(no subject)

[the_rck]

Cordelia needs to make a decision between continuing with her viola and doing something called ILT (Information, Literacy, and Technology). ILT sounds fascinating and is the only way to guarantee getting time in the library to check out books, but we're leaving the decision up to Cordelia. She's inclined to go with her viola because she doesn't want to give up on it (she knows it would pretty certainly be giving up on it permanently) and because her two local friends will be doing orchestra. She hopes they can practice together. The boy wants to switch from cello to bass. The girl hopes to start viola but might end up with something Cordelia refers to as 'baritone.' Baritone what isn't clear.

I wish Cordelia had the option of doing both viola and ILT. The opportunity to continue her instrument is important. She won't have that chance again. But ILT is a great opportunity, too. The kids who do that are going to do some stuff online that other kids won't get to. They're also going to have input on upgrading the library to include materials for middle schoolers. They'll plan and produce PSAs. They'll do a few other things, too.

I e-mailed Cordelia's soccer coach, and he suggested trying to find a different team. The impression he gave me is that what he's doing is aimed at the eighth graders more than the sixth graders. Based on what we pried out of Cordelia, a big part of her difficulty with the strategy stuff was that he used terms she wasn't familiar with. She's used to talking about defense, mid-field, and offense. This coach used terms like (if I'm remembering correctly) halfback and striker. Cordelia had no idea what those meant and was afraid to ask.

Scott did confront Cordelia last night about not going to the game. He was not pleased at all. He required that, if she doesn't get on the other team we're trying to get her on, she go to next week's game for her current team. He wants to prove to her that the game hasn't changed. I really hope she gets onto this new team (it depends on whether or not another girl who's having trouble with scheduling drops out). I don't think the current team is at all tenable. I'm also not sure how the current coach would feel about having Cordelia at next week's game when she's not going to this week's practices.

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Given what my sister played for a while, I suspect 'baritone' refers to this horn.

[kyrielle]

I'd do the instrument, in Cordelia's shoes - the other can be picked up later. But the school making it an either-or this year by scheduling is unfortunate.

[lemon_badgeress]

I did cello in elementary and middle school, and I was /good/ for my age. Not prodigy level good, just, y'know, good. And then I moved to a new state and the high school didn't do orchestra and without that external stimulus I dropped it cold, because I didn't like to practice. I have never stopped regretting that choice, since I grew old enough to realize what I'd done. :/

[sorcycat.livejournal.com]

One way to practice viola would be to find an alternate ensemble. I'm not sure about any orchestras in the area aimed at middleschoolers. It occurred to me that with two friends doing stringed instruments, you almost have enough for a string quartet. That's 2 violins, a viola, and a cello. Maybe you can entice the music director to work with such a group after school, if the kids can put one together. Btw, the baritone might be a referring to a brass instrument that looks like a tuba but is half the size. It's sometimes interchangeable with the term "euphonium." It's a very pretty and difficult instrument.