This is just a test.

I'm a little out of practice with Wenger and unsure if I want to get back into that practice. Hmm. I'll kick myself out of the Wenger community of practice one day.

I want to make examples of Wenger's modes of belonging using ideas of a previous post; otherwise, I won't be able to make sense of whatever it is he's talking about with this whole "modes of belonging" idea. Also, I want to see if putting the words "MARCHING BAND" into a post will alert some commercial marching band website to try to trackback to this post multiple times. (Whoever you are, I want you to know I WILL REJECT YOUR REQUEST EVERY SINGLE TIME.)

So, Wenger's modes of belonging are engagement, imagination, and alignment.
As a clarinetist in a competitive high school marching band, I would feel "belonging" to multiple communities. I would be engaged in the practice of playing the clarinet with other clarinetists in the band. I would be engaged in the practice of marching band-ism (marching, playing, rehearsing, competing, etc.) with the other members of the band.

My imagination would allow me to "belong" (or not belong) to multiple communities. I could imagine other clarinetists in other high school marching bands, college marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands, orchestras, professional symphonies, etc.; I would belong to an arguably elite group of clarinetists worldwide, even if I've never met them or never heard of them before. I could imagine other high schools' marching bands; although we attend different schools, we (I would imagine) practice the same activities (marching, playing, rehearsing, competing, etc.). I could even imagine how other schools may have different practices: maybe they high-step instead of roll-step; maybe they only have a drum corps (no clarinets!); maybe they have bag pipes; maybe membership isn't voluntary (or by audition only). Imagining how others may be different may allow me to feel more belonging to my own community; imagining how others may be different may also allow me to feel belonging to multiple, similar-but-different communities.

Our high school marching band would try to align its practices to rules and practices of larger organizations. The band "belongs" to a particular school district, and because of this, we must choose our music and programs to appropriately represent the district (no nudity, no explicit language, proper conduct). The band also "belongs" to a bigger organization called the Tournament of Bands, which encompasses many districts in a variety of states; because of this, we must choose our music and programs to match given standards set by the TOB (for example, length of program), and we must practice and rehearse according to the TOB's standards (for example, using high school football field hash marks, not college football field hash marks; also, on an American 100-yard field as opposed to Canadia's 110-yard field; using proper roll-steps; making appropriate eye contact with the press box; memorizing music; etc.). Aligning to an outside organization's standards breeds a feeling of belonging to "something bigger." This also requires some imagination! And engagement!

See my previous post (about the Symposium) for thoughts on identity. (I beat Wenger to it.)


And to you, Mr./Ms. Commercial Marching Band Website Advertiser Person: Prepare to have your trackback rejected!