Today Just Wasn't Our Families Day - Sad But True

I gave Princess Five horrible advice. I didn't know any better and should have done more research. 

Our schools Sterling Scholar advisor is Princess One's age and really don't know anything about it and the Music teacher wasn't all that happy that Princess Five hadn't been in band every year and wanted someone representing the school who had been through Jr. High and High School playing in the band and competing in the band.

If I had know, I would have proceeded very differently. I suggested and prompted Princess Five into doing something that would have audience appeal. I suggested something I would enjoy watching. Like the pageants she did last year, I gave her horrible advice. Though she was the crowd favorite with her adorable rendition of "Que Sera" in pageants, if you do two talents, they judge you on the worst and usually, you lose. It is what it is and I heard it from several people and after the pageant so many people told me they thought she should have won the talent with her talented gift.


I should have thought about it before hand but they get judges from university music departments and music is usually band and orchestra. It is not choir, not performing, not musicals as that is the chorus dept or the theater department. So, she goes in with an adorable Disney Medley and they were looking for classical pieces. She said there were three judges, two were men from other countries with accents. There was one lady. The lady looked at her and seemed to enjoy the performance and neither man looked up from their laptops her entire performance.

The three that won all did classical pieces. I KNOW she had them beat with her leadership, extra curricular, leadership and audience appeal and most likely GPA and ACT scores but they all played classical pieces. They also played instraments that play one note at a time. She was strumming, plucking, picking and singing different notes and playing different chords and plucking strings. It is much more difficult to play with ten fingers at the same time as well as singing. She didn't do any power or "cheat" chords either! 

 She said that she did get some smiles from the judges at  several points in her performance but they didn't even consider her as most of her music experiences have been through performance and musical theater. I think they thought she should have competed in the theater category but they combine theater and debate together so it is hard to win in that category unless you debate. The winner in that category did do debate. They really need to separate those two categories but I doubt they will ever do it so she never had a shot.

One of the male judges did admit she was involved in LOTS of different music activities but none of them were what they were judging on. She is, and has been, in community choirs that tour, played and written songs since she was 12, participated in musical theater competitions yearly, been in pep band and marching band, been the lead in two plays and participated in musicals / theater her entire life. She performs at the fair, fourth celebrations and sings the national anthem at games and is in the percussion / choir / classes and student taught at the middle school in a music class.

I should have had her do a classical guitar piece but I thought crowd appeal verses "music scholar" appeal. People were not super enthusiastic about the three winners performances as some slept, others played on their phones etc. I can't say there was much audience appeal but, it would be what a "Scholar" in a music department would choose. 

I was super sad she didn't get to perform her piece on stage as they only have the three winners perform so I had her play it at home for me but she has been going non-stop for months and she was so physically and emotionally exhausted that she didn't have much left and of course, my computer is down, my cameras are down and the recording I got with my small camera has a "fan" noise which makes it so you can't hear her well even though she looked and sounded adorable, she is hard to hear. So, I took one on the phone but she is so tired and burnt out by then that she isn't very peppy but hopefully you can see how cute the performance was and what a good job she did combining the songs.

I found this adorable sterling silver pin at a second hand store and gave it to her to wear. I know she is super overwhelmed by what she has this week as she is headed out of town for band tomorrow and Musical Theater region on Saturday and is going out of town somewhere on Friday but I can't remember where just now as I am kinda tired as well as having a migraine presently. We both have Dr. apts on Thursday and also need to get her car inspected sometime this week as well.

Just when we found out she didn't win, we all got a message on our group chat from Princess Two. She had been asked to apply for an assistant to the President where she worked a few weeks back. She was one of the top five finalists out of fifty applicants. She had her final interview yesterday. She wrote that she didn't get the job but it went to someone she worked with that would do a good job. 

Her sister, Princess Three, responded with a message saying she didn't get a job today as well! She applied for a new job as her grant job will be ending soon. We joked back and forth with "I'm a loser" songs, and it got fairly funny about them all "not" getting things. They joked about their experiences with Sterling Scholar and other "loser" situation to lighten the mood and Princess Two sent me a notice from President Reagan's years stating that "Today is Single Parents Day! She told me "thanks" for all I do.

It was so interesting because they all are so amazing and do so well but for some reason, today was a bad day for most of them! We have never had a day like that before. I joked with my dad on the phone today about Princess Five almost forgetting her Kazoo she used in her song but how could I be mad as she is a sterling scholar and is at the top of her class and when it comes to extra curricular and leadership, no one can compete with all she has done in her four years in High School!

It was sweet that my dad was calling to offer me a computer to use until I find a new one. I am so blessed with amazing girls and wonderful parents! I know that good things are out there for them and they are truly blessed to be in amazing jobs presently. Princess Two said she never felt like the job would be hers and only applied because they asked her to. She told me that weeks ago so I know it wasn't the right thing for her. I don't worry knowing  that they will find jobs that better suit them when needed and I also know that when Princess Five chooses what she wants to do, she will be amazing. I was proud of her for being herself and representing who she is rather than going for judges vote but I still feel sad that she wasn't guided in the right direction to help her succeed by those who should know.

I hope you can enjoy the videos I tried to take tonight. The Kazoo and her speaking part are my favorite as she is so animated. Enjoy!