Dude, you’ve got pipes!
That’s what the young man said to my daughter after her performance at a high school Cabaret theater. She had sung a song with a friend of hers and done a great job, and it apparently was a surprise to this kid.
It wasn’t to me.
Both of my kids love to sing and perform on stage, a gift from their mother, inspired by an older cousin and encouraged by me.
They both have been in school musicals and chorus, usually in the back ground, or with small parts, but always with passion.
And they both had always wanted to perform at the high school cabaret night, A performance reserved to the most gifted singers selected by the choir teacher.
And they both had never been selected.
And while they may get their talent from their mom, they might have gotten a little bit of stubbornness from me.
Come hell or high water, they were going to find a way to perform on that stage on one of those nights.
My son figured it out first. He had tried out for select choir every year he was eligible, and every year he was turned down. Joe knows he’s not the best singers, but we thought he was good enough, but he always missed out. They had to many tenors, or not enough basses, whatever, he took it in stride, and never gave up. He was disappointed, but not defeated.
He still sang in chorus and was in all the musicals, and he worked harder then most on any part he got.
And then, in his senior year, he recalled that the director would usually allow a senior, not in select choir, to perform at cabaret, and he reminded her of this, and he sang.
I am not sure if I was more proud of his performance, or his determination to get there.
So, along comes little sister, maybe a little better singer, and maybe a little more stubborn, and she tries out for select choir…..and doesn’t get in.
Again, every year, there’s to many altos, or to few sopranos, or a really talented under clansmen that takes a spot. And like here brother, she is disappointed, but undeterred. She doesn’t take on the parts in the shows like him, but still sings. But because it’s always in a group, I guess no one notices how good she is.
Her mom and I do, and I think she does too.
So when they start a women’s choir, she joins, and like her brother, she sees her way to the stage at cabernet. She reminds the director that traditionally, the women’s choir is a select choir that allows for performing at cabaret.
And she takes the stage, and I think you would say she owned it.
It was a duet with a friend, and the friend started, but when my daughter part came she nailed it. You could sense the surprise in the audience as they were introduced to something we had always know.
Sometimes that’s all it takes, a chance.
When kids know what they want to do, but are told they can’t, some times they won’t. It doesn’t matter if it’s singing, or dancing, or a sport, or a job, or something else, if they always get turned down, they might not believe in themselves for anything.
But the fortunate ones are a little stubborn.
And sometimes the best thing you can tell them when they are not quite good enough, is that they are not quite good enough.
They might be a little hurt, and they will be a little mad, but my kids are going take that rejection and do something good with it.
A favorite saying of Tim Tebow is “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. He used it for sports, but I think it applies.
And maybe it was just a small town school concert, and maybe just a few people heard then sing, but they were heard.
And Joe got his chance to show he could be out front on the stage.
And what Rachel heard reaffirmed everything her mom and I told her.
She heard applause.
She heard you are really good
She heard “Dude, you’ve got pipes!”