"It's Easy for Them"

A little background: The American Fork High School Band has a long tradition of excellence that goes far back and before I came to live in this area. Year after year they have dominated the region in band competitions. Last year they planned to go to nationals, and did well - one of the top twenty bands in the nation (that's saying quite a bit). This year the band faced a hefty measure of tragedy when one of the teachers was killed in a bus accident on the way home from a competition in Idaho. A couple of weeks ago the band decided once again to travel to nationals and raised the $250,000 needed to go in about a week. They placed at about 14th in the nation. Amazing accomplishment.

Yet, it was not enough for some (all that money raised to take 14th place?), and too much for others. A young friend on facebook who is attending the High School rejoiced that the band had not 'won' the competition. When I called him out for rooting against the home team, he explained that the band had it too easy. They always won. It was good that they snuffed it so they could know what it was like to lose. He added that Football should be #1 (Band does take a majority of the communities attention because it is the award-winning program, thats just how it goes everywhere). I responded that football was ephemeral, but the band students were learning things they would take with them and would serve them all their lives (I don't know if this was quite fair really, as there are lessons to be learned from team sports). To his credit, he replied that he couldn't argue against that logic, "music is forever."

My logic actually wasn't completely sound, but I am glad to live in a community that values music on a certain level. What really has stuck with me in this exchange though, is the assumption my friend made that because they always win locally, that winning is somehow easy for them. Having had a niece and a nephew in this amazing band program and having some familiarity with bands (FVHS Band Class of 90) and in particular with this program - I can tell you: not easy. We're talking about tens of thousands of man-hours put in every season, all to perfect a twelve-minute show. If a football team (or anyone in any endeavor) worked with that kind of dedication, they would win every time as well (or pretty near to it).

An example of this in sports is the Highland Rugby Team (I saw an excellent movie called "Forever Strong" about them). They are practically undefeated at the national level. They make it look easy. Is it? People who've never been a part of something that requires that much dedication would like to think so. These people attribute everything to 'talent.' As so, it is easy to dismiss those displaying excellence as the 'gifted ones.' While I will make concessions that there are some people who have more raw talent than others, the ones who succeed, in any field, are the ones who match or exceed their talent with immense quantities of time and dedication.

When it looks easy, you can bet you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. To make something appear effortless often takes thousands of hours of preparation.