Cloud of funk

So, my students and I are still walking a little funny after being raped by the judges on Tuesday. Yes, I said raped!

For those not in the know of the band world...we have these contests where we spend months preparing songs just to go get critiqued by some old guys in the back of an auditorium who talk into these handheld recorders (some of them have the things so close to their mouths, you can't even make out what they're saying.)

Usually, these judges are kind of like the original American Idol panel, where there is one that is nice, one that's hard, and then there's that one that is middle of the road.

Well, this year, we got 3 hard judges. When I say hard, I mean that out of roughly 40 bands, then only have out five superior ratings. That isn't the bad part, though.

Some of the best bands in the state are in this area, and they were coming away with IVs and Vs (the lowest ratings you can get). I don't need to tell you the effect that has on one's psyche. Knowing how it affected me to hear how hard they were judging, I didn't even think about telling my kids. They might have totally freaked!

Anyway, so we get there Tuesday and my kids give the best performance they've given ever. They were so excited. As a teacher, it really touches you to see all your hard work come together when it counts.

I was think we might have pulled off a miracle, but in the back of my head, I was contemplating that the judges were about to rip us a new one.

While waiting on the scores, my former students, who were the first to go that day, literally dog piled me as soon as they saw me, which also made my day. Good to know that I'm missed...even if I have no intention of going back to that hell hole of a school.

Anyway, I send the kids out to the bus while I wait...and wait...and wait...and wait, until finally I get the score. III on stage and I in sight reading.

As a director or student, I have yet to get anything less that superior in sight reading! woohoo!

III on stage, though...yikes! That was the highest rating of the day up to that point, and ended up being like the 5th highest score that day.

For those that don't know III= good or average. I dreaded walking out to the bus and telling the kids who thought for sure that at least had a II that we only got a III, but then one of the most respected directors in the area and state came up to me and shook may saying congratulations.

When someone of his caliber comes up to you and congratulates you on a III, and considering how hard these guys were judging, I say take it and move on.

Believe it or not, they were happy with the III, especially after I told them it was the highest rating all day up to that point, but not happy with what the judges had to say. I mean, they literally nitpicked, but I won't go into that. Let's just say they made us assume the position, shall we?

As for my former students...they got a V on stage and IV in sight reading. They e-mailed me like crazy asking/begging me to come back...lol

Anyway, so as we prepare for our trip to San Antonio at the end of April, we are in this slight bit of dead time this week. There is an obvious cloud of funk hanging over us all. Hopefully it'll be gone by next week, when the schedule returns to normal.

Thanks for reading