| Yeah. I've had kids reduce themselves to tears at times. I try to remind them about what they did well, what I found went well or some specific aspect of their playing that is a strength. And even though they are thinking to themselves "Yeah. You're just saying that to cheer me up", it leaves them thinking about their strengths. As much as we would like to, we can't let the kid try again, or the whole audition process would be suspect and lacking truth and real world basis. (How many candidates, students or otherwise, do tremendously well, but don't percieve they played their best?)
It is mostly the teacher's and the parents and freinds of the student who need to remind them that they are not a failure because they blew the high C at the end of the Kennan or crashed and burned on the Turrin Caprice. It is our job as adjudicators to provide them with feedback on their playing, and see through the mistakes and nervous issues to the real musician within, and reflect back to the performer what we hear, and make some positive comments for continued growth.
A little breif conversation before hand and a touch of light humour usually helps relax the student a bit. (If it's a piece I'm really familiar with, I try not to let that on...I don;t want to make the kid more nervous than he/she already is). Don't know how things work in MN, but here we have a three part performance: scales, solo and sight reading. Most soloists seem to benefit from doing them in that order, in my experience. Scales loosen the student up a bit. I usually let the younger ones pick their first one; that way they start off with something they feel strong on. Sometimes that backfires and the kid is either thrown off by that or tries to pick their hardest one to try and impress me, but usually they pick one they know and seem to relax a bit when they nail it.
It is a learning experience. Every time the horn comes out is a learning experience, be it a clarinet, flute, pair of sticks or whatever. All of us here know that; most kids know that, too.
I guess what it all boils down to is this: I try to console them as best I can with positive comments, and always thank every student for performing. I hate the situation, too. Especially when tears start falling. That breaks my heart.
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-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting |