I've been thinking of starting this for a while because, let's face it, anyone who knows me knows that I'm very philosophical when it comes to Tau Beta Sigma. I like to discuss anything and everything pertaining to TBS because I like to see an organization that works at the peak of its abilities and for the purposes for which it was established.
Before I go any further, I have to say that this blog is dedicated to the inspiration and perpetuation of the active membership of Tau Beta Sigma. I am in no way attempting to put down or defame any other organization with any generic comparison I may use; in fact, I hope that members of other organizations can find some use in the words that may be posted here to better their own fraternities and sororities. You must understand, however, that my heart belongs to Tau Beta Sigma and the bands that it serves across the nation and the world. Also, it should be noted that the opinions posted here are strictly my own and not necessarily those of the national organization. Take what you want from this. I don't expect you to agree with everything that I post, nor do I really want that from you. I want everyone who reads this to think objectively about what makes your chapter work most effectively and what builds Sisterhood (or Brotherhood) amongst your members. I will share what has and hasn't worked for me in my 3 1/2 years in TBS as well as what I have observed from others.
As Maria said in The Sound of Music , let's start at the very beginning. TBS is nothing without the band (or bands) that it serves. What does this mean, exactly? Well, what it means is that if you don't push for musical excellence among your members, you are missing the point entirely. Now, I don't mean that every member needs to be a music major nor do I mean that everyone needs to be an absolutely virtuosic player. As a matter of fact, my chapter is made up entirely of non-majors now. They are mostly music minors with either science, math, or education majors, but a few are strictly participants in band. The point I'm trying to make is this: a desire to work at music and make yourself into a better musician is absolutely critical to being an active, dynamic member of this sorority. You don't have to perform solos in recital or take private lessons, but you need to push yourself to be better than you are now. Settling for where you are causes your abilities to stagnate. If you know anything about water, when it stops moving, it stagnates and starts to stink. At that point, it's no good to anyone because it can make people sick. You must be aware of your musical progress in order to avoid becoming a static musician and thus a static member of Tau Beta Sigma because it can make your organization "sick." Static members are apathetic members, and members like that are poisonous to any organization.
This also stretches to include the chapter as a whole. What are you doing as a chapter (or as joint chapters) to push musicianship? Do you perform a recital at least once per academic year in which you require every member to participate? Do you teach private lessons in local schools to help boost the level of musicianship in the students you teach? Do you volunteer your time to small, single-director band programs that need assistance but have no funds to compensate you? These are only a few ideas of what can be done to push musicianship, but it should get you thinking about how you can emphasize this critical point.
Now, before you go off and become the musicianship Nazi in your organization, I must caution you that you should think carefully about how you deliver your message. No one likes to be told that they are "lacking" in anything. There is no status quo to be met here. Music is art, therefore each person's ability and interpretation is fairly unique and each person's journey to excellence moves at its own pace. BE AN ENCOURAGER. Everything you say can be said in a positive way. Remind your members that musicianship is a BIG deal in TBS and that we should all continue to strive to be better musicians from wherever our abilities may be at the current time.
Thanks for reading. Sisters, look to the purposes that were established for our organization. If you fail to meet any of them, you are effectively falling short of your true potential as Sisters of this prestigious organization. Charge yourselves, as Sisters, to live up to the ideals that have been set before you and to make the limited amount of time you have as an Active member count for something. It's time that you won't get back no matter how hard you try.
FOR GREATER BANDS
