Another Year of Student Auditions

Every year seems to get a little more challenging with age. Last year I was dealing eye problems during my student's music exams. The year before that I struggled to walk. This year my lumbar spine was damaged which made spending volunteer hours in support of my students a painful event today. I am grateful to my co-hall monitor and the volunteer teenagers that helped with running students up and down the stairs. (And oh those stairs!) 

I often wonder how my childhood piano teacher did it all. She taught until she was in her 100s, and lived to be 107. She chaired all of the Southeastern Michigan piano teacher festivals, in cooperation with Grinnell's piano, well into her later years. She handled the logistics of; hiring conductors, procuring duet scores for hundreds of students and adult professionals, securing rehearsal space, bringing one hundred pianos, and a couple dozen organs into rehearsal spaces and performance venues like Cobo Hall and Meadowbrook, hiring a composer to write a fanfare, and then hiring a brass ensemble to play the fanfare for each year, all to create one of the largest piano orchestras in the States, every year. And I struggled to go up and down the stairs and dealt with horrible back pain today just trying to calm and help children to their exam rooms for five hours. I'm a wimp.

I always breathe a sigh of relief after this day has ended. I think it is fair to say that teachers feel as much stress in preparing their students, as the students feel on the day of the event(s). But as much as teachers may struggle leading up to this day, it is so important for students. And that's why we support it (even through physical limitations and pain.) If a student should decide to pursue music as a career without these types of experiences, they would be disadvantaged. More importantly, music exams and assessment events prepare students, not only for future music events of a higher caliber but, for many of life's expectations in the work place. The dedication of building and rehearsing business presentations, board room meetings, and more, starts with the discipline of preparing music to bring in front of a judge for both performance and written exams. Self discipline, preparation, study, research, physical practice, memorization, confidence in one's hard work, these are just some of the strengths gained from private music study and music auditions at the pre-college level. 

The board members for both the NFMC's Junior Festival, and CMTA's Achievement Day, work very hard to make these events happen. Fortunately they are all twenty to thirty years younger than me with an abundance of physical and mental energy. But that doesn't mean the work is easy for them. I have both chaired and judged music assessments in younger years and these are not tasks to be taken on lightly.

The day is done. The teachers are relieved. The students are relieved. The parents are relieved. We are grateful to all the volunteers who made the event possible. And now we wait to hear the results. 

I am heading to bed much earlier tonight along with an ice pack and a muscle relaxer. Tomorrow starts preparations for the next event on this year's list. 

How Does My Instructor Know If I Don't Practice?

I remember sitting outside of audition rooms as a child. I would listen to the other children playing their piano pieces and I could tell if they were students who practiced all the time, or students who had "crammed" for the audition. If a student was very nervous and was making mistakes, oddly there was a sound that I could still hear that let me know the student was serious about music.

When I got to college it was the same, but more pronounced. You had students who had been accepted into the studios of Misha Kottler and other notable instructors. However, you could tell they were not taking advantage of the privilege and not practicing with consistency. Oh, they hit all the correct notes and rhythms - the articulations were even there - but that sound that comes from regular practice wasn't there. The professors were so kind and patient with all of us. But I knew if I could hear the lack of practice, they definitely were hearing it. 

As an instructor, I can even tell when very young, primary level students, practice: It doesn't matter how simple the piece. As a judge, in many events throughout the years and, at many different levels, I always hear the student's dedication within the first few measures.

There is a sound that comes from regular practice. Everyone has a different name for the sound. It is unmistakeable. I have many students with neurodivergent diagnoses. Some of those parents ask that I enter their children in events without revealing their diagnosis. They want their child mainstreamed as much as possible. These children struggle to perform and memorize the music. However, I always smile when I read the resulting comments. The judges always indicate on their assessments that they can tell the child has consistently worked very hard on the music. That sound always comes through.

I think the most difficult thing for an instructor is when you have to broach the topic of practice with a student and the student (out of fear) does not tell you the truth. Instructors bring up the subject because we want to know how we can help you create a life pattern that will help you practice regularly. 

But, even more disheartening, is when a parent looks you in the eye and tells you a story about their child's regular practice schedule that does not match what you are hearing from the child's performance. This is very concerning, it means that the parent is ignorant, or they are blocking the instructor's attempts at helping their child become a better musician. And in the long run, the parent is giving the child a continued excuse for poor practice.

It is a crucial point when discussions about lack of practice become a regular conversation. Be honest with your instructors. We are here to help you achieve and we want you to be your best.