Well, it is this time of year again. The annual school play. Anna and Josh have been doing this for several years and love it. This year they opened it up to the 2nd graders so Claire and Eliza were thrilled to be able to try out. I say thrilled because after Claire and Eliza's tryouts, Claire came out to the car with her head in her hands and said she did "terrible" and how embarrassing it was. Anna's and Josh's tryouts were 1/2 hour later.
We found out after Claire and Eliza's tryouts that there was a one page script that they were supposed to be practicing with (it was online - and I missed it somehow. Bad Mom! :) So Claire and Eliza basically read the script for their tryout. Anna and Josh had a little time to practice before their tryout time. I said to them about 999 times to talk slower than they think they need to and try to ennunciate (something that doesn't really happen in this household). Most conversations are, "What? I can't understand you. Start over." (Bad Mom! I have not been a good example in ennuniating/ speaking. I talk way too fast and not very clearly.) I am NOT an actor, but I did tell them "funny" will get you noticed. Be "over- dramatic" and then we picked a few actions/body language (eye rolls, preening etc) type things for them to do at certain lines to emphasize the lines and I think they really got it. I heard them practicing later in the little room at school right before it was their time and they were doing great!
In anticipation of tryouts the kids had been practicing songs they knew and wanted to sing for tryouts, but then we found out the night before tryouts that they had to sing "My Country 'tis of Thee" or "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle" the night before. Happy Birthday and Twinkle were "for babies". Unbeknownst to me (Bad Mom again!) my kids don't really know the tune to My Country Tis Of Thee. Well, I take that back - Eliza could sing it, but Claire butchered it completetely. We took a family vote and convinced Claire to stick with "Twinkle" even though she can't pronoune her r's :) Joshua seemed to think the notes went up and down with each word and Anna can't sing that high. Luckily, for Anna, she started out her singing portion one octave too high..........:) A little painful to listen to. It didn't help that right before it was her turn she was practicing in the car and she suddenly thought "sweet land" went down when it was supposed to go up. Then the tears came and we were in "high stress" mode. They stopped Joshua mid song (thankfully) and asked if he had another song he would enjoy singing (or was it "another song THEY would enjoy listening to"), but Joshua doesn't switch gears too quickly. Anna told him to sing "Old Yeller" (the song he had been practicing) but he didn't want to. He just started singing "Twinkle" in quite a high octave as well, but it did sound okay, kind of sweet, from what I could hear out in the hall. Anna told me later that Joshua's face got really red. Oh, the pain of this all!
Joshua came out of practice saying he never wanted to do that again. Anna said they did well with the speaking part, so at least that part turned out okay. I felt really bad like I hadn't prepared my children adequately. I know it was "good" for them, but it also would have been "good" for them to be prepared better and to have done their best. I know it is just the school play, but they put a lot of time into the practices (and I do a lot more driving) and it costs money to participate, so it is nice to have a part that makes it worthwhile. Last year Anna and Josh had fun parts. Josh was a chimney sweep and got to do some fun dances and group singing - I don't think he had any lines. Anna had a few lines and she was a horse and a chimney sweep. Anna was hoping this year since she was in 6th grade she would get a decent part. She is great at memorizing. Usually, you are lucky to get any lines if you aren't the lead because around 100 kids are in the play (including scenery/stage crew).
I think I am more in suspense than they are. I am honestly really disappointed that they didn't do better. I know I am their mom, but I know they could have done better if they didn't get nervous. And had had some voice lesson :) I suppose that is just part of life.
We found out after Claire and Eliza's tryouts that there was a one page script that they were supposed to be practicing with (it was online - and I missed it somehow. Bad Mom! :) So Claire and Eliza basically read the script for their tryout. Anna and Josh had a little time to practice before their tryout time. I said to them about 999 times to talk slower than they think they need to and try to ennunciate (something that doesn't really happen in this household). Most conversations are, "What? I can't understand you. Start over." (Bad Mom! I have not been a good example in ennuniating/ speaking. I talk way too fast and not very clearly.) I am NOT an actor, but I did tell them "funny" will get you noticed. Be "over- dramatic" and then we picked a few actions/body language (eye rolls, preening etc) type things for them to do at certain lines to emphasize the lines and I think they really got it. I heard them practicing later in the little room at school right before it was their time and they were doing great!
In anticipation of tryouts the kids had been practicing songs they knew and wanted to sing for tryouts, but then we found out the night before tryouts that they had to sing "My Country 'tis of Thee" or "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle" the night before. Happy Birthday and Twinkle were "for babies". Unbeknownst to me (Bad Mom again!) my kids don't really know the tune to My Country Tis Of Thee. Well, I take that back - Eliza could sing it, but Claire butchered it completetely. We took a family vote and convinced Claire to stick with "Twinkle" even though she can't pronoune her r's :) Joshua seemed to think the notes went up and down with each word and Anna can't sing that high. Luckily, for Anna, she started out her singing portion one octave too high..........:) A little painful to listen to. It didn't help that right before it was her turn she was practicing in the car and she suddenly thought "sweet land" went down when it was supposed to go up. Then the tears came and we were in "high stress" mode. They stopped Joshua mid song (thankfully) and asked if he had another song he would enjoy singing (or was it "another song THEY would enjoy listening to"), but Joshua doesn't switch gears too quickly. Anna told him to sing "Old Yeller" (the song he had been practicing) but he didn't want to. He just started singing "Twinkle" in quite a high octave as well, but it did sound okay, kind of sweet, from what I could hear out in the hall. Anna told me later that Joshua's face got really red. Oh, the pain of this all!
Joshua came out of practice saying he never wanted to do that again. Anna said they did well with the speaking part, so at least that part turned out okay. I felt really bad like I hadn't prepared my children adequately. I know it was "good" for them, but it also would have been "good" for them to be prepared better and to have done their best. I know it is just the school play, but they put a lot of time into the practices (and I do a lot more driving) and it costs money to participate, so it is nice to have a part that makes it worthwhile. Last year Anna and Josh had fun parts. Josh was a chimney sweep and got to do some fun dances and group singing - I don't think he had any lines. Anna had a few lines and she was a horse and a chimney sweep. Anna was hoping this year since she was in 6th grade she would get a decent part. She is great at memorizing. Usually, you are lucky to get any lines if you aren't the lead because around 100 kids are in the play (including scenery/stage crew).
I think I am more in suspense than they are. I am honestly really disappointed that they didn't do better. I know I am their mom, but I know they could have done better if they didn't get nervous. And had had some voice lesson :) I suppose that is just part of life.
2 comments:
You know My Country Tis of Thee is actually the English National Anthem, right? God Save The King (Or Queen currently). How awesome would that have been if they sang THOSE words instead of My Country Tis of Thee? I'd have cheered.
Don't feel too guilty, I'm sure your kids don't hold their level of preparation against you.
Thanks Molly!!! Now that might have been interesting if they sang God Save the King - esp if they had a British accent! Maybe you could teach it to them and we'll kill two birds with one stone :)
Post a Comment