Monday, November 6, 2017

Conor's Audition Recap

A number of weeks ago, Conor's school music teacher asked me if Conor would be interested in auditioning for the NW Boys Choir. I said we didn't know anything about it, so she sent information about the program to me and we set up an audition for him.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was really torn about the idea of the choir. On one hand, I knew he'd really enjoy it because of his love for music. On the other hand, it had rehearsals 2x per week in the U. District starting at 4:30 (hello, rush hour traffic) and would disrupt my work schedule and I wasn't convinced he has hit the maturity level needed for this type of group. I had more than one sleepless night trying to figure out how it would work out and my stress level climbed at the thought of it all. On the other hand (how many hands do I have??), I felt guilty putting my stress ahead of his potential growth.

Ready for his audition


Fast forward to Saturday. Conor's audition lasted 10-ish minutes and the man who ran the audition was lovely. He obviously is a natural with kids and was highly encouraging and positive with Conor. The audition began with Conor singing a song of his choice. He was then asked to repeat (clap) rhythms that he heard. Finally, he was asked to repeat one of two notes played simultaneously on the piano. Conor did a lovely job with his song and nailed the rhythms. He struggled with the portion of the audition where he needed to hear and then repeat a note. Because of this, he wasn't invited back for a callback; instead, he was encouraged to try again in 6-12 months. Sometimes this skill can still develop with practice; we aren't sure if he simply doesn't have this skill figured out yet or if his recent double ear infection and fluidy ears impacted his ability to hear the notes.

We are so proud of Conor for putting himself out there and taking a chance. Did he made the choir? No. Did he have fun? Yes. Did he try something new? Yes. Did he take a risk? Yes. Did he get a little reminder that life doesn't always go your way? Yes. Does he care that he didn't make the choir? Nope! (Is my stress level reduced? YES! Selfishly, I'm glad the choir people made the decision for us... it rids me of some mom guilt.) 😃

Way to go, kiddo!!



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