When Parents Have Concerns

I just finished up my response to the first email of the school year from a parent concerned that her child did not get into an auditioned choir or the musical.  For the most part, when I receive these kinds of emails, it's not because the parent thinks their kid is the most awesome thing ever and is upset that their kid wasn't cast.  Usually it is a loving parent wondering if this is the right path for their child or if they should encourage them to pursue other interests where they might have a better chance for what the child and the parent view as success.  

I love the school where I teach, but no situation is perfect.  The philosophy is one of excellence in academics, arts, and athletics.  Excellence is great, but it creates a lot of competition.  Yes, competition pushes us to achieve more, but it also means that there only are a few stars.  Kids who would have leads in smaller, less competitive schools might not even make a show at this school.  The average students sometimes feel lost in the shuffle.

And so I get letters from parents wondering where their child stands.  Because it comes up at least a few times a year, I thought I'd share some of the general comments I made here.

Do you see an improvement in her skills as a singer?
Yes, definitely. (The rest of my answers to this question refer to specific skills and the progress the student has made with each.)
 

Do you ever see her being able to be in the musicals?
Yes. I can't guarantee that it will be next year, but I think that making a show is a realistic goal. It is important to remember that very few freshmen make the shows. Chances improve each year. For example, if a senior and freshman audition at exactly the same level of proficiency, the senior has a better chance of being cast.

Because she loves music and theatre, she may want to explore some of the off-stage opportunities related to the shows, like tech crew, costume production, set building, etc. This will give her a chance to still be involved in the show even if she isn't on stage.


Do you think she could make it into the choirs that she would need an audition for?
There are always possibilities, especially when students practice and work hard on building their skills. [The choir teacher] will be re-auditioning for [a particular select ensemble] after the Holiday Concert, and she almost always adds more students at that point. To increase [the student's] chances of making a select choir this year or next, she should develop a habit of regular practice, working on solfege and sight-reading skills, learning music quickly, and applying the principles of vocal technique that we are covering in lessons. Staying focused and being a leader in choir everyday also helps.


Is there something more we could be doing to help her succeed?
Each week I send lesson notes to both you and [the student]. Encourage her to practice and make practicing more than just singing through the song. (There are several handouts on the website that can help her structure her practice time.) I'm attaching a practice journal. Some students have found this very helpful. It asks students to set goals for the week and for each practice session. If we talked about it at a lesson, that would be a good thing to include as one of the goals.

Continue being positive and encourage her to do things she loves, not just the things that she can be the best at. Passion and persistence are far more important to success that any perceived innate talent. I say perceived because researchers are finding that many of the people we assume must be just naturally gifted by God or DNA have actually invested a lot of time and practice in what they do. But that practice doesn't always look the same from person to person.

Also, everyone is on a different learning path and each person is moving along their own path at a speed that may be different for everybody else. That is really hard for high school kids to understand. We've had All-State singers that haven't really done much singing since they graduated from high school, and we've had kids that were average to slightly above average in [our school's] pool, that are now succeeding in music careers.

When I first went to college and auditioned for choirs, the only thing that got me into one of the auditioned choirs is that they wanted to use me as an accompanist. I had a good voice, but very little training, and some severe tuning issues (especially when I was nervous). Ranked against everyone at that school where choral music was extremely important, I was pretty close to the bottom of the pile. But I worked, and I persevered, and I now really understand why tuning issues happen and what to do about them. And I make my living using my voice.

What things would you share with a parent that is concerned about his or her child's potential for success in music?