Managing Students (and parents) During Audition Season

Friends- as you know, managing students and their parents during audition season can be one of the most taxing aspects of our job. By no means do I have this figured out, and in fact, dealt with some challenges on this front just this week, but I have learned some proactive expectations to put in place over the years that have helped reduce some of the stressors. The following is an email that I send in some form each year after having talked about these tenets with the students in an ongoing way. I hope you find this helpful:

Hello, LH Band Students and Parents-

We have reached the time of year when the release of audition results for everything from band placements to leadership positions is imminent. In many ways, this is an exciting time of year, full of promise for continued growth and investment in the program and the amazing experiences to come. This is especially true this year as there is an unprecedented amount of interest in leadership positions, with a staggering 71 students attending the initial informational meeting; an incredible indication of the health of the program, and the highest number in many years, if not ever. Unfortunately, this higher level of interest and students auditioning also means, by definition, more students will finish the process without the result they were pursuing. As with all facets of our program, we want to include handling all possible outcomes, including ones that elicit disappointment, in healthy ways. For this reason, we encourage every student in our program, with the support of their parents, to process audition results in the following ways:

Did you earn the result you were hoping for?

• If the answer is “yes”, understand that it is likely that close friends of yours will not be excited about their results. With that in mind:

• Accept your success with humility and without any form of boasting.

• Check on the well-being of those you suspect may be disappointed. Acknowledge their efforts and how valuable they are to the team.

• Don’t act as if you feel sorry for them; just be a great listener and be their friend.

• If the answer is “no”, work through these questions and ideas with yourself:

• Was my audition my best work? If yes, is it possible someone with whom I was competing had a stronger audition than me?

• Did I seek feedback on my audition preparation BEFORE my audition? If not, is it possible there could have been areas for improvement in my audition I didn’t know about?

• If I feel good about all aspects of my audition and I feel sure I was stronger than someone who received the position/placement I wanted (this is a legitimate feeling), I understand that I need to, once in a calm and rational state, visit with the directors about where my audition stood and why the outcome turned out as it did.

• I understand that it is detrimental to the health of the team to tear down those who may have received a position I wanted or the directors.

• I am disappointed in my results and have honestly worked through the process above, but I have unanswered questions and want more information. Now what:

• Wait 48 hours to request a meeting with the directors. This is an expectation for students and their parents. It is difficult to have a productive, open-minded conversation while at the height of one’s disappointment, thus the 48-hour waiting period.

• Audition debriefs must be initiated by the student before a request is made by a parent. Once the student has met with the directors to review their audition, a parent meeting is possible if necessary after the student has received feedback.

• Go forward with the best interest of the team in mind. You wouldn’t have auditioned in the first place if you didn’t hope for great things for the band program, so keep this at the forefront of your mind and focus on enjoying every second you get to make music and memories with your friends and teammates.

Thanks, and we hope you are enjoying a great weekend!