Diary of a Wimpy Parent, Part 2

Thursday evening was Cassie's first middle school concert.  This really wasn't such a big deal for us.  Cassie has had the good fortune of being exposed to the violin for several years now.  (A synonym for "good fortune" would be "parents who are willing to commit time and money.")  She takes private violin lessons and plays in the county's youth orchestra.  However, we had laid plans a week in advance in order to make it to the middle school by 6:15 p.m.  Last Saturday, when we made the menu for the week, we scheduled leftovers for Thursday.  Then, we sacrificed "parent's night at the ballet studio" to attend the concert.  And, it was just a little bit of a big deal because the orchestra director had asked Cassie to sit as the first chair for the concert.  Yeah, I'll admit, a little parental pride was seeping out. After all, there are probably  over 60 kids in the orchestra.  So, Thursday evening at 5:55 p.m., we were out the door and flaps up, headed for the school.
 
When describing my husband, "patient" is not one of the first adjectives that comes to mind.  Imagine how much fun we all had waiting in a line of cars to enter the parking lot and then joining the massing throng outside the locked school doors!  Did I mention that this was concert night for both the band and the orchestra?  But, oh, it just got better!  When the doors opened, we bid Cassie goodbye and good luck and joined the herd that was jostling its way down the hallway.  We arrived in the gymnasium and momentary paralysis struck.  There were two distinct groups of chairs arrayed for the students with corresponding sets of bleachers - one set up on the left side of the gym and the other on the right.  Oh no!!  Was the orchestra on the right or left.  One parent loped across the gym and out the back door, in search of a knowing teacher.  He promptly returned and bellowed, "Band left!! Orchestra right!!"

It would have been great to have an aerial view of what happened next.  We all became like fish going after food newly sprinkled in an aquarium.  When the water settled, we found ourselves in the second row of the audience, across from the center of the orchestra chairs.   Not bad.  But wait - just as we were taking off our coats the people in front of us got up and moved.  Poor suckers.  In their rush to claim front row seats, they had not realized they were on the wrong side of the gym. Now, they were going from the front row to standing room only.  Across the gym a newly arrived family had also seen the front row seats.  Should we politely walk to the end of the row and then around to the front row?  But, if we didn't get those seats, we'd be left standing.  The only solution was to vault over the chairs in front of us.  That is what we did, just as the other family arrived.  Each family ended up with three chairs.  Phew!

I checked the time.  It was 6:10.  The concert was supposed to go from 6:30 to 8:30.  I turned to help Lacey with her book.  Around 6:40, the performers began to enter the gym.  They eventually all found chairs and began waving to their families.  This was fun for awhile.  Lacey chatted with Cassie and took a number of photos.  Around 6:55, Les reminded me that the concert was supposed to have started at 6:30.  The orchestra director, along with a helper from the elementary school, began tuning the students' instruments.  Meanwhile, similar activities were taking place on the band side of the gym.  Around 7:10, the director instructed the first two rows of students to stand up.  Were they finally going to begin?  Why did the kids all look so angry?  The standing students then walked to the back of the gym.  What was going on?  Around 7:20 about a dozen students filed in carrying their instruments.  They were instructed to sit in the now vacant front seats.  We continued to wait.

At 7:30, we were finally welcomed by a disembodied male voice.  Let the music begin!  The director then took the microphone and explained that the first performers were those children who had just started in orchestra this school year.  She moved to the front of the group and, without a microphone, began asking the kids a series of questions about their instruments.  As the kids pointed to the parts of their violins, the band audience had no idea what was going on and continued to talk. 

Frustrated , the director turned and faced the band audience with one hand on her hip and said quietly, "I'll wait."  The band parents couldn't hear her and continued to talk.  Les stood up and said, "Lady, if you're frustrated, how do you think we feel?"  Actually, he whispered something that wasn't nearly as polite to me.  Eventually, the band parents glanced over and understood from the director's body language to zip it up.  The kids made their way through a few short pieces and amid great applause headed for the back of the gym.  Cassie and company returned and got ready to play.  But, wait, it was the band's turn. Only, guess what?  There were only enough music stands for one group of performers.  So, the 50 or so band members stood up, walked over to the orchestra, and picked up all the music stands.  The entire delegation of orchestra parents groaned.  And, we did it in unison, without a director!

Of course, the band director spoke without a microphone too.  We really tried to be polite.  But, we could only see the backs of some of the band players.  That made it hard to know what they were doing.  I guess I was getting tired because when I realized that they were actually playing a number and not just warming up I started laughing uncontrollably.  Catching Cassie's eye didn't help in the least.  

Just as I was regaining control of myself, the orchestra director returned and reminded the audience that they were a little short on music stands.  She then told the students to go over to the band and retrieve their music stands.  The entire delegation of orchestra parents again groaned in unison because they were calculating what it would cost to replace their children's smashed instruments.  Finally, the orchestra played.  And, for a group of sixth graders with limited experience, they did a beautiful job.

Now, it was time for the jazz band.  Only guess what?  They needed music stands.  So, all the jazz band members made their way over to the orchestra to retrieve the music stands.  The band director had managed to find a wireless microphone and we understood that the jazz band members practiced entirely on their own time.  These kids were pretty good!  Perhaps knowing that escape was near, the entire orchestra side of the gym relaxed.  Parents and students alike swayed to the music.  Several dozen students flipped their violins over in their laps and began drumming on the backs of their instruments.  The concert ended with roaring applause.

Participation in some form of music is mandatory for middle school students.  During the 2.5 hours we spent in the school gym, Les and I had plenty of time to discuss the merits of Cassie's participation in the school orchestra.  As we watched eager parents videotaping the entire production, we agreed that this is the only exposure to music some children will ever have.  And, it's really very wonderful that the county has the funds to offer music to all these students.  Then, Cassie has a lot of friends in orchestra.  This is extremely important for an 11 year old girl.  Finally, the chairs at the middle school are much more comfortable than the under-sized chairs at the elementary school!