Every now and then I hear from a director who has an unusual request.  Sometimes this request is a real head-scratcher.  It often turns out that a very unusual idea or request ultimately turns out to have originated from a very young staff member.

I remember what it was like, being in college, or just graduated, and quite sure that I knew everything there was to know about music and marching.  I think back and shutter at some of the things I believed..and actually said out loud!

So we all need these young, enthusiastic instructors and team members.  BUT, we must also make sure and give them the appropriate amount of input and control.

The absolute worst experience I ever had with a client was a situation where a 20 year old young woman was put in charge of the entire show concept.  The band director and her staff had hired me to arrange the music, and things started out well enough.  The show concept was very interesting and had a lot of potential.  Things started to fall apart, however, when the "20 yr. old in charge" started making some questionable decisions.  An idea would be discussed, and I would share my experience and explain why I felt it was not going to work, but then the 20 yr. old would decide that it HAD to be done her way…and the director (always) agreed.

By the end of this situation my suggestions had all been ignored, my original draft of music was discarded, and so many changes were demanded of the music I had created that by the end of the process I proclaimed, for the first time ever, that I would only give them the music if the director agreed to never announce my name as the arranger OR ever tell anyone I had written it (!).  The response to this was "Oh, it seems you are upset about something."  So I suppose there was a general breakdown of communication for which I must bear some responsibility.

However, if you're going to hire an experienced designer as part of your team, and you hire them because they have been successful and you want to use their expertise, then make sure that you listen to their voice more clearly than you hear the voice of the enthusiastic but less experienced young staff member.  Figure out how to channel their energy and drive, but also put limits and parameters on their input.  Surely any young instructor can understand that their input is important but can't be weighed more heavily than the professional you've hired who has been writing since well before this staff member was born.

The director must have extra meetings OUTSIDE of the main staff meeting with the hired professional, allowing the younger staff members to have their say and give their input.  But when you get to the main meeting, just the main staff should attend and should arrive with ideas from their younger staff already vetted, dissected, and fully "weeded."  Then things can progress quickly and a great show can be planned and executed!

Art by Lee Vandergrift.  See more art at www.leevandergrift.com