Brianna Brown - 3B - Centennial High School

April 7, 2017
Topic: Musical Performance/Education
Event Evaluated: Book recommended by Dr. Holt

Mentor Assignment #4
In this Mentor Assessment I will be covering a single practice from the book The Art of
Possibility. This chapter was specifically recommended by Dr. Holt as she believed it would
specifically help both my future teaching and my current status in orchestra. This
chapter/practice is titled Leading From Any Chair, and is not as self explanatory as the other
practices I have talked about in previous assessments.
The title Leading From Any Chair is in reference to an orchestra, but can be applied to
many aspects of almost any part of a career. In an orchestra, the main leader is usually the
conductor, who stands at the front and keeps the orchestra together. Other leaders are usually
Section Leaders (for string players) and Principal Players (for band instruments). These
select players are located at the front of their respective sections, near the conductor. It is
common for most most of the voice of the orchestra to be located in these players, so most of
the music revolves around their opinions, including that of the conductor. This hierarchy can
cause the section players (the overall majority) to feel insignificant or forced into complete
silence.

One of [us] once heard the principal clarinetist of a major American orchestra ask the
conductor whether he wanted the notes with the dot over them ...short, or like the brass were
playing them? [A dot over a note indicates that it is to be played short.] This rather complex
statement, masquerading as a question, conveyed both the musicians lack of respect for the
brass players in question, and scorn for the conductors failure to notice the problem. But to fit
the myth of the omniscient conductor, the comment had to be phrased as a question, for how
could a musician possibly inform and omniscient being? The myth dictates that a musician can
only tap into that well of knowledge, not add to it.

The practice of leading from any chair battles this myth, but it takes two parties in order
to initiate it. The first party is that of the player. They are the unheard voice that is constantly
pushed aside. This voice must tap into some form of courage in order to bring their thoughts and
ideas to life. They must confront the leading position and inform them of their opinions or ideas.
The other party is that of the leading positions. This person (or group of people in some cases)
must realize that others have great things to offer. To companies, this may be a new approach, a
new marketing attempt, or even a new product. This is similar in the orchestra world, as it could
mean a new approach to a passage, a new way to advertise the orchestra, or even an entirely new
piece. The leading party must understand that there is an abundance of new ideals amongst their
co workers, and respect that. Once this is reached, all voices begin to emerge and the workplace
starts to become efficient and lively rather than just a bland routine that everyone must follow.
 For example, Mr. Zander implemented this idea with an orchestra that he had long
conducted. To make the players feel more comfortable, before each rehearsal, he would place a
small blank sheet of paper for each player on each stand. At the end of each rehearsal, he would
ask that the players write a comment and give it to him. This comment could be either about his
conducting, the music, or a suggestion. After a few weeks, the players began to get bolder, giving
their full opinions and ideas on everything pertaining to the orchestra and its performance.
Instead of looking at their suggestions as a sign of disrespect on their part, or a failure on his, he
would look over them and implement them in the next rehearsal. By the end of one of their
performances, a player wrote to him,

Mr. Zander,

This is my first white sheet. Sitting at the back of the cello section, when I have always sat at the
front, was the hardest thing Ive done in a long while. But over the nine days of our work
together I began to discover what playing in an orchestra was really about. Your shine has
inspired me to believe that I have the force of personality to power the section from wherever I
sit and I believe that I led the concert from the 11th chair. Thank you for helping me notice that.
From this day I will be leading every section in which I sit- whichever seat.

-Georgina, cellist in the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra

Leading from any chair teaches students something similar to the Being a Contribution
rule: that they do matter. However, it takes it one step further by saying that not only do they
matter, but that the are influential. Their contribution can and will make a difference. After
observing Dr. Holt for nearly 3 years, I notice that she implements this idea heavily. She is
constantly asking students their opinions or ideas on the piece being played. Leading from any
chair is taking the lead in a way that focuses on influence and production rather than power and
control. In my future career, I will also implement this idea and practice, as I know first hand
how it can change a person. The amount of confidence and fearlessness that a person gains from
realizing that they do have a voice is priceless, and can lead to so many benefits, like taking a
simple symphony, and making it into a sound that influences its listener to feel and think in ways
they have never even imagined of doing so. That is the goal of every musician and conductor.