Commitment

Commitment. What comes to mind? What have you committed to? Have you fulfilled that commitment? Did you at one time or another maybe want to not keep your end of the commitment, maybe because it was too hard. Or harder than you thought it was going to be. What about the 'fun' factor? Maybe you committed to something, and then it wasn't meeting the 'fun' factor you'd envisioned. Did you stick with it anyways because you said you would? Even if you enjoyed the commitment you made, was it sometimes hard anyways? What did you learn from sticking out the hard time?

These very thoughts I've thought about a lot this week. Monday and Tuesday this week were filled with TOO MANY students telling me they were quitting band. Most of these were students that I had provided instruments for! I can't even begin to count the amount of time it took me to get those instruments for them. Many of them were donated from the Granite Education Foundation specifically for them.

I spent some time talking to them about commitment. They all signed a paper at the beginning of the year that said band was a whole year program and that you can't quit halfway through the year. They all recalled this after being reminded. It was interesting to see the different reactions and which students decided to keep with it anyways. I told them they'd have to talk with their parents before they would quit.

I felt let down as some of these students came back later this week with notes written and signed by their parents saying their student could quit. What does this teach them? That when life hands them something they don't like at the moment that they can just quit? If something is hard they can just give up rather than trying to make it better? I offered to come before school, stay after school, help them before or after class, whenever, so they could be successful.

I understand it being challenging to play an instrument. I was there. You have to learn how to play your instrument, read music, push the right fingers, play the right rhythm, and try to play something that sounds like music, oh and worst of all that "p" word called practice. It's hard sometimes. Really hard other times. BUT if you hang in there, practice, ask for help and keep trying, everyone CAN BE SUCCESSFUL! I am convinced of this.

Every year is a battle with students quitting. It's interesting to watch the students who stick with it. Who plow, or trudge, or persistently walk, through to the other side where they get to the top of the mmountain and it becomes fun and easy.....until the next mountain comes along.

But this time they know from past experience that they can do it.

and they push ahead.

though the mud.

Pulling their mule behind them.

Thinking a few times of turning around, that maybe it isn't worth it.

But then they forge a head with some encouragement.

Until they find they've reached the top of another mountain, and breath a sigh of relief that they made it. =)