small rant - non-wood working related

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RogerGarrett

RogerGarrett

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Bloomington, Illinois, USA.
Two complaints today - and I'm sharing to get them off my chest and then to see reactions [}:)][}:)];);)

Both of my sons played at solo and ensemble contest today. They were scheduled for 8:46 and 8:54 AM in the same room (for piano solo). We let the boys out of the van before we parked, had arrived 10 minutes early, spent 6 minutes finding the room (it was mismarked - and the signs were wrong), we were 1 minute before the first child was to perform, and we were barred from entering the room to hear son #1 play his solo. Why? Because the judge was ahead of schedule and asked Phil to play early. This was in a HUUUUUUUUUUUGE auditorium, and no one but the judge was in the room WAAAAAAAAAAAAY down at the front of the HUUUUUUUGGGGE auditorium. :(

You pay for piano lessons, you pay for the music, you pay the school for the extra fees associated with being in orchesra, you pay the fee for him to participate, and they bar you from hearing him because you are on time and they wanted to begin early because SOMEONE ELSE cancelled? [B)]


Second issue......

Prior to the contest, the high school orchestra teacher tells son #1 that he couldn't play a trio (eg. Mozart Trio for Piano, Clarinet, and Viola) with his clarinetist friend and an adult accompanist because the piece involved using an adult to play the piano part - and it is a trio with the piano part being an equal part (compared to a solo with accompaniment). Then we get to the contest and find other trios playing (eg. Brahms Trio for Viola, Cello, and Piano) with an adult accompanist. [xx(]

*Sigh*

They both did very well - played piano and their separate string solos with good results. But - I would rather have been in the shop turning this morning. I guess there is always the afternoon.

Best,
Roger Garrett
 
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Just remember, it's not about your son's, it's about them.[:(!] Strange stuff in the world. I went to get my blood drawn on Thursday morning and got there at 9:30am. Forty Five minutes of waiting later at 10:15am, they tell me that one test cannot be done as it has to be taken between 8:00am and 10:00am. I said "What is there something that happens to the body between 8 and 10?" She says it's an am test. I said it's still am. She says it has to between 8 and 10. I said we are back to my first question, Is there something that the body goes through between 8 and 10, that it has to be then?" She says you have to come back tomorrow. I grabbed my papers and stormed out of there. I was already irritated as I had not eaten since 10pm the day before. Lots of frustrating things out there. Like why do we drive on a PARKWAY and park on a DRIVEWAY. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
 
School administrators can get very weird at times. When our children were in school (we had a late in life child, meaning close to 30 years straight of a child in school) there were many times choking and neck breaking of administrators were uppermost on my mind.
I empathize with your heartbreak and frustration. If you want, I'll give you the phone number for my cousin, Rocco in Chicago. He is a good problem solver. [;)]
 
I can see their point of not letting you enter <b>if</b> you had been late but like you said you were not late. Frank if you've got the number handy, I could use Rocco to talk to a couple baseball umpires. [:D]
 
Ah, the joys of public and or private schools. Just one of many reasons we homeschool our youngest!
 
Roger, as a public school teacher of 31 years I can feel your pain. Sometimes we get so hung up on rules that we shoot ourselves in the foot. It is really frustrating to be on this end when you are trying to enforce rules made by someone that doesn't deal with kids directly- like school boards and state legislatures. Not sure if any of this was the case this time but I needed to vent a little frustration of my own. Sounds like you have some talented kids and I am glad you are supporting them in their pursuit of their goals, if all parents were like you our job would definitely be more enjoyable (regardless of these judges).

Greg- don't want to start a discussion of public vs. homeschool here, we obviously both feel strongly on opposite sides here, but . . . if you are in a home school of one student I would agree that judging and contests would be not be an issue. If they do enter a contest then judging and misinterpretation of rules would be an issue regardless of where they are schooled. I won't begin to say that public schools don't have their share of problems but homeschooling won't fix power-hungry judges unless you just don't enter contests like this.
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952
<br />Good thing about home-schooling is that your kid is guaranteed to be valedictorian of their class! [;)]
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But your kid is also "last" in his/her class.[:D]

My son played a trumpet solo in a middle school festival when he was in 7th grade. The piano was so far out of tune that the only way he could have played in tune with it was if I had taken a hacksaw to his horn. The judge graded him down for not playing in tune with the out of tune piano. His band director and I were both enraged and my son was absolutely crushed.
 
What is it about musicians!![}:)][;)]

Just kidding Roger. My daughter is playing (violin) in a contest/festival this Saturday and is allowed a classical guitar accompanyment (me). I guess in some circles it's OK. I am probably 10 times more nervous than my daughter cuz I always have performed in quartets or larger orchestras and bands in the past where I don't have most of the attention. I'm afraid I'll screw it up for my daughter.[:0][:(]
 
Originally posted by Hemibee
<br />I can see their point of not letting you enter <b>if</b> you had been late but like you said you were not late. Frank if you've got the number handy, I could use Rocco to talk to a couple baseball umpires. [:D]
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He doesn't use words to deliver his message. [:0][;)]
 
OK .... Roger, I feel your pain. But, look at it this way ..... it's another one of life's important lessons for your kids. I'd bet that all of us, on an almost daily basis, experience something during the work day that just doesn't go our way or the way we expected. But, we cope and adjust. I know the feeling of wanting to kick somebody's butt, but life doesn't work that way. You learn to get along. Today was an important learning experience for your two children. Of course it was frustrating and a disappointment. But, that's how life works. Know what I mean?
Learning experiences .... they're a part of life. [:)]
 
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