Haaaaard Knocks
Students are preparing to audition for regional and state orchestra membership--which in a state this big means major, major competition. I'm not going to rant about how crappy it is that the first event of the year is zero-sum. That's for another day. No, what has me boggling is how few students have ever been in a completely ability-based situation.
The students are assigned a code on the audition day. The deciding sheet is kept in a different room, seen only by the monitors who are not judging. A panel of five judges sit behind a screen and hear each student in code order. The highest/lowest scores are discarded and the 12-16 top students make the group. Period.
The kids are mystified.
"What do you mean, there's not a minimum number of students from each school?"
"What if there aren't any Black kids?" asked an African-American student.
"But I'm in all AP classes (or Insert Sport Here) and I only have time to practice on weekends!"
"I just started playing last year and some of those kids started in 4th grade!"
"Isn't there a second-place group for the kids who were close but didn't get in?"
"My mom says she's too busy to bring me to the tryout. Can I audition the next day?"
Guys, guys, guys. Welcome to REAL LIFE, where you have to be not just okay, not just remarkably good "all things considered." You have to be one of the students who plays the notes accurately, at the required tempo, with all markings observed, with good tone, and without starting over. At ALL. And you know what? The start time is absolute. Doors close at 8 a.m. and after that they wouldn't let Yo-Yo Ma come and audition, much less a sixth grader.
A few of them get it. They got the music the first day of school and got the notes under control before their first lesson.
A couple of them are still asking what string the note is on.
Have I mentioned how much I hate this time of year???
The students are assigned a code on the audition day. The deciding sheet is kept in a different room, seen only by the monitors who are not judging. A panel of five judges sit behind a screen and hear each student in code order. The highest/lowest scores are discarded and the 12-16 top students make the group. Period.
The kids are mystified.
"What do you mean, there's not a minimum number of students from each school?"
"What if there aren't any Black kids?" asked an African-American student.
"But I'm in all AP classes (or Insert Sport Here) and I only have time to practice on weekends!"
"I just started playing last year and some of those kids started in 4th grade!"
"Isn't there a second-place group for the kids who were close but didn't get in?"
"My mom says she's too busy to bring me to the tryout. Can I audition the next day?"
Guys, guys, guys. Welcome to REAL LIFE, where you have to be not just okay, not just remarkably good "all things considered." You have to be one of the students who plays the notes accurately, at the required tempo, with all markings observed, with good tone, and without starting over. At ALL. And you know what? The start time is absolute. Doors close at 8 a.m. and after that they wouldn't let Yo-Yo Ma come and audition, much less a sixth grader.
A few of them get it. They got the music the first day of school and got the notes under control before their first lesson.
A couple of them are still asking what string the note is on.
Have I mentioned how much I hate this time of year???