Strike Three

Well, we're all feeling a bit sad for Joseph today. After he got home from school he told us the results were posted... He got online and found out that he didn't get the Music Sterling Scholar. Now I don't know how being a high school sterling scholar gets on the radar of an 8th grader, but Joseph told me tonight that he's wanted to be the Music Sterling Scholar since he was in 8th grade. So this was a big goal that he's been working toward for years and so this might be the one he takes the hardest.

And everything he'd done with bands and orchestra inside and outside of school, he's done pretty much with thoughts of how it might help his sterling scholar application. He's made a lot of sacrifices the past few years. (mostly social). Here is a picture of him coming home on a typical Friday night at 10:00 (this pic on Nov 17th)

He had Crescent Super Band right after school on every Friday, then tonight he was playing in the pit for Pippin after that. So he got home at 10 pm carrying 4 instruments: tenor sax, bass clarinet, clarinet, and flute, plus a change of clothes, ipad that he used for his music, and his backpack. The only difference between this night and others, as Joseph said, is "usually I'm in a tux..."

I made him go out and come back in again so I could take pictures. :) So it's staged but not staged, just repeated. Joseph told me today that a year ago, he had three goals for his Senior year: SBO, Concerto Night, and Music Sterling Scholar. Sadly, we reported earlier this year how the SBO campaign ended unsuccessfully. A month ago, though, Joseph told me the was really happy with how things had turned out, cause he was enjoying Seminary Council and Madrigals, both groups which he couldn't have been a part of if he were busy with SBO. So, he's gotten over that. But now the two fresh wounds: earlier this month he found out he didn't get accepted to play in concerto night. We were all really surprised by that. Auditions were on Nov 3rd. Other students who heard his audition commented on how good he sounded. So that left us scratching our heads, and then tonight, we're all really wondering what's going on with the Skyline Music department. Corey said that there is no way the person who got sterling scholar had a more solid application that Joseph. Not to spread rumors, (but I guess here goes) but Joseph heard that the winner's GPA was .6 points lower that Joseph's 3.9. And we also highly doubt their ACT score could be higher than Joseph's. But they are concert chair and also the music teachers favorite student. So, too bad for all of J's hard work. He's been playing in the pit for the High School musical and had to go play for the final show tonight, licking his wounds. He called me on his way. He had already talked Corey. J and I had a good chat, I could tell he was crying, he was feeling like he's lost, like the past 6 years have been a waste, like he doesn't know what he'd been doing with his life or what he should do now. This was the third strike: SBO - nope. Concerto Night - denied. Sterling Scholar - another door closed. So, I gave him money to go buy himself some ice cream after playing in the musical. We're hoping that since he's learning all this denial in his youth, hopefully he won't have to experience it much as an adult! Ha, I guess Corey didn't learn enough of denial and struggle as a teen, thus why we're still wandering in the wilderness so to speak with the business. Joseph is a really hard worker. So he's going to be a great missionary, and we'll start praying now for you to get into BYU. That's his next goal, getting accepted at BYU. He is applying to other schools too, but he really wants to go to the Y. His friends were joking with him that if he doesn't get that, he'll be like Job. He's working on his applications and will have those turned in soon. Chin up Joseph, you have a bright future, even without the sterling scholar. I told him that the award is just a means to an end, the real thing that is going to let him have a successful life has come in how he's learned over these years how to work hard. Like his SBO campaign with it's awesome theme and video, this time around again, Joseph did everything he could, didn't leave anything undone. There are no "what if"s or "If only"s, he did everything he could.

It's gonna be okay. Things will work out. Love you Joseph.