Cross Country vs. Music...

I admit it freely: I am not a football fan. Sorry. I know what you're thinking, but it's kind of like not tolerating brussel sprouts or beets, isn't it?

Anyway-I'm having the opportunity lately to see the sport of Cross Country in action, and I'm very impressed with the kids in the sport. My 12 year old is new at it, but has found something else he wants to do.( Yes, I groaned when he told me...)

Went to a meet this morning. Early this morning. They had to be there in a Saturday morning at 7:00. A RAINY Saturday at that. He got up and went and ran in the rain.

We got some god pictures of him during the race that really show the effort and concentration necessary to be able, not only to succeed in this sport, but even participate, for goodness sake!

It's a team sport-points are awarded for various places earned, and an overall team score gets you noticed. BUT-a team sport? Is it really? Yes, I'd say it is. These boys and girls are together every day, running together-they quite often train in partners-getting to know each other, rooting each other on, so, yes, I'd call it a team.

The training each individual must endure is what the difference is, I think. In football, the bursts of concentrated effort are short in comparison. They don't have to steel themselves to be able to run miles by themselves in any weather pretty much alone. It's all up to them and their preparation. The look on my son's face while running made it obvious that there is deep concentration happening inside that head...between those rather beautiful but slightly large ears...

So-I hear you asking "What the hell does this have to do with music?" Ah-I heard that...Well, I think that music takes quite the individual discipline to go off by yourself and train, learn your instrument, do the research, have the right equipment, the right coaches and mentors in order to have a whole musician to bring back to complete the ensemble...

Whether you're an instrumentalist or vocalist, soloist, or ensemble-type. The training must still happen in your process before you can really be on the team in a meaningful way. Now-we've all witnessed the harm of the Diva Energy; this is a persona who has no true desire to add to anyone else's ensemble at ALL...It's a more(!) narcissistic way of living in this world-drawing attention and sucking the life out of a room in order to re-direct it towards oneself...a pity...they don't know what they miss... It's not just the trees, it's the damned forest doncha know...

The enjoyment of participating in any ensemble-theatre, choir, orchestra, band,-is a joy unlike most others. It's about celebrating the successes of each other and our group efforts. We cannot be a group of individuals and have the same results as when we commit to the group on an emotional level, give up the notion of individual success and glory, and be a cog in the wheel, for without the cogs, that wheel is just not going to function, will it?

It's sacrifice. It's compromise.

It's not about winning.

It's about doing.

well, would you look at the time...
another rambler...gotta go and "run a few"...