Teaching Moment: Performance Readiness for Middle School

Objective: Students will demonstrate foundational performance readiness by identifying appropriate behaviors before, during, and after a performance or audition—and by practicing independent communication and professional etiquette in mock scenarios.

Purpose: To help middle school students begin building the confidence and personal responsibility they will need for future auditions and high school-level performances. This teaching moment also supports a healthy transition for parents from hands-on helpers to quiet cheerleaders, setting the stage for future success.

🎯 Assignment Title: “I’ve Got This!”

📄 Part 1: Quick Write (5–7 sentences)

Prompt: Imagine you're about to go into a performance or audition room by yourself. Your teacher is in the hallway. Your parent is waiting in the car. How do you feel? What would help you feel more confident? What do you think it means to be ready—not just musically, but personally?

🎭 Part 2: Mini Roleplay (Classroom Activity)

In pairs, practice how to:

• Greet an adult (judge, teacher, or director) confidently.
• Introduce yourself (first and last name, instrument/voice part).
• Say thank you and leave with poise after performing.

📊 Grading Rubric for Middle School
Assignment Title: I’ve Got This!

Total Points: 12

Total: ___ / 12 (or /9 if skit is excluded)

Teaching Moment for High School Teacher

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of appropriate audition-day behavior and professional etiquette by identifying strategies that promote student independence, reduce parental over-involvement, and present themselves as confident, college-ready musicians.

Purpose: To prepare students for the unspoken expectations of the college audition process—not just musical preparation, but interpersonal presentation, independence, and communication. This lesson equips students with the self-awareness and social professionalism needed to represent themselves successfully at auditions.

🎭 Student Assignment:
Title: You’re On Your Own—Now What?

Instructions:

1. Part 1: Written Reflection (1 page minimum)
   After reading the article “Stay in the Car, Mama!” (posted on Accoladi.com), respond to the following:
   • What are 2–3 key points the article makes about student independence during college auditions?
   • Why might parental over-involvement negatively impact how a college views an applicant?
   • Reflect on your own readiness: How comfortable are you with navigating an audition experience without a parent or teacher present? What are areas you can strengthen before audition season?
2. Part 2: Scripted Conversation Practice (½ page minimum)
   Write a short script (or bullet-point outline) of how you would professionally introduce yourself and ask questions to a college faculty member during an audition weekend. Your script should include:
   • A greeting and self-introduction
   • One appropriate question about the music program
   • One question about audition expectations or ensemble opportunities
   • A professional closing statement
   This will be used in a short in-class mock interaction where you practice approaching a faculty “representative” (played by your teacher or a classmate).
3. Due Date: [Insert Date]

📝 Student Assignment Rubric
Title: You’re On Your Own—Now What?

Total Points: 20

Grading Summary:
· Clear understanding of the article’s message (5 pts)
· Personal reflection on independence and readiness (5 pts)
· Appropriateness and professionalism of questions (5 pts)
· Participation in mock interaction or full script (5 pts)

Director’s Blog: Someday They’ll Audition Alone—But Today, Let’s Practice Letting Go

From Your Child’s Music Director to Every Middle School Music Parent
Director’s Name     School Name

Dear Parents,

I know the feeling.

You see your child on stage, hair slightly off, shirt a bit wrinkled, one shoe maybe tied with a prayer—your heart leaps to help. You want to fix, fuss, smooth, and save. You want to say the perfect words, hold their instrument for them, re-tighten the ligature, and beam so hard the judges can feel your support.

But here’s the truth we all have to face:

Someday they’ll audition alone. And today is the day we start preparing for that moment.

Now, don’t panic—this isn’t about sending them off to Juilliard yet. No one is asking you to wait in the car at this age (though I do recommend waiting outside the practice room sometimes). But the idea of giving students room to speak for themselves, carry their own gear, and walk into a performance space with growing confidence? That’s something we can start nurturing—today.

Start small.

• Let them pack their own music bag the night before.
• Have them introduce themselves when they meet a guest conductor.
• Let them answer when someone compliments their playing—without you translating it into “She’s been playing for four years now and still refuses to clean her case.”

These little moments build the muscle of independence. And when the big moment comes—maybe an honor band audition, a solo contest, or a high school placement—your student will already know what it feels like to stand on their own two feet, say “Good morning,” and tune up without waiting for a parent to step in.

True story:

A few years ago, a seventh grader walked into an audition room and was halfway through his solo when the air conditioner kicked on—hard. The second page of music flew off the stand and across the floor.

Before the student could react, his parent—standing just outside the door—rushed in, scooped up the page, and placed it back on the stand.

The student froze. So did the judges.

He hadn’t needed the page. He knew the piece by memory. But in that moment, the spell was broken—not by the music, but by the sudden reminder that someone else didn’t trust him to handle it.

The judges had been impressed—until the uninvited assist.

That moment became a turning point.

The next year? That same student walked in, smiled at the judges, and played his entire solo from memory. No pages. No backups. No rescue squad. Just confidence, preparation, and growth.

There’s a fun and insightful article for parents of older students that captures this exact spirit. It’s called: “Stay in the Car, Mama! A Hilarious but Helpful Guide to College Audition Day Etiquette for Parents”

You can find it at Accoladi.com. It’s full of wisdom, a few laughs, and a reminder that the most helpful thing we can sometimes do... is nothing at all.

For now, thank you for being the parent who cheers in the audience, encourages in the car, and maybe—just maybe—takes one small step back so your child can take one big step forward.

Because someday, they will audition alone.
And thanks to you, they’ll know exactly how to do it.

Musically Yours,

_____________________________________________________
Director’s Name and Position

_____________________________________________________
School Name

Stay in the Car, Mama! (And Bring the Hairspray Home)

Dear Parents,

Let me begin with a confession: I love you. I truly do. Your support—financial, emotional, logistical, and yes, occasionally nutritional—has helped your student become the performer they are today.

But as we gear up for college audition season, I come to you with a simple, heartfelt plea:

On your child’s audition day… stay in the car.

Don’t get me wrong—you’ve done an incredible job getting your student to this point. You’ve cheered at concerts, driven to early-morning rehearsals, and probably held back a few tears (and opinions) during practice meltdowns. But audition day is a turning point—not for you, but for them.

Audition day is not the time to add a fresh spritz of hairspray, a last-minute outfit tweak, or your own elevator pitch to a college faculty panel. There’s a fine line between helpful and... headline-worthy.

True story (names and state withheld to protect the traumatized):

A mother was once seen outside a college audition room, styling her daughter’s hair like she was preparing for a pageant finale. Curling iron plugged into a hallway outlet. Industrial-sized can of hairspray. Round brush moving like a power tool.

An audition panel member opened the door and called the student’s name — twice. She was already five minutes late. But Mom? She wasn’t done.

The panelist witnessed the next 20 seconds—now legendary in music faculty lounges across America—and not in a good way.

With one last spritz, she reached into her purse, pulled out a full-sized pair of scissors, and snipped a thigh-high slit up her daughter’s skirt. Yes, really.

Then she turned to the stunned adjudicator and said, “You’re gonna want this one. She’s going to be Miss New __________ one day—just like her mother. That’s great PR for your school.”

The daughter, red-faced and visibly rattled, shuffled into the room.

She did not sing well. She did not get in. She may still be recovering.

This is an extreme example—but it’s rooted in something very common: wanting so badly to help, we accidentally take the stage ourselves.

The truth is your child doesn’t need a co-star. They need the stage to themselves.

The most impressive student in the room is the one who walks in confidently, introduces themselves clearly, asks a thoughtful question, performs with grace—and walks out without Mom or Dad speaking on their behalf. That’s the student who looks college-ready.

There’s a fantastic article that says all of this—and more—with heart and humor. “Stay in the Car, Mama! A Hilarious but Helpful Guide to College Audition Day Etiquette for Parents”

You can read it now at Accoladi.com. I highly recommend it—and so does your child, even if they won’t say it out loud.

So, here’s the plan: You help them pack their audition bag. You give a hug in the car. You remind them they’ve got this.

And then you wait—maybe with a latte, maybe with a podcast, definitely with pride.

When they walk back out, hug them like they just performed at Carnegie Hall. Because in their world, they just did.

With Great Appreciation and Respect,

________________________________________________
Director’s Name and Position

_________________________________________________
School Name

🎙️ People Over Programs – Director’s Podcast

Episode Title: Stay in the Car, Mama – And Please Leave the Sequins at Home

Guest Host: Dr. Christopher McBride, Coordinator of Performing Arts, Grand Strand Schools

[Intro Music Fades In]

Dr. McBride (warm and engaging): Welcome to People Over Programs, the podcast where we explore the heart of education through the lens of fine arts. I’m Dr. Christopher McBride, and today, we’re diving into something that hits close to home—college audition day. Specifically, what role parents should—and shouldn’t—play when it’s time for their student to shine.

I’ve seen incredible family support systems. Parents who coach from the passenger seat, cheer from the hallway, and send encouraging texts right before curtain call. We need those parents. Your presence matters.

But sometimes, on audition day, things go... a little too far.

(chuckling) Let me tell you a true story...

The Audition Spectacle

Amanda, a student auditioning for a musical theatre program at a top conservatory, had an unforgettable entrance—not because of her voice, but because her entire family arrived in full production mode:

• Dad entered first, in a tuxedo, pulling a rolling clothing rack draped in black silk.
• Grandfather followed, carrying a folding dressing screen.
• Grandmother stood silently behind the screen.
• Mom—wearing a black sequined gown—sat at the piano with sheet music.

Amanda then entered in costume, performing three musical numbers, each with full wardrobe changes: from West Side Story to Annie to Annie Get Your Gun. She concluded in a formal gown for the interview and sight-singing.

And here’s the kicker—Amanda could sing. She was poised. But she didn’t get in.

Why? She scored 17 out of 100 on her written entrance exam. She wasn’t academically ready for a conservatory-level program.

“Polished on the outside, but not solid on the inside.”

The Real Message

This isn’t about costumes or even audition etiquette. It’s about readiness.

Your child’s talent will carry them far—but only if it’s paired with independence, preparation, and academic readiness. And sometimes, the most powerful thing a parent can do is… step back.

That’s why we’re recommending every fine arts family read the hilarious and insightful article on Accoladi.com titled “Stay in the Car, Mama! A Hilarious but Helpful Guide to College Audition Day Etiquette for Parents.”

It’s funny. It’s cringey. It’s real. And it reminds us that:

• Independence is part of the audition.
• Letting go is a vote of confidence.
• Our students don’t need co-stars—they need the stage.

So, What Can Parents Do?

• ✔ Help pack the audition bag the night before.
• ✔ Review the checklist together.
• ✔ Give a hug and a pep talk.
• Then? Stay in the car.

Let them walk in. Let them own the space. Let them shine—because they’ve got this.

Until next time, I’m Dr. Christopher McBride, and this is People Over Programs.

[Outro Music Fades In]