The Wanderer in the Forest

Estimated Ready Time: 5-7 minutes

By Rob Chilton

Imagine a young man awakening to find himself alone and unequipped in the middle of a forest. He has no memories of his existence before this moment, nor any knowledge of how his environment works. Immersed in the overwhelming sensations of nature, his initial disorientation quickly turns to excitement. Sunlight dances through the canopy, and cheerful birdsongs echo around him. A cool breeze tickles the hairs on his arms, while the crisp scents of pine and cedar fill his nostrils. Eagerly and fearlessly, he explores the wilderness with absolute freedom. He can go anywhere and do anything he pleases.

As time passes, the young wanderer ventures deeper into the wilderness. In the distance, the sun begins to set. The temperature drops, and the once uplifting bird chatter gradually transitions into the scurrying sounds of nocturnal creatures emerging for the night—difficult to see in the dimming light. The wanderer realizes he can no longer remember the direction from which he came, and all visible landmarks are starting to resemble one another. He is lost but unconcerned, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. He doesn’t know he will need food, water, shelter, safety, and knowledge to survive.

The next morning, just before dawn, in the soft illumination of moonlight, an old man appears. His hair is white, and his skin is wrinkled. Behind him, he pulls a small cart filled with strange objects unfamiliar to the wanderer. The old man introduces himself as a guide, skilled in the ways of the forest. He explains that he teaches young wanderers the skills needed to survive—and even thrive—in their environment. He offers his help to the young wanderer, but the young man declines, confidently unaware that there is anything to learn. Accepting the refusal, the old man turns and leaves, pulling his cart behind him.

A few days pass, and the young wanderer grows increasingly uncomfortable. He experiences unfamiliar stomach cramps—hunger pangs from a lack of food—and the nights have become too cold to sleep. Overnight, he sits restlessly with his back against the thick trunk of a pine tree. Just before dawn, the guide appears once again to offer his help. This time, the young man reluctantly accepts, though he remains uncertain about what the old man can offer.

As the sun rises, the guide begins teaching the young man how to chop wood and mix mortar—they are going to build a shelter. After a few hours, however, the young man is exhausted. In his short existence, he has never experienced anything so physically demanding. The constant chopping, carrying, walking, and mixing takes its toll. His body aches, his limbs burn, and he feels weak and limp. Gradually, he begins to exert less effort, working with less precision than before. The old man warns him that poor-quality work now will lead to future challenges and hardship, but the young man remains unconcerned. He has no concept of the future or its difficulties. All he knows is he is exhausted now, and exerting less effort eases his discomfort in the present.

Later that day, the young man finishes his work and begins assembling his shelter. Soon, however, he notices that the pieces are not fitting together. Frustrated, he complains to the old man, who reminds him of the earlier warning—that sloppy work would have consequences. The old man explains that the young man will need to start over, chopping new wood and mixing fresh mortar. Furious, the young man storms off into the night, spending yet another night alone in the cold.

The next morning, just before dawn, the guide appears again to encourage the young man to try again. The young man accepts, and this time, works with greater precision. By midday, he is ready to attempt assembling the shelter again. His pieces now fit together, but exhausted from his labor, he skimps on spreading mortar. Instead of applying a thick, even layer between each piece of wood, he uses thin, spotty patches—sometimes neglecting to use mortar at all. It is much easier this way, and he feels confident the structure will hold. Once again, the wise man issues a warning, but the young man dismisses it. When the shelter is complete, the young man steps inside and marvels at his creation.

Overnight, heavy rain pours down on the young man’s shelter. Water seeps through the weak spots in the mortar, flooding the entire structure. Overcome with frustration, the young man storms off into the night. In his anger, he throws a tantrum—kicking rocks and tearing bark from trees. Life had been so much easier before he met the old man. Back then, he could go anywhere and do anything he pleased. Furious, he screams at the night sky, demanding to know the purpose of all this work.

The next morning, just before dawn, the old man appears again to encourage the young man to try once more. The old man understands that with each attempt, the young man is gaining valuable experience and taking small but steady steps toward self-sufficiency.

Moral of the Story

Students are like the wanderer, continually awakening to a world of wonder and possibility without the skills to navigate it. They often approach life unaware of the consequences of their present actions or the challenges that lie ahead. On the other hand, teachers are like the guide, offering wisdom and skills to help students navigate the challenges of life and learning. Like the guide, teachers often encounter resistance from children when implementing structure as they don’t yet grasp the value of rules, order, and work as it prepares them for life’s obstacles. Like a constant game of tug-o-war, we must continuously pull them towards growth and understanding.

Put more simply: kids are kids. They don’t know what they don’t know. While they’re capable of accomplishing incredible things, I believe we too often start from a place of overestimating their cognitive and behavioral capabilities–assuming they know things they don’t and expecting them to conform to implicit behavioral norms not plainly expressed. I’ve always told my staff and clients to “assume they know nothing” and if an expectation isn’t clearly communicated, expect variation in its execution.

The best things we can do for our students are:

• Be consistent
• Provide clear expectations
• Hold them accountable
• Keep showing up

We can’t let them wander the forest forever. It may take longer for some to figure it out, but we have to keep trying–their survival depends on it.

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About the author:

Rob Chilton is the creator and owner of Readymade Music, LLC and its content. Previously, Chilton was a middle school band director from 2007-2021. His most recent teaching position was the Head Band Director at Killian Middle School in Lewisville, Texas from 2014-2021.

Under his direction, the Killian Honors Band was named the 2018 Texas Music Educators Association CC Honor Band and performed at the annual 2018 TMEA Clinic/Convention. In 2019, the Killian Honors Band was invited to and performed at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Additionally, the Killian Honors Band was named a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Project in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Chilton is a graduate of Southern Methodist University where he had the opportunity to study music education under the tutelage of Lynne Jackson and Brian Merrill. During his years as a middle school band director, Chilton continued his professional growth under the guidance of his primary clinicians, John Benzer and Brian Merrill.

Chilton’s mission for Readymade Music is to promote the overall well-being of music education and support school music teachers by providing solutions to help make teaching music more efficient and inspirational while increasing engagement for 21st century learners.

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