Competition raises your (musical) game #jazz #bigband #musiceducation

So I have recently learned that a new big band has emerged in the area. Cool. It will be playing some hip charts like Rob McConnell and Gordon Goodwin. Cool. It will be rehearsing at the same location as my big band . . . I guess that's cool. Half the band is comprised of the same players as my band . . . cool? I think so. After being with a band for several years, sometimes you need such a momentous change to shake things up. Although, if time is tight, where will the players' allegiance lie and what if there is a conflict with gigs? Speaking of gigs, there are not exactly a bountiful number of them in the area. On the positive side, this change makes me reassess my pedagogy and the path the band is taking. Are we playing too much contemporary music? Am I challenging the band enough? Is there enough authentic repertoire in the mix? Do I have a solid big band philosophy or am I leaning on the belief system that was here when I arrived? These are questions that I will be stewing over for the next few weeks/months, as I watch/listen to this new group. Heck, I even want to part of it. Hip big band charts that I do not have to drive down to Toronto to play? I am in. As you can see, I have conflicting thoughts but in the end, I think it will be a gut-check for me as a leader and ultimately, it will take my band down the right path, and maybe a new path.