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Cam's final band/choir concert for the 2011-2012 school year was last night. Generally, I enjoy these. I suffered through four years of listening to what can only be described as unintelligible noise in the key of OMG!
High school performances are my reward for not insisting Cam give up music after the 5th grade.
Last night the performance theme was "Music In Motion". All groups who performed moved around the stage and through the aisles of the auditorium. It really was fun ... akin to an indoor marching band performance.
The choirs? Well?
They attempted a similar performance style, although limited it to setting themselves up in a different configuration on the stage prior to the start of each piece they sang.
I wish they had focused a bit more on a few of their soloists ... and by focused I mean told them they couldn't sing and selected a soloist who could sing.
What? It's petty to judge the quality of high school musicians? They did their best? Everyone should have the opportunity to stand out from the group and perform?
BULLSHIT!
Not at the high school level, and probably not at the middle school level either (although I'm a bit more tolerant of it at the middle school level).
High school music - just like high school varsity sports - is competitive. There are a select few who are excellent performers, a big chunk that are average performers, and a handful who better rethink their plans of declaring music as their college major ... unless they want to live in their parent's basement permanently.
When I was their age (Yes! I am going there!) solos were put out for audition. Musicians auditioned for the solos. The BEST performer was given the solo. If you didn't get the solo you auditioned for, you worked harder so that you had a better performance the next time.
Apparently music did not remain unscathed in the "Everyone is a winner! Everyone gets a trophy!" generation, because one or two of those solos last night?
Let's just say that I couldn't help but scrunch my face up in hopes that it would somehow block off my ability to hear.
I considered throwing my hands up over my ears but was afraid the people sitting behind me might have been the proud parents of the tone deaf kids.
What say you? At the high school level, should the best performer get the solo? Or should anyone who shows an interest be allowed the spotlight??
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7 comments:
ARG Bubblewrapped kids and helicopter parents! ARG
The soloist was probably the school board president's kid. That's how we selected our starting point guard on the basketball team when I was in high school.
Jay
They don't audition for solos? Maybe everyone sucks?
Ah, the tough lesson of learning someone is indeed more talented than you. We must shelter young adults from that sort of harsh reality so that they can grow into disillusioned self-obsessed narcissists like we always wanted.
Vinny "Bond" Marini, Yep! We don't want to hurt their feelings and tell them they SUCK!!
IWS-Jay, I don't know whose kid he was, but I'd have been embarrassed had he been mine!
Knight, If they do audition for solos, they certainly don't pick the best performer! I'd say it was a lack of talent, however I've heard some good solo performances in the past. I know there are kids who have the talent and discipline to pull it off!
"So this one time at band camp"
I let kids know how they measure up regardless of their age or situation. Granted, I'm more diplomatic with the younger ones, but I still let them know.
Not teaching them self-realization now, will handicap them in life. We all have moments that our best just isn't good enough, we can either get better or find another endeavored.
'the key of OMG!'
Great line.
OH how I've wanted to write something on this subject, but as many of my student's parents also know me on FB (another subject all together), it wouldn't be the best professional move on my part.
We require ALL of our instrumental music students to perform a solo, and it is a graded assignment. They actually have the option of not taking it to the State Solo/Ensemble contest for a rating (with the caveat that we have approved it for contest), but they must all be performed for a staff member and are then evaluated on that performance. As I am the Percussion Director, all percussionists must perform their selection for me.
This year I had a parent approach me after a concert to inquire why "Johnny" received a D on his solo grade...
Me: Well (Johnny's Mom), he didn't attend either of the solo workshops that we held, I witnessed him "practicing" his solo for the first time the day before his testing grade, and when he attempted the piece for the test he could barely play through the first 3 lines.
JM: But Johnny didn't have time to come in after school to practice because he's also on the JV Swimming team. He loves music and wants to be a music major in college.
Me: Well to be honest, he may want to start giving consideration to what is most important to him because if he majors in music he will be required to perform "juries" for the college faculty every term, not once a year. Based on his performance, he will be allowed to continue in that institution's music major program or he will be dropped. I had asked Johnny on several occasions if he needed help on his solo, and he insisted that he was fine. My job here is to help prepare our students for life after high school and give them the tools that they will need if that life includes music at the collegiate level.
The conversation continued but by the time she left, Johnny's mom was not so much advocating for her child as she was advocating TO her child the same mind-set that I try to impart on a daily basis: If you want to succeed, it takes hard work and self-discipline.
Do I push my kids to perform at the highest level possible? Yes.
Do they all put in the effort that they should? No.
Will I lower my standards so that everyone gets a "feel good" grade? Hell no.
As a side note, I had 9 of my students receive Gold medals and 4 of them receive Silver at the State contest. That's out of 18 total percussionists.
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