Attitude is Everything...

While most people will judge you by your ability to perform, I don’t believe it is the most important facet of being a world class performer. Your attitude is how you react to any given situation and can determines everything from how much progress you make, to the likelihood your section bombs the last show of the season. So ask yourself…

What goes through your head as you prepare for a rehearsal? Do you get excited at the opportunity to get great info to hone your skills? Do you not feel anything at all because you don’t care enough to? Do you grumble because you have to waste your time practicing?

What about when you’re having a bad rehearsal? Do you get frustrated and give up because you don’t see the point in trying? Do you get sad because it’s indicative of how much you suck? Do you become more invested and push harder because you know you will come out of this stronger and better than before?

What about when you’re having a great rehearsal? Do you feel safe and think that you can get away with putting less effort into the rehearsal? Do get excited and think that if you try harder it will result in even better results? Do you get curious so you pay attention more to identify what is good about these reps?

How about when you’re going to a competition? Do you see an opportunity to show off to your friends, family, and the camera so you try harder than you usually do? Do you see an opportunity to embarrass yourself in front of your friends, family and the camera so you try less to play it safe? Do you see this as just another opportunity to display what you’ve done at each rehearsal so you treat it with the exact same intent?

Regardless of the situation, your attitude determines how each rehearsal and performance plays out. And when you have that same attitude every time you stand behind your drum, the effects of your attitude start to determine how well or how poorly everyone’s season goes. Ask yourself, does your attitude help push your section towards success or does it drag down those around you? Do your peers see you as a role model that they can rely on or do they see you as a liability that drags down the moral of rehearsal?

Attitude is everything. How well you and your section drums can come down to your attitude. And did you know that many groups judge your attitude at auditions? Sometimes that can make or break someone’s audition. It’s not a matter of liking someone more or less, it’s answering the question, “would I enjoy standing next to and relying on this person all season long knowing the kind of attitude they have?” More often than not, the answer to that question is infinitely more important than how well you can play…