Post by bandisjoy on Aug 30, 2022 7:57:20 GMT -6
What are your thoughts on this? I'll share the source and then my comments.
Source - post from Lindsey Vento Facebook page link:
Before I post my real thoughts and feelings, it should be shared that I have zero personal connection to the situation. My children don't go to this school, I do nothing with the concert bands at this school, I have no dog in this fight.
OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT AS EDUCATORS WE SHOULD BE ABOUT KIDS. FIRST. PERIOD. NO EXCEPTIONS. DONE.
I've recently learned that the students at Grain Valley HS will not be able to audition for district band (the obvious pre-requisite to All State Band) because they have chosen to give their students the Grand Nationals marching band experience, which happens to be the same weekend. For further info, not all districts audition on the same weekend...they are the unlucky ones.
The West Central president, and the full board for that matter, have turned down all requests a d suggestions to allow these students an audition. No virtual option. No date change. Nothing.
My two biggest issues are (and there are more...but..):
1. You are not about kids. Plain and simple. If you really were you as an EDUCATOR would want nothing more than to allow students this opportunity. The students didn't choose the dates. They didn't know to email you earlier. They simply count on the adults to be adults and care for them
2. Your biggest issue and roadblock is you are against the notion that marching band could or should ever be considered an important piece of music education. If I had the time, I could give you 1,112 examples of how the marching arts has ALSO assisted in making better musicians, but most importantly, making better people. Heaven forbid we adjust a concert band event for a marching event. The horror.....
Ms. President and board, be angry with the band director. Be mad at the adults. Be frustrated that this is even a situation. I get it. I've been in leadership roles for over two decades, and in education for 24 years, and I've had to make the tough calls that benefit kids over "sticking to how it's always been". However, you need to understand that your refusal to adjust and alter the situation for kids, some kids who have taken lessons for years, could be a senior and this is their last chance to get to sit in that All State band and GROW and become the best musician they can be, is life altering. Scholarship altering. And honestly, you are teaching them a lesson is lack of empathy, lack of understanding, lack of care, and teaching them how educators SHOULDN'T BE.
I am sick to my stomach over this entire thing, and you better believe if it was my own son, who will be auditioning for district band in another district, there would be far more than a FB post.
Kids first, your opinions second. Kids first, then have a separate meeting with the band director and show your anger second. Kids first. Period.
This isn't a family wedding conflict. This isn't a volleyball tournament. This isn't homecoming. THIS IS ANOTHER MUSIC ACTIVITY. WAKE UP.
I am embarrassed that Missouri has made such little progress where the respect and understanding of all of the arts are concerned. Thankfully MBA tries really, really hard, and I know in this instance, the majority of MBA, most importantly its president is in agreement with my stance. Because a leader and an educator is about kids first, and he is a real leader.
MMEA, you've got so far to go. To those who have made this decision, I do hope this post sits with you for a long time, and that you think about your own students and how they would feel and react and the tears they would shed when you had to tell them their 2022 district band and all state band dreams were crushed....by adults. It wasn't the schedule that crushed it...you could make a call. You could adjust. You could allow it to be virtually done.
(It should also be noted that I work with bands in a dozen states, and NOT ONE has this conflict. Not one. Take notes, MMEA, West Central District. You may not know it all)
THIS POST IS PUBLIC FOR A REASON. PLS SHARE. LETS FIGHT FOR THESE KIDS.
Both events are almost always the same weekend - auditions are always in person (except for a year or two during Covid they were virtual so there is a now mechanism for that). It would seem that by simply allow the school to audition virtually with these constraints, a happy medium could exist:
1. The audition must take place BEFORE the actual in-person date
2. The student only gets ONE RECORDED take - no re-dos and selecting the best run
3. The recording is performed by an independent party and/or proctored by a member of the WCMMEA to ensure the veracity of #2
4. Any judge must be able to focus only on what's happening in the audition, not whether it is in-person or virtual. If a judge cannot do this anyway, they probably shouldn't be a judge.
Is "too bad, so sad" a proper solution? Any other ideas how to reach a compromise? Has this been solved in other states/districts? Care to weigh in with the WCMMEA directly? link
