In a few weeks, when I'm complaining about getting kids ready for Solo and Ensemble Contest, please email me and remind me to read this post.
It is so easy to get frustrated in preparing students for Contests or Festivals. For starters, their idea of ready is never quite the same as mine. Will I ever be able to convince kids that just because you know the notes, rhythms, and words, and are memorized, it does not mean that you are polished and performance ready? Then there is the whole thing with communicating scheduling and fee information. I tell them at their lessons; I email them and their parents; I post it on the lesson board; but still there are always a few that say "You didn't tell me." Once you get them to the event, there's always the concern that you will end up with the crazy judge that asks the kids to do something totally opposite of what you have been working on or the even scarier one that doesn't have anything nice to say even to the amazing kids.
So why do it if it is just one giant headache?
Here's why: because some of my students are going to grow in incredible ways from these experiences. Sometimes a judge will say the same thing I've been saying for months, but worded just a little differently and suddenly a light bulb clicks on for the student. Some times the light bulb moment is not while they are with the judge, but later in the next lesson as we talk about what happened. And sometimes, the light bulb is mine.
Two of my students just participated in a major festival held in another state. Their solo performances at the festival also counted for their scholarship auditions to that college. I hope the students will forgive me for sharing their stories, and I will try to keep things as anonymous as possible.
When Student A began voice lessons with me, I knew that there was potential for a really good voice there, but there were some serious technical issues that we had to work through. It didn't happen over night, but Student A has worked hard and has nearly conquered those hurdles. In addition to the technical stuff, we have talked a lot about interpretation and singing the meaning of the song. I was unable to attend the festival, so Student A's choir teacher was the accompanist. Student A did an amazing job, singing both technically well and extrememely expressively. Student A advanced to semi-finals and I believe that qualifies this student for one of the scholarships. I was really excited for Student A's success, but what pleased me more was that the choir teacher was able to see how much this student has grown and progressed.
Student B also did a very good performance at the Festival, but the really exciting stuff happened in the next lesson. Student B described some of the exercises that the clinician had had Student B do. Both Student B and the choir director seemed excited about the changes that these exercises had made, so we tried some of them in the lesson and then applied them to another song Student B is working on for auditions. There was some progress and with more practice, I think Student B could have improved the overall sound this way. At the very end of the lesson, I was inspired by the things we had been trying and had Student B do something very different, but with the same goals in mind. Instantly, Student B had the sound that we both have been working toward for months. Would I have had my inspiration if we hadn't just discussed her festival experience? Maybe. But I think the reason it happened is because both of us were open to learning new things and trying other methods.
So why do I keep sending/taking kids to festivals, etc. when sometimes beating my head on the wall would be less painful? Because even if it is just one or two students that find that awesome feeling of success or learn something new about themselves, all the frustration is worth it.
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