I was one of those directors that an adjudicator brought up to our Solo and Ensemble coordinator today. "Who's the director at Hart? Some of the kids seemed a little confused today."
Even though the coordinator approached me without an ounce of judgement, I was immediately feeling defensive. Nobody likes feeling like they didn't prepare their kids or communicate well with families, including me.
Information about original copies, arriving early, warm up vs performance rooms felt like it was communicated ad naseum. But he said something that stuck once I got over my initial embarrassment. Sometimes we've shared this information so many times, we forget about some of the basic stuff.
Stuff like how to figure out where to go once they get there. Stuff like reminding them they still need their own copy of the music as well as the judge's score. Stuff like going to the medals table with their medal card to actually get the medal. Stuff that feels like common sense after going to S&E for 20 (ish) years.
It can't be "common sense" if they've never gone before though. This is new for them and their nerves and excitement take over, keeping them from absorbing or remembering what is discussed in class.
Even though most of the day's groups did well, I need to do better to prevent kids from having a harder day because of me.
I wasn't playing or even working, but Solo and Ensemble was a learning event for me today too. Next time I'll do better to set my kids up for better experiences.
For what it's worth...I am 100% with you, I have had moments like this so many times! I always think about the musical preparation part, but the "common sense" part can get lost because I don't even think about it anymore. So glad you are looking at this as a learning experience, and I know it will go more smoothly next time!
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