I hope they still make finals so they can fix those things! We all have to remember that for most choirs, this is the first performance of the year. A few may also be shaken up because of weather. I’m sure they were still great, but it just wasn’t their best performance.
They have a new director this year, it looks like. Maybe a building year? Transitions can be tough for any group, even the highly awarded ones. I didn’t see the show, but just an observation.
I'll kindly take this moment to remind everyone that you need to provide a true choir association with your account or risk it being removed. Additionally, accounts are intended for single users only. Thanks.
Of course alumni and fans are welcome here. Your profile says your birth year is 1960 and yet it's listed as "student." Your location says Seattle, Washington, yet you associated yourself with a choir from Wisconsin. Please tell me what I'm missing. We work extremely hard at keeping this space positive and productive, and I do not censor users for their opinions. In return, to keep users responsible for the content of their posts and to maintain a level of safety for everyone who participates here, I ask that you provide true information in your profile. I take it as very unkind and inappropriate when you do not.
Getting on the stage in ANY capacity takes guts and vulnerability. It’s a scary thing to perform and open yourself up to this type of criticism..... I didn’t see the show, but am proud of them for having the gumption to just show up... that’s what it’s about....these are CHILDREN.... we, as audience members and spectators have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA the journey an individual or group has been on......
When you are "representing" a program, while speaking negatively about another or rival program" should not be what this forum is about. Everyone has opinions about shows and programs, but we should also respect what goes into these shows. Many people don't know what goes on behind the scenes of these programs, and speculating or tearing them down is never acceptable. If you feel that way, this is not the forum for you.
I appreciate the information about your background. You yourself said that you saw the option to choose "fan" as an account type, but it appears you chose student instead so that's where one red flag came from. You can select "edit profile" at the top right of the site to edit any of your information at any time, including the account type.
Personally, I think open discussion is good. If we only ever say every group is amazing and never offer any kind of constructive commentary, that doesn't really help anyone. That said, choirs work extremely hard at putting these shows together and all deserve our respect. I was watching the Beavercreek live stream and just thinking to myself that show choir directors perform nothing short of miracles; not only do they have to start from scratch each year and train brand new students how to sing properly, perform with confidence, and carry themselves as mature human beings, but they're also expected to come up with groundbreaking and life changing shows every year. I don't know how anyone does it.
When we post, we should keep these things in mind and reply with tact. It's okay, in my opinion, to say that you didn't personally think a costume reflected on a theme as effectively as it could, for example, but to say they're "unflattering and boring," just feels like an attack. You are not going to win many people over here by saying a group is "subpar" in any capacity, especially when you don't provide any sort of positive feedback for balance.
As for school associations, that is a core part of the site and not something that needs fixing. As I said, I do not censor individuals and it is not my intention to make this website a police state. I believe show choir students are some of the most mature and positive out there, and yet they are still teenagers. Heated reactions will happen. It is better to help guide and teach in those moments rather than ban them outright or have a website where everyone is anonymous and making all sorts of crude posts. We have that already, it's called Twitter and YouTube and just about every other social media platform on the internet. We have come an incredibly long way as a community here and I believe that is largely due to insistence on non-anonymity and a user base that cares about each other. I know some directors still keep their students from making posts and it's a shame, but I think that has relaxed a lot in the past several years because people see that we are interested in productive discussion and most people won't stand for personal attacks. Things clean themselves up pretty quickly around here, as you have now learned firsthand.
As an adult, it is incumbent upon you more than anyone to set a good example and help the next generation learn. Saying things like you couldn't hear the second half of the show "which was a good thing," is incredibly insulting and not productive for anyone. You have the right to free speech here, but it doesn't protect you from the consequences of the words you choose. This is precisely why we mandate you associate yourself with your choir, and hopefully this is a learning experience for everyone to take a moment, think about how to best express ourselves - especially when we have a critical thought to share - and keep in mind that everyone who goes up on stage is working as hard as they can to put on a show for you to enjoy. That is what we celebrate here, whether you are a student, parent, gradparent, almunus, staff member, or yes, even just a fan.
Well said., Haakon. I am a former show choir parent myself, still following show choir just because it’s fabulous, I do post on this forum, but I follow the guidelines set by my school’s directors - you represent your school, so speak positively about other programs. If you don’t like something, or have a question, use tact or say it in private (or not at all), not anywhere public. Leave the critiques the students will hear to the judges and their directors.
Viterbo 101 2020
