Why Solo and Ensemble is My Favorite #MusicEd Event

Yesterday was middle school Solo and Ensemble (S&E). I'll admit that I don't always look forward to this time of year or the day itself.  The weeks leading up to S&E involve a lot of early mornings and late afternoons meeting with students.  The day itself is a long and hectic Saturday.

But then I get there and start checking kids in, and the magic of the day hits.  It's not perfect, but when approached correctly, S&E can be a great display of everything that's right with music education, and here's why:

• Watch two seventh graders, who have often been playing their instrument a year or less, select music on their own and collaborate over the musical interpretation. Hearing things like: "We have to do more with the crescendo at 9." or "Careful not to rush the eighth notes at the end." makes my music educator's heart ridiculously happy.
• The sheer number of adults it takes coming together to make an event this size successful is just nuts. There were thousands of students performing yesterday and to keep that running, there were teams of parents directing traffic in the lot, boosters selling concessions, volunteers at every turn pointing people in the right direction, accompanists hand writing scores to help out a student who forgot theirs, teachers giving pep talks to students so nervous they were crying, and adjudicators cramming as much wisdom as they possibly could into a three-ish minute window. 
• Want real evidence of good teaching and student growth? Spend a few minutes in the warm-up and performance rooms.  While all teachers work with individuals and groups, there is not enough time in the day to rote teach parts. Much of the responsibility is on students and without some good teaching to set them up, they won't have the background needed to put together a musical performance on their own. 
• It's so much more than a rating. Students are assessed individually or as a part of a small group. They receive feedback from a specialist on their instrument (my flutist advice to a horn player or percussionist can only go so far...). When I taught in a rural area, that was one of the only times all year my students could get to work with a specialist since we were so far from easy access to private teachers. I even learn something new every year working at S&E from reading score sheets or listening to the verbal feedback from the judge.

What else makes Solo and Ensemble great?  Or do you have a different contender for your favorite Music Education Event?  Please share in the comments!