<p>After sitting through 6 years of middle school band concerts with my oldest two, I was relieved that the youngest chose not to continue an instrument when he hit middle school. All of those middle school bands and orchestras playing in a single concert made for an extremely long night! I hear the band director has now wised up and divided up the groups, so none of the concerts are longer than 60 minutes. </p>
<p>Now, if I could just do something about those piano recitals … I love listening to the more advanced students play, but the 90 minutes of beginners that go first are tedious. (Maybe its just our teacher has too many beginners and not enough intermediate and advanced players)</p>
<p>No sympathies. 5 kids, staggered at 3 1/2 year intervals. All in band, orchestra, plays, chorus in all sorts of venues. I cannot begin to count up the hours I have spent in a theatre or watching some sport or awaiting a kid at some activity.</p>
<p>My D’s high school had no band, orchestra or choir. They focused on solo voice and theater only so I loved the recitals and I loved the plays. She was in a local audition-only children’s chorus and I miss those concerts. Even the little ones were wonderful and the older ensembles were spectacular so the concerts were real treats and always sold out. I miss them all, but still get to go to performances at her college.</p>
<p>Okaaay, some of you are way nicer people than I am, apparently! I normally do enjoy these concerts, but yesterday was a bit much. There are a lot of extremely talented kids in these programs and many are in more than one ensemble, so separating the groups would be a hardship for them. I hold the teachers responsible for respecting the audience enough not to make attending an endurance contest. Some people have younger children to get to bed and many of the participants can’t drive themselves.</p>
<p>I love school concerts. My daughter played violin a number of orchestras and I loved listening to her and to the other kids, including the jazz and other ensembles. Reason: real kids playing music as best they can. I know a lot of professional musicians and there’s something extremely real about kids playing.</p>
<p>IMHO that goes for high school sports as well. Fine when they were happening but sure glad we are done with that now. So nice to have one’s life back.</p>
<p>So, you went to check on how your daughter’s studying was going during a high school concert and you think the issue to address is school concerts? Sheesh.</p>
<p>Wow, you parents are way too involved with your kids’ lives. It almost seems like you’re too supportive and that your kids rely on you more than they should.</p>
<p>I have the flu and it’s opening night of the school musical! So here I am staring at CC, missing all the fun! Yes, I’d rather be at the show. It’s the music teachers’ job to organize and make these events a pleasure-- ours always are. (NOT the case in elementary school!) Combined choruses, orchestra, band, jazz band in 90 minutes-- I was disappointed when the last one ended. The teachers do NOT blather on, the kids get to shine, the whole community comes together. I guess if my kid wasn’t excited it wouldn’t matter so much…but…I love them, probably because the school does it all so well.</p>
<p>Just4…you think we’re “too involved” because we enjoy attending our kids’ music programs? I view it as being supportive of my kids’ efforts and the efforts of the ensemble directors. And I happen to love hearing live music.</p>
<p>Try being a baseball mom. 3-4 games a week (2-3 hours each) from April until mid June and then summer ball 5-6 nights per week from mid June until August. Being a music mom sounds like a piece of cake. :p</p>
<p>I’ve discouraged my parents from going to my school orchestra concerts for a while now. They’ve become more tolerable over time due to changes in how the concert schedule worked, but I still tell them that the concerts really aren’t that interesting (they aren’t, particularly this year). They do go to my local youth orchestra concerts, which are much more interesting.</p>
<p>I know many parents here will think I’m crazy.</p>
<p>I’m not a swim mom but I think that is the worst. I was a horse mom and that is close. I loved it but it was grueling and those critters have the nerve to want to be taken care of - every single day.</p>
<p>I don’t think your crazy. We attend what we are asked to attend, it’s up to our son.</p>
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<p>Yes, this! I always love to see my son perform but a few of the dance recitals we attended involved a need for protein bars and water…for the audience! Horrid. Yes, we stay until the bitter end because we don’t have younger children but I don’t blame those who hit the road once we got past the 90 minutes mark.</p>
<p>I do have a soft heart for children’s and teens performances. I love to go to my friend’s kids stuff. Gosh, they just try so hard, don’t they?</p>
<p>just4ivaylo, You brought a smile to me with the charge of “too supportive.” I’ve never been accuse of that and it’s rather nice, really. Of course, the result of being supportive and nurturing with children is that they typically grow into very independent adults, as my son has.</p>
<p>Wow, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this remark. I can’t imagine criticism for parents who attended performances and sports events that their kids are in! We went to all the events our kids were in. Not only do I think that is the job of parents, but we also wanted to be there. It has nothing to do with our kids “relying on us”. They don’t need a parent to watch but they surely feel supported to know that parents are very interested and care to see the outcome of their hard work on a performance or to see them compete in a sporting event. In my view, parents should be there. I honestly feel sorry for the kids whose parents do not support their events. Our kids are not relying on us but I’m sure they feel great knowing we attended. And now that they are older (and very very independent, thank you very much), they love that we will travel to come see all their performances, sporting events, museum exhibits, etc. That’s what parents are for. If your parents don’t support your endeavors, who will? </p>
<p>~~Signed a mom who has attended thousands of sports events in several sports, hundreds of theater productions, hundreds of music concerts and recitals, dance performances, exhibits, etc. and loved every minute and have clapped and cheered. (and have been thanked in several playbills by my kid for being there)</p>
<p>Maybe this is a family value thing. My kids also had two sets of grandparents who have traveled many miles (live in different states) to attend many of the events and performances of the grandkids. Even next week, my in-laws who are in their 80s are driving 3 1/2 hours to see an exhibit my 23 year old has opening at a museum in NYC (we are traveling six hours to see it). They attend many performances of our kids who are not even little anymore. My parents always did too and I am sad that my parents have died in recent years because now they are missing all these events and performances my kids are in and they would have loved to have been there and my kids would have loved that support too.</p>
<p>The idea that a kid would not want their parents to be there is strange to me. A couple of weeks ago, I was in NYC to see my 21 year old perform her original songs in a solo gig in a well known venue and it is six hours from home for us. Before one of her songs, she announced to the audience that her parents were there and dedicated a song to us. Ya see, it really does mean a lot.</p>
<p>I love supporting young musicians. Now that D is older and friends with other musicians around the country, we have opened our house to any of her friends who are
Los Angeles for auditions. We have hosted Soprano’s, Tenors, concert pianists, oboists etc etc, …I just love hearing them practice before their trip down town to the Music Center. One of our young friends has just signed a major opera contract and will “hook us up” with tickets. But alterior motives aside…we just love listening to young people explore music.
D has a small studio of 9 students. She attends all of their concerts and gets a great sense of personal achievement when she hears them sing well.I like to think we had something to do with that. All thanks to “over involvement”.</p>