Create safe spaces for creative freedom
We prize creativity in the music industry. Sometimes, I find that we reserve creative freedom for those in the spotlight, like conductors and soloists. There is no reason an ensemble musician sitting in a group of 100 people should be denied that same creative freedom.
In order to have creative freedom as musicians, we need to feel safe. We need to feel safe from judgment, rejection, and retribution. We need to know that we can say things and try things that may not be right, that may not work the first time around, that may be in direct conflict with what the conductor is asking for.
Without that safety, we are not really free to create as musicians. We simply follow instructions day in and day out. Over time, that can get tiring and unfulfilling.
Unfortunately, these kinds of spaces don't come as a default in our orchestras and opera companies. We have to intentionally create them. As conductors and arts leaders, we are well-posed to do this work.
Here are three ways conductors can create a safe space for creative freedom for musicians:
1. Remind the group that conductors are not always the smartest and the only right person in the room. We don't know everything. We have holes in our knowledge that can be filled by the expertise and experiences of others. We are sometimes wrong too and we make mistakes. We need the support of all the musicians in the room. We are just a single musician. Strength comes in numbers.
2. Celebrate intelligent failures. Not all failures are created equal. Some are preventable and due to negligence or irresponsibility. Others are due to risk-taking and experimentation. We can distinguish between these two kinds of failure. We don't want to inadvertently send the signal that experimentation is just as unwanted as negligence. We want to reward when someone takes creative risks and make attempts at innovating - even when it doesn't work out.
3. Ask musicians for their ideas with the intent to listen and understand, not to criticize. The conductor's job is to criticize, give feedback, find problems, and to have our own vision. So it makes sense that our response to hearing someone else's idea is to become defensive or poke holes in it. We can remember that sometimes it just feels good to be heard. They don't have to get their way. They simply need to be heard and have their opinions valued. And we can find ways to provide that opportunity. Conductors are in the position to be heard by default. Musicians are not. We can invite them to be in that position sometimes and make an effort to hear them.
In our current world, creative freedom in the large ensemble setting is a rarity and luxury. I believe in a world where it becomes the norm. That's how we thrive creatively, and that elevated creative product is what will lead to our businesses thriving.
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