Sounds like you should be a school counselor and not a music educator. Our job is not to make children feel good. It is to teach them. Whatever the medium, marching, jazz, symphonic....the goal is to teach music. THE ONLY WAY TO TEACH MUSIC IS TO TEACH MUSIC. They will feel good as they achieve excellence. Don't confuse job goals. Making kids feel good about being bad does them a great dis-service.

Encourage always, but only praise excellence.

No one said excellence = winning trophies. I said only excellence should praised. I didn't say awarded.