leader, through vision and technique,
creates a unified artistic performance in which they share the
applause, acclaim, and ultimate satisfaction.
This is the fantasy leader that classically trained
musicians idealize: totally task oriented and places musical values far
above people values. In total control of
the materials, he mesmerizes the musicians.
His vision of the ideal result is clear, convincing, and perfectly
formed. Discipline is sure and
immediate; no deviation from the artistic ideal passes unnoticed. Performance is paramount. For the band
players, all
decisions are made for them, they can play, must play, perfectly, in an
exquisite state of performance euphoria. This type of leader, although rare in the real
world is the quintessential "great man." Leadership research with task groups shows
that people will turn over their decision making rights to a leader who will
take the responsibility.
In reality, especially in amateur music, such a leader can
seldom be found, and could no more function with amateur musicians than those
musicians could cope with the tension of perpetual and unrelenting discipline
in the quest for musical perfection. In many organizations separate leaders
emerge, creating a "differentiated leadership structure" with the music director
as task leader, and the socio-emotional leader as manager or president. Bands which have a constitution which divides
the authority into various
offices would be assumed to foster this kind of pluralistic leadership.
BUT What is the “right” band leader in general?…..One of
Nixon’s principal findings was that
where the legitimacy of task activity was perceived by the group members as
high, a single leader could occupy both task and social-emotional leadership
roles: where the legitimacy of the task activity was perceived as low,
increased disliking of the task leader resulted in the emergence of a
social-emotional leader. In terms of bands one could infer from this that where the
players were happy with the music being played, the reasons for playing it, and
the level of the performances attained, satisfaction with the task leader
would be high, and a separate social-emotional leader would
not be required or would occupy a less prominent role. This is indeed what can be
observed in amateur bands. On
the other hand, where members perceive the goal attainment to be low, and the
legitimacy of the task or the leader to be low, a differentiated leadership is
much more likely, and the prominence of the social-emotional role is increased.
Nixon’s finding was that legitimacy of the task and pressure
to achieve as a group were more important than either reward system in
determining whether leadership differentiation was to occur. His overall conclusion bears out the
situation observed in band leadership that preoccupation with a
valid, legitimate task, increases member satisfaction with a task leader
and diminishes the need for a differentiated social-emotional leader.
And what difference does the Leader make to the Band? What this
means for the bandsperson is that satisfaction with the music, the level of
performance, the kinds of venues, give legitimacy to the task of band
membership, and increase satisfaction with a task type leader, while
diminishing the importance of a differentiated social-emotional leader. Insofar
as satisfaction with the leader is a major component in attracting and
retaining membership in an amateur group, maintaining a perception of high
legitimacy of the task is a vital element in recruiting.
It is in this outweighing of competing interests that the
associational value of band membership is most important. Except in the case of
the full-time professional musician, for whom pay for services is expected to
be the most important factor, and whose
loyalty to any band or leader extends as far as payday, the amateur
musician's membership in a band depends on a complex of intangibles to
produce a feeling of loyalty. The band
member who is loyal to the band is enmeshed in a web of rights and
duties which serve to support his continuing commitment to furthering the goals
of the organization. Each band differs
in the exact balance between musical and extra-musical factors, and between
tangibles and intangibles. The most successful bands are those that engage the
musicians' attention in musical and non musical ways in a manner which strengthens the bonds of loyalty.
