Remind Yourself of What is Ultimately Important

Why? Is that the one word, one question philosophy final exam we joked about in high school? Is it the ultimate unanswerable question that all humans ponder when trying to justify an event they do not want to accept? Or is it the driving purpose for most of our life’s efforts and, especially, our choices?

As a performing arts educator or coach or advisor, you clearly knew the answer to that question when you took on the responsibilities and time commitment that comes with assuming that role in our school community. You may not have realized just how much of a commitment in time, effort, money and sanity it was, but you knew the ‘why’ when we began.

But in performing the tasks required, have educators lost sight of that initial purpose and replaced it with others? Other members of the school community will often share and sometimes impose their own concepts and purpose on our efforts. They add their personal take on how things are done, their personal biases on who should be involved, their personalities to the group of supporters so often necessary for program success. Their choices slowly become prominent and overwhelming. Our initial purpose gets reshaped, reformed and sometimes removed. And that changes everything.

You began your performing arts role because of a desire to share your passion for art with the next generation. You wanted to work with young people to help them find their passion, to take the skills they came to you with and support them as they grew. Those students came to you with all levels of abilities, all manner of talent, all varied destinations for their dreams. You accepted each one right where they were and then showed them how they could be better tomorrow. You found ways to reach each of your ‘kids’ and took the time to give them what they needed to excel. They were the reason you chose the path you are on.

Are they still the reason, the one that comes to mind first, or have the other parts of being a performing arts educator now taken precedence? Is the competition trophy or the awards at the drama festival now the reason you prepare your lessons? Pleasing the administration by having more students accepted into honor groups is certainly an important component of serving in your role. Having students who study music or drama or debate in college with the goal of a lifelong career sharing their passion is a worthy goal. Trophies earned by a group are achievements shared by the group. Those are wonderful things and those memories will last.

However, it is doubtful that winning trophies was your initial purpose. You know their value, their importance, the way it makes you, the students, the school community feel. But trophies do not necessarily make every student better at life. Being a part of an award-winning ensemble should not be the goal you have for every student – being a contributing part of their community and our society should be. Learning the lessons that the arts teach about trying, failing, trying again, working with others, working independently and succeeding – those should be the goals.

When achievements beyond what is best for each and every student become the primary achievements sought, programs may continue, flourish and be extolled. However, they don’t have the long-lasting effect on the participants that are so critical in our country and world. The arts are what makes us human and keeps us human. Let your passion for the arts feed each student, nourishing each with what they need to be better at – being themselves, whatever that might be. And that’s what you signed up for initially . . . right?

Steffen Parker is a retired music educator, event organizer, maple sugar maker, and Information Technology specialist from Vermont who serves as the Performing Arts/Technology representative on the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee. He received the NFHS Citation Award in 2017 and the Ellen McCulloch-Lovell Award in Arts Education in 2021. He can be reached at steffenparker@gmail.com.