Is There an "I" in Team?
As a freelancer who's led and worked in many teams over the years, as well as delivering projects and weekly sessions as a sole practitioner, I'm just thinking out loud about what teamwork means, and how our teams can deliver our best work.
Thinking about any type of musical group can perhaps help us put our own teams into context, but today I'm thinking "orchestra".
Does your team have a leader? Do you know what their role is? Is there more than one leader? Are they elected or self-elected in each situation? Are there any sub groups? Do you fit in all of them, or do some work better than others? Can they be interchanged according to experience, ability and suitability in any given project? What do you know about the other members of your team? What do they know about you? Do you know how you all fit together harmoniously? Is there ever space to go solo? Do you ever play over someone's solo? Do you want more solos? Would you prefer to be quietly supporting in the background? Do you enjoy taking different roles in different projects? Are you confident that your contribution is valid and valued? How did your team begin, and how has it evolved? Do you know what your role is, or roles are? Does it matter?
If we're thinking orchestra, we practise our part on our own, then bring it to rehearsal, sometimes in our sub-sections, and ultimately with the whole group, including the sub-section leaders and conductor. We may have the solo part in a concerto. We may be part of a busy string section, or have to count hundreds of bars before playing one massive, crucial crash on the cymbals. We're in a rich, multi-layered musical landscape where every beat counts (is there a pun in there somewhere?) every note plays its part (as does every instrument) and each player brings their own rich combination of experience, skill and personality to produce the best music together.
There would be no team without all the "I"s. The individuals who contribute in all their different ways towards the music and the other musicians, whether they're just starting out, or are experienced professionals. Some will work with humour. Some with discipline. Some with deep compassion and understanding. Some with unbounding enthusiasm, some with quiet reflection. Some with a range of skills, some more specialised, some less experienced.
The young people we work with on the Musical Inclusion Develpment Team at Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust come to us with a wide range of needs and wants, as they also do in mainstream work. If we take a moment to reflect on each other's strengths and respect them, sometimes being part of the string section, sometimes giving space for the solos, or listening out for the subtle nuances of the harmonies, we can work together to provide the richest experiences and meet the needs of everyone.
Just as I believe there are indeed "I"s in Team, I also believe that one size doesn't fit all, but perhaps that's the same thing?