The Power of Public Performance

Last week I had the pleasure of watching the Upper School concert in the Arts Center. I was reminded once again about the power of public performance in the realm of music and in education in general. There is something remarkably simple about the practicing for a performance and ultimately displaying what you have learned for all to see.  There are no second tries, and there is certainly nowhere to hide from the public assessment of your work as a performer. What I love is that the assessment of that learning, in the audience, is a group endeavor rather than a measure of individual achievement. Any given musical group is only as strong as its least capable member, and there is such teamwork and collaboration at play watching our bands and choir. I particularly enjoy tracking the symphonic band percussion section as they scramble around for the cymbals, triangles, chimes, and other toys that their work always seems to require.

This week I heard our groups tackle some particularly challenging pieces, and I often wonder if our parents can fully grasp the complexity of what our music groups lean into. A chamber choir singing a rather rangy piece in Latin, for example, is probably not what we would see at every Upper School choir concert. I often smile when I observe the seriousness of purpose in our students and from their teachers. Concerts like these remind me how much progress we have made in ten years. . In 2007, these music courses were semester long groups that had to restart with new members every few months, making it difficult to build experience and depth at any level. Our structure and culture have evolved to a degree where we have multiple singers qualifying for All State and a symphonic band that has outgrown the confines of our once expansive band room.

I still have some Middle School performances to enjoy in the days ahead, where I know I will see every single community member on stage performing. Berwick kids are so lucky to be exposed to these sorts of public demonstrations of knowledge. When I see our fifth and sixth graders, it is like a foreshadowing of what will one day come in our Upper School groups. I am grateful for such amazing music teachers at Berwick, and I want to congratulate all of these performing groups. As we consider the aspects of Curriculum 2020 that we are working towards with our program as a whole, I know that we have much to learn from the realm of the Arts. Public audiences are more powerful than multiple choice tests in my book, and the beaming smiles I have witnessed recently on stage assure me that this is true.