We don't know precisely when the compass was invented. However, historians know it was used ubiquitously throughout Europe as early as the twelfth century, and even earlier in China.
The idea of letting the Earth's magnetic field guide your travels has been a time tested foolproof way of getting from point A to point B. Whether traveling by land, air, or sea, compasses exist in virtually every vehicle that travels from one place to another.
Even with the advent of modern global positioning satellites, adventurers, young and old, rarely leave home without their trusty directional companion.
Except it is not foolproof. The compass is a little faulty.
Starting with its first use, early navigators noticed that the compass did not always align with Polaris (the North Star). The degree of variation would change, but the inconsistency remained an unexplained constant for over five hundred years. The mystery remained unsolved until the early 1830's when British scientists initiated what became known as the Magnetic Crusade - a worldwide survey meant to measure and track the deviation, now known as Magnetic Declination.
It turns out that true north and magnetic north are not the same things. At least not at this moment as magnetic north is a moving object and changes locales every year, whereas true north is fixed. As of today, the two are separated by approximately two hundred and fifty miles.
For everyday use, the difference between the two is insignificant. When using a compass to walk a mile, the variation between the two might cause you to miss by a couple of feet or yards—traveling one hundred miles? Well, you might miss by a half-mile or so. A thousand miles could have you in a different state or country. The greater the distance you travel, the more significant the gap between the two. Use magnetic north to get to the gas station? No problem. Use it to get from Los Angeles to Hawaii, and you will likely miss the entire chain of islands.
Navigating by your true north matters, not just in your travels, but in your life and profession as well.
For our students (and ourselves), magnetic north is all of the fun and exciting things that draw them in. Halftime performances, trips, competitions, uniforms, etc. are the things that consume our thoughts, drive our efforts, and guide our decision-making processes. We set budgets, rehearsal schedules, and a host of other things based on this false north. Still, our true north lies slightly adjacent to its magnetic counterpart and centers not around performances and crowds, but building character, making music, and creating memories.
Remember, over short trips and small distances, true north and magnetic north are virtually identical. But in the seven months, since the pandemic struck and distant learning began, the time and length have the two destination feeling miles apart. Through it all, it's essential to navigate yourself and your program by your True North because…
Magnetic north changes from year to year, but TRUE north is forever.