Yep that’s me.  Judge Judy.  This time of year I get asked to judge a few contests, usually middle school level, which is actually a lot of fun.  I feel much more comfortable judging this level rather than high school – teaching high school choir was most definitely not my strength.  But I feel like I can give some pretty good constructive criticism and encouragement to these younger students to help them take things to the next level.

What qualifies someone to judge?  Well, it’s not always age or experience because I have seen younger teachers asked to judge.  Is it because you know someone?  Quite possibly.  Is it because you always say yes when someone asks? Again, quite possibly.  I would like to believe it’s because of the quality comments I make, but as with all judges, after judging a boatload of kids every five minutes for a few hours, your brain begins to turn to mush and you’re struggling to say something different, something more personal than “you need to use more air”.

Sometimes what amazes me (because I’m easily amazed), is that I actually remember stuff that helps the student.  Sure, I work with kids all the time, but I have an elementary  choir that meets once a week and I don’t always focus just on singing in my classes.  What’s even more amazing is when I judge instrumental solo and ensembles and I’m having to remember back a LONG time to help a student and the info is still there, lodged in my little brain.  I ask you, who needs Google, huh?

I know it sounds like I don’t take this very seriously, but I do.  You see, I understand that what I say, if not said correctly, can discourage a student from continuing in music.  As teachers, we ask our students to do some pretty uncomfortable things, like learning a piece of music from memory, dress up and sing in front of someone they don’t know who is going to give them written and/or verbal feedback and a score of some kind.  A score that they can compare to others.  If the teacher has prepared the student correctly, hopefully that student can use the feedback and whatever score they get in a way that they don’t take personally but use to improve their skills.  So many times, singers take things way too personally because singing can be so emotional and such a vulnerable thing to do in front of others.  After all, we carry our instruments with us all the time – it’s a part of us. It’s my job as a judge to identify those things students do well to lift them up and then find things that challenge them to go to whatever the next level is for them, reinforcing the fact that these are skills we’re learning and they can indeed improve.

Why is it important to ask students to put themselves in this position?  I believe, especially in the current culture, that it’s important for a student to learn to introduce themselves, square their feet, look someone in the eye, do something to the best of their ability that scares them, take a chance at failing and learn to deal with it.  Something where, once they start, there’s nothing parents or teachers can do – it’s all in the hands of the student and the adults have to let go.  It’s learning the etiquette of the discipline and gives the student an opportunity to share something meaningful.  This is not just improving musical performance, it’s teaching life.  If you can do the things I mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph, you have a great advantage in school and in life.  Period.

So tomorrow morning, bright and early I’ll drive to a small town and judge for a couple of hours, hoping that I can teach, inspire and motivate young aspiring musicians through my comments.  After all, I have to live up to the name of Judge Judy, don’t I?