At Gridbook, we are all about thinking for yourself, being proactive, questioning everything, and having a general rebellious state of mind for the greater good, but at the same time, in the role of a performer, it is your job to follow instructions and grow in the direction of the vision your ensemble has defined. So many students don't perform well because they simply don't follow instructions. We have been teaching for years, and say this often:
"If you just do everything we are telling you to do, you will do very well."
This, of course, has to be backed by some passion and trust in the process. And as a performer you have to "Buy In" to what you're being asked to do, but even if you agree with your instructors, there is still a chance you won't follow the blueprint set out for you.
We have seen students wonder why they aren't getting any better, and we ask, "Are you doing all the things we talked about?" and when the answer is "No." it is hard to know if the process is working correctly for you. If you are following instructions and things are not working, that is a different story, but you should try following directions EXACTLY first to gain a foundation to grow from. If you are baking a cake for the first time but don't follow the instructions, your end result probably won't turn out as planned.
So do your best to trust the process and follow the instructions given to you. This will not only bring some great experience into your progression as a performer, but it will logistically be better for everyone around you as well. When everyone is on the same page, following instructions together, those actions are the ingredients for very special moments to develop down the road.
