Tonight, twelve seniors are performing their senior concertos with the Philharmonic. Kevin is there, performing with the orchestra. He’s not performing a concerto. I’ve told him that I wasn’t going; I’m still plenty pissed off about the whole sequence that has led to today that being there would just leave me stewing about it for 2 plus hours. Kevin understands.
I have told Kevin that I will make my unhappiness about this known to his teacher; he has asked me not to. I have compromised and said that I will wait until after he graduates to send that missive off.
So, what happened?
In every other year that I am aware of, there are senior concertos. They have stretched over two nights at times and various seniors play with the Freshman Orchestra, the Concert Orchestra, and the Philharmonic Orchestra. Everyone who wants to do one got to do one and often, individuals would choose different instruments (I am specifically thinking of the ones I heard when Lisa from Germany was here…two piano and one voice).
But the new director, he changed all that. He didn’t want the Freshman and Concert Orchestras playing and since the trip to Germany is now in the Spring performers would be limited. And, as I think I’ve said here before, the ‘audition’ for that was solo and ensemble and fairly or unfairly, Kevin got a II and by the director’s criteria, well, that was that.
Kevin did follow-up as it seemed to be unfair that solely by one judge his chance was over; I think the discussion dragged on and eventually Kevin was offered the chance to just play by himself with an accompanist. And he was going to do this until he figured out he would be the only one doing it……and thought that would be more embarrassing than anything else.
I’ve seen the list of musicians who are playing tonight. I know there are many who are incredibly gifted and well deserve their spots. I know there are more than a few who have tried and tried to make an All-State orchestra and not made it.
I remember the night last year, after the senior concertos had concluded, when Kevin and I sat out in the sun room on the computer and typed ‘viola concerto’ into Youtube….and we spend almost two hours listening to different pieces and tried to figure out if a) he liked it (there weren’t many he liked and b) if the concerto was something he could play. Out of that came the surprise purchase of the John Williams viola concerto for him; he likes it but it is too hard, he can’t play it. And the amount of time he has spent practicing the piece he did choose; in vain as it turns out…because the solo and ensemble performance was, well, I don’t know what it was, let’s just say it wasn’t to the judges liking and leave it at that. And he’ll never play it with the orchestra.
Will write my letter in early June. Maybe three years from now some orchestra player won’t get hosed like Kevin did. Maybe six years from now Matthew won’t get hosed (he’ll be in the same boat…..senor year German trip, assuming he keeps playing).
