What I learned about leadership in Marching Band

I'm writing this during teacher appreciation week. People are supposed to use social media to recognize teachers who made a difference in their lives. I'm already at an age when most of the teachers who made a difference in my education are dead. But if you can consider a band director as a 'teacher,' then I'd like to recognize Fred Nyline who is still alive and who was the associate director of  bands when I was in the University of Minnesota Football Marching Band.

I certainly learned more about leadership from being in the Marching Band than I did in any of my academic classes.

Just in general, the Marching Band was a very important part of my college experience. I grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota and attended Albert Lea Senior High. Albert Lea was a decent size town. But Minneapolis was definitely 'the big city' and student enrollment at The U was twice the size of the whole town of Albert Lea. The band was my niche that gave me a way to connect in the big university. Most of my close friends at the U were fellow band members. I still see several of them.

Marching Band was a big time commitment. But it was fun and satisfying. I was a decent trumpet player, but not a virtuoso by any definition. (Mr. Nyline used to tell us, at hockey and basketball pep band, "We may not be good, but we sure are loud!) In Marching Band, we took the music seriously, but we also had to march and do the routines accurately and with some panache.

When I reported to band at the beginning of my Junior year, I was excited to learn that I'd been chosen to be a rank leader. I don't recall seeking out that position, but it was an honor to be selected. I didn't have anything to do with the music. My role was to make sure that the 10 musicians in my rank knew the routines and marched well on the field.

As rank leaders, we would receive the charts for the week's half-time show in advance. We were supposed to learn the routines and then teach them to the other musicians in the rank. The object was, as the band played the music, each rank would march to the right position on the field ... and at right time.

One week, fairly early in the season, during rehearsal, I lead my rank across the field and we halted with a dramatic flourish. Mr. Nyline stopped the band. He pointed at me and yelled, "Krikava. What are you doing there?" Oops. We were in the right place. But we were 8 beats too early. As we reassembled to try it again, Mr. Nyline growled, just loud enough for me to hear, "Someone said you were supposed to be good."

I didn't really think about it too much at the time. It was a mistake. We corrected it and went on. But at least subconsciously, it must have sunk in because now, 46 years later, I can still remember it like it was yesterday.

Here's what I learned from that incident.

First, "someone said I was supposed to be good." That meant that other people - directors and senior band members - had expectations of me. My mistake had let them down.

Second, it wasn't just me. My mistake affected everyone else in the rank. We all ended up in the right place at the wrong time, but I was the one who was responsible. I had let my rank members down as well.

Third, mistakes happen. You can't let the fear of making a mistake paralyze you. You learn, make a correction, and try to do a better job in the future.

Anyway, from then on, I was extra careful to make sure I understood both the positioning and the timing. I probably made more mistakes. But none were as dramatic nor called down the wrath of Fred Nyline as much as that particular incident.

By the end of my Senior year, I was respected as a band leader, and the lessons I learned being a band leader definitely helped me be a better leader professionally.

So, thank you Fred Nyline.

This my rank from the 1972 Marching Band season. That's me, front row, far left.