Lessons learned and chances taken

My child is more mature than me.  I was bent out of shape.  Even her Administrator seemed bent out of shape.  I even heard that the judge who loved her was bent out of shape.  But my daughter took it all at face value.  She's so professional.

One judge thought the sun rose in the morning when my daughter awoke.  The other... was non-plussed.

So why would one person give a perfect score, and the other a.... meh.

According to my child, we have to remember that they were both not judging her at the same time.  That meant there were variations in the performance. She felt that the first time, the time with the judge that was not impressed, it was 8am in the morning.  Her voice was still groggy.  Maybe, like the judge said, her diction was not as clear.  Also, she was more put together, wearing a blazer and losing the distracting leggings that had been peeking out from under her skirt.  Plus she felt that she stammered in her introduction of the piece the first time.  Maybe first impressions really do mean everything... to some people.

Then there are chances taken.  "In the Sweat", by Naomi Wallace is a risky piece.  First, it was written in 1997.  This is a classical crowd, and the person who ultimately won did a classic piece.  Then there is the subject matter.  This play deals with racism, homophobia, and violence.  This crowd prefers something more spiritual.  Then there's the fact that it was more of a monologue than a dramatic narrative (the line between the two is very fuzzy, in my opinion).

So she took her chances, hoping to at least get noticed this time, and she did... she really did.  That may be better than winning the acting prize.  And so, my child is OK with it.   I'll be OK with it too... eventually.


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Finishing up our trip

As I sit in the student lounge I reflect back on the week of competition at (a school who's name I won't mention). And try to put it all in perspective.

My daughter took 2nd place in mixed media art which was a surprise seeing that art is hardly her major talent.  At least it is not something she focuses on. But this time it looks like the concept she had in her head actually worked out on paper (the 20th time) and that the concept was clearly well thought out and executed. Being an artist myself, who is yet to win a prize in a juried competition, I am very proud of her.

That being said, I am bothered by the mixed messages that we are getting in the areas where she is truly talented. To be pulled aside by a judge who heaped praises upon praises on her, yet she didn't even make the finals is troubling to me.  Makes me realize that taste and subject matter are often more important than flawless execution and that makes me sad. It also makes me realize that I need to closely scrutinize the colleges we are looking at because I fear for her self esteem.


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Homeschoolers and The Arts

 We returned from North Carolina last night after attending the CITA (Christians in the Theatre Arts) Secondary School Theatre Festival.  Our homeschool program (Artios) and four or five others theater and musical performances of all types.  There was so much talent there, I could hardly contain myself.  All of the kids in our group got excellent or superior ratings in one or more of their performances including my daughter who got excellent ratings in both her musical solo and her group scene.  One girl in our group got a best of her category award.  Of course, I am very proud. My daughter has done performances and been in plays before, but this is the first time she has been up against such as huge number of other talented performers!  I am very proud of her performances.  ...And she is already looking for theater pieces to perform next year. 

While the school we visited over the weekend (where the event was held) had a tremendous drama and arts departments with probably 1000 costumes, 50 wigs, and hundreds of instruments, I have to say that I think that our homeschoolers have the advantage of being able to follow and focus on their passions and make the arts a large part of their homeschooling experience.

Think about it.  The kids at the festival certainly blew our minds with their level of skill and their talents.  Our students however, held their own even though and were able to compete at the same level even though they don't get daily attention from directors and teachers as the other students do.   Our kids' talents are truly driven by their own passion for the arts and lots of independent study.  While they may only have a few hours a week to hone their skills with an expert in their field, their results are still up to par with those who have an instructor 5 days a week, plus the access to all the instruments, costumes, and venues for performing that they desire.
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