By Sonja Kruecker Green

GUEST COLUMNIST

Full disclosure– I am not the keenest participant of team sports. 

But don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean I don’t highly value physical activity and sports. I love to hike, swim, bike, and I play a mean game of badminton. I love watching soccer and I have been even known to watch the occasional football game, eliciting groans from certain family members. What I don’t understand about American culture, however, is why sports are elevated to the level that they are. It seems to be a national obsession. If I were to say “who’s Tom Brady?” can you imagine how jaws would drop? But if I were to talk about the violinist, Hilary Hahn, I would get unabashed, blank stares. 

Starting at an early age, children in America have been taught the value of athletics. Young kids are expected to choose their team sport, and from that moment on, they are encouraged to practice, compete, and rise to the top. Yet, this same sort of energy does not seem to apply to the arts. I mean, how many times have you heard “what is your sport”? I have heard it a lot. However, I have never heard “what is your performing art”? Why is this? The implication is that everyone should have a sport, but having a performing art seems completely optional. Why else would PE be a requirement every year but not the fine arts, much less the performing arts? 

I will reiterate that I do, in fact, value sports. In addition to providing an outlet for physical activity and entertainment, sports teach their players important lessons in teamwork, leadership, perseverance and resilience. What many may not fully appreciate, however, is that the performing arts can teach these same important life skills and lessons. In fact, leadership, teamwork, practice, persistence, and resilience are all vital in the performing arts. 

Both musicians and athletes alike understand that in order to improve, one must practice. And practice. And then practice some more. As a violinist, rigorous practice must happen regularly. Training my fingers daily is key to learning the notes for a piece, whether it is a chord where the intonation needs work or a tricky rhythm that is just not intuitive. It may not always be fun, but it is what must be done to make progress. The reward will never come instantly. I will admit- when I was much younger, I did not have the best practice habits; it was never very focused practicing and I easily became distracted because– lets’ face it– practice can be monotonous. However, just like for athletes, the perseverance eventually pays off. I have learned how to improve my practicing and appreciate the value of persistence even when it is tiresome, a skill that is essential in so many aspects of life. 

Just as sports do, the performing arts also build character. Playing the violin has helped me to place myself outside of my comfort zone. I can still remember my 7-year-old self, absolutely terrified to walk on stage for my first violin recital. I did not like the idea of being watched or heard by so many people. But every time I have performed on stage since, it has gotten a little bit easier. I have learned ways to deal with the anxiety and I have become more resilient. I think this is also an important life skill that is also said to be honed when doing competitive sports. 

So what about leadership or teamwork? You cannot learn those skills through the performing arts, can you? Well sure you can! 

When I play in an orchestra I am a team player. In a large ensemble like this, teamwork and leadership are vital for the music to come together in the end. I’m responsible for knowing my part, but the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts. Not only must I learn my part to fit in with my section of the orchestra, but within my section, we must collaborate with each other. And not only must our own section collaborate, but the many sections within the orchestra must all work together as well. We must listen to each other in order to understand how our parts come together seamlessly. Teamwork and some leadership are crucial. In my chamber ensembles, these skills became even more necessary. There is no conductor to help keep the musicians together. Every player is responsible for their own single part, but must also listen very keenly, must respond to, and lead the other musicians. We must give cues and take cues. It is a cooperative effort. If, for example, the violist and second violinist are not listening to the cellist for the tempo, or the first violinist does not give the proper cue, the music will immediately derail. We are all pieces of a puzzle that fit together, and through teamwork, leadership (and practice, of course) that puzzle can eventually be assembled to produce something great. 

The next time you watch a theater production, or a show choir performance, or an orchestra concert, I hope you will appreciate that athletes and fine arts performers are not so very different.