Talent Show Thoughts
So, she performed again tonight for 100-200 parents in the cafteria-torium, and did well. So, I will post another video. And, seeing as how this was my first ever experience with an elementary school talent show as an adult, I have to say I had a wide range of thoughts.
1. I was expecting 2 hours of cringe-worthy "performances" one after another, and while there were a few--on the whole, I was surprisingly impressed with how talented many of these young people are.
2. Parents in general let their children listen to music/entertainers that I would never allow my 10 year old to listen to/watch. I know it is easy to say: "just because the child performing knows that song doesn't mean the majority of school kids do." And, I would agree with you, but I watched the school body as they watched the performances, and listened as most of them mouthed or quietly sang all the words and knew dance moves. Clearly my child is in the minority to being closely monitored in what messages she is allowed to receive from the entertainment industry.
3. Kids move their bodies in ways I would never allow my child to move. Not, that she is necessarily able to do that with her body--she unfortunately got her 'dance" ability and grace from me and lets say it would be embarrassing for either of us to try. But, wow. I wonder if their parents knows they can and are doing that? I wonder if they think that is okay? I wonder if they think that I am prude? (Yeah, probably, and if they didn't, they do now)
4. I love my kids school. I have always loved it, but the longer I am here, the more under-the-radar things happen like encouraging a very shy child to sing, allowing a gifted 5th grade singer to belt out a Christian song that used the word "God" more times than I counted, finding more than a dozen teachers to get on stage and perform and make the kids laugh and make their day, nurturing kids with talent as well as those desperately hoping they have talent.
5. Kids are better listeners and more encouraging than parents. I watched this morning with 100+ kids and the room was far more quiet for each performance (by A LOT) and the cheers were more loud and more sincere and more frequent (by A LOT). While I won't argue that bullying happens, as a whole, I think kids are more loving and giving to each other than their parents.
6. Students perform better when performing for their peers than parents and other adult strangers. This morning very few drops, missed steps and lines, squeaky voices, and falls. This evening, with a very few exceptions, most of the acts were full of mistakes that never happened at their first performance. Of course another philosophy is that they were far more exhausted since the performance was at 8:45 am and this one started at 6:30 pm.
While I learned and processed a lot by Gracie's two performances today, the biggest thing I felt was pride for my daughter. I couldn't and wouldn't get on a stage and put myself out there, and she did. She did something I never thought I would see her do, and I am over the moon.
Disclaimer: I write this as a one time, 5th grade student performer in the Perrymont Elementary School Talent Show and I lip-synced Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth" with three of my friends tossing blown up globe-printed balls in the background. A) I was also painfully shy B) I knew all the words to a pop-song
1. I was expecting 2 hours of cringe-worthy "performances" one after another, and while there were a few--on the whole, I was surprisingly impressed with how talented many of these young people are.
2. Parents in general let their children listen to music/entertainers that I would never allow my 10 year old to listen to/watch. I know it is easy to say: "just because the child performing knows that song doesn't mean the majority of school kids do." And, I would agree with you, but I watched the school body as they watched the performances, and listened as most of them mouthed or quietly sang all the words and knew dance moves. Clearly my child is in the minority to being closely monitored in what messages she is allowed to receive from the entertainment industry.
3. Kids move their bodies in ways I would never allow my child to move. Not, that she is necessarily able to do that with her body--she unfortunately got her 'dance" ability and grace from me and lets say it would be embarrassing for either of us to try. But, wow. I wonder if their parents knows they can and are doing that? I wonder if they think that is okay? I wonder if they think that I am prude? (Yeah, probably, and if they didn't, they do now)
4. I love my kids school. I have always loved it, but the longer I am here, the more under-the-radar things happen like encouraging a very shy child to sing, allowing a gifted 5th grade singer to belt out a Christian song that used the word "God" more times than I counted, finding more than a dozen teachers to get on stage and perform and make the kids laugh and make their day, nurturing kids with talent as well as those desperately hoping they have talent.
5. Kids are better listeners and more encouraging than parents. I watched this morning with 100+ kids and the room was far more quiet for each performance (by A LOT) and the cheers were more loud and more sincere and more frequent (by A LOT). While I won't argue that bullying happens, as a whole, I think kids are more loving and giving to each other than their parents.
6. Students perform better when performing for their peers than parents and other adult strangers. This morning very few drops, missed steps and lines, squeaky voices, and falls. This evening, with a very few exceptions, most of the acts were full of mistakes that never happened at their first performance. Of course another philosophy is that they were far more exhausted since the performance was at 8:45 am and this one started at 6:30 pm.
----
While I learned and processed a lot by Gracie's two performances today, the biggest thing I felt was pride for my daughter. I couldn't and wouldn't get on a stage and put myself out there, and she did. She did something I never thought I would see her do, and I am over the moon.
Disclaimer: I write this as a one time, 5th grade student performer in the Perrymont Elementary School Talent Show and I lip-synced Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth" with three of my friends tossing blown up globe-printed balls in the background. A) I was also painfully shy B) I knew all the words to a pop-song
Great job, Gracie! I'm with you! I can't believe what parents allow their children to listen to these days. We only listen to Christian music. I freaked when they played, "Sexy and I Know It" at the circus! Really??? At a children's event? Grrr!
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