Just popping in for some free counseling from the CC Music Forum Support Group . . . .
Are any other parents of HS seniors as nervous as I am about this whole audition process? As my daughter heads into auditions there are days when my wife and I feel “she’s extremely talented, so of course she’ll be successful”. Then there are the nights when we wake up in a cold sweat to thoughts of “what if she doesn’t get in ANYWHERE”.
Hopefully there will be some good options by April. Ugh.
Sending virtual hugs to all those going through this right now. I am a HS Junior parent, and I am already starting to feel like this, thanks to the effort to attempt to narrow down the list of potential schools and trying to figure out the approximate reach/match/“safety” categories. Best of luck to all!
All I can say is that if you are going to fail be sure to fail BIG! Put it all on the line including your heart and your pride. Because worse than the big fail, are the tiny “what ifs”. What if I had just… I put it in my mind that we were going for it hard. Damn the results. I also told my D we would deal with “disaster” when it happened but NOT before.
Good luck! It’ll get worse before it gets better. But go BIG!
@sopranosings Glad I’m not the only one – afraid it was just me. My daughter seems rather calm about this all, too, but she’s a little nervous about her first one this weekend.
DesignDad, I know once they are looking at grad. schools they are more independent but we are still helping with travel arrangements plus you still have the emotional involvement of it all. And then there are the summer program auditions and applications on top of this. An expensive time for sure. Best of luck to all and good thoughts for good weather for those auditioning in areas that tend to get a lot of snow.
@DesignDad Sorry for saying worse!! I just meant that during the audition process you have something to do. Afterwards, the waiting can be a real killer. For undergrad, my D did get an earlier acceptance so it really took the edge off. For grad, we were stuck waiting particularly on money. And yes, grad school is easier for parents but like said above you can’t help but be emotional involved in your kids’ triumphs and defeats. All will be good…but it’s quite the ride.
Yes - Feel exactly that way!! DD and DH much more calm and confident about the whole process than I am. Was a nervous wreck last week since we didn’t have ANY pre-screen results come back until late last Friday. Watching the pre-screen thread is both a blessing and a curse. Know what I mean? I guess we all better get used to this and just trust that everything works out the way it’s supposed to. My plan is intense YOGA during the month of March, especially the end of March!!
I was in your shoes five years ago… And I am again (sort of) in them as DD applies to grad schools. This forum is a great resource for collective parental angst. The virtual hugs helped/helps the nail biting agony of waiting for the mailman or email to arrive.
My words of wisdom are to remember that the path to a vocal performance career is a very long road. Focus on choosing a school that will provide a teacher who will instill good technique, language classes, music theory and stage experience (not necessarily roles until upperclassmen, if at all) where one can learn the art and discipline of being a performer. Of course, all this at an affordable price. Don’t go into debt for an undergrad degree when advanced schooling is almost a certainty. My DD did not pass the prescreening at her number 1 choice as an ug, and it was a blessing because it took the emotion out of the equation. At auditions, she was looking for the best fit. She was able to objectively rank her acceptances and chose a small LAC with conservatory with a nice academic scholarship. The small environment allowed for the peaks and valleys of her vocal growth including a fach change, with supportive teachers and coaches. Her path has had ups, and downs, and bends we never expected. If she doesn’t get in to a grad program with sufficient funding this year, she will take a gap year or two. She has three great private teachers to choose from. There are great teachers everywhere, not just at the big name schools.
The bottom line is this audition season is not the end-all, be-all of your student’s career. It really helps to take the long view. I can see that now as a seasoned parent. I wish I had for her high school audition season. There are many options, many paths, and of course many years in front of you. Enjoy these opportunities to travel with your child, explore new places, and meet new people.
Wishing you and your students calm spirits to perform their best, good weather, and an abundance of good health !