A note about auditions...
When You Audition, remember....
STOP! Before you discover your placement, remember:
1. We care about you.
2. Sometimes, the lessons we don't want to hear are the ones we must learn. They prepare us for life.
3. Life is hard. I'm sorry, but it is at times.
4. Reactions should be professional. Celebrate or mourn away from the band hall.
5. Do not tell anyone their placement. Do not take pictures and send them. Everyone deserves the chance to discover the results just as you do.
6. Both the number of auditioning students and the quality of the players within the program have been increasing. This is making it increasingly more competitive to get into the wind ensemble, drum-line, and auxiliary.
7. If you did your best, that is all you can do. You can only control your level of effort.
8. If you have questions, you can come talk to us in a composed manner. No emails will be addressed unless you have spoken to us personally. We will be honest with you because...
9. We care about you.
Parents
PARENTS - I would ask for the following considerations upon learning your child's' placement. Having a discussion with your child BEFORE results are posted often helps what can be a valuable learning experience.
1. We are all here for the betterment of your students. We care about them deeply.
2. We are hired to give them the best musical advice and experience we can possibly give. We must assess them as best we can.
3. Many are working hard and taking private lessons.
4. Emotions can cloud judgment.
5. Students' careers in music are always in a state of flux. We must take a snapshot through auditions to capture their progress at that moment. We are considering many factors in addition to the audition including our prior experience with them in rehearsals. Seniority in the program is not a factor in our decision. We are selecting the best 9th through 11th-grade musicians to fill out the band ensembles, auxiliaries, and drumline for 2018/19 school year.
6. More students will NOT be accepted than will be accepted. For that, it is important to have the conversation with students regarding the best reaction to news that may not be the news you wanted.
Finally
Parents, we would ask that you allow students to advocate for themselves with face-to-face contact with us should there be any questions. If after that direct communication, parents would like further information please feel free to contact us.