Hello friends!
In my last two posts, I’ve been preaching about the importance of developing intrinsic motivation. But let’s take a step back and talk about extrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivators are important, especially in the early stages of development. Stickers (remember those?), grades, chair placements, making Region/All-State or youth orchestras, or a combination of these can all be great motivators. At the same time, it’s equally important for educators to help students find joy in the process of getting better, especially when there isn’t an obvious goal in the horizon.
One extrinsic motivator I’d like to explore a little more is fear.
Fear is a powerful motivator, and it can take many forms: fear of a bad grade, losing a chair placement, or, perhaps the most powerful of all in my opinion, the fear of being reprimanded by a director, private lesson teacher, or parent.
Let me digress for a moment.
The other day, a new graduate student told me that he asked his section, “When is Dr. Dan going to lose her mind in rehearsals?” His section mates reassured him that it never happens. He was in disbelief.
Trust me, I do get annoyed. But what seems to be more terrifying to my students is when I get disappointed. I do calmly give them a “talking to” every so often, and I hope those conversations are more effective than me screaming at them.
In my previous position, I also received a comment from a group of professional musicians: “We don’t think you care, because you never yell at us.” I’m always shocked when musicians are surprised that I don’t yell and scream at them. Sometimes, people equate yelling with passion. And honestly, it makes me sad that this still seems to be an acceptable behavior for leaders.
As a young flutist, I played under many different conductors. Some yelled. Others didn’t. I’ll admit, I played well when fear was involved. However, I never went beyond “good enough” because I was afraid to push my limits and fail.
I eventually realized that when a conductor creates an environment that is both inspiring, positive, and SAFE, I feel much freer to experiment and test my limits. Sometimes I fail. Other times, I discover that I’m capable of performing at a level I didn’t know I could reach.
Of course, everyone is motivated differently. Some musicians may feel they need that pressure or reprimand to perform their best. But personally, I found that working with a conductor who emphasizes progress, creativity, and courage rather than perfection was far more enjoyable, inspiring, and ultimately, satisfying. When leaders rely on fear and demand perfection, they risk stifling creativity and growth. We may get the results we want in the short term, but what are we sacrificing along the way?
In my next post, I’d like to share stories of my former colleagues I admire.
