Written by: Chris Nguyen | 🕑 2 minute read

*WARNING* There is dark humor here about my experiences as a middle schooler. You may disagree and say that I was being taught a lesson. But this is the lesson I learned so many years later. So please don’t invalidate my experience, but instead, think about how to effectively communicate better...especially to a growing, insecure 7th grader. 

Listen to the audio version of the blog:

To my fellow musicians out there, have y’all ever wondered why you were placed in a certain orchestra when you were in middle school or high school? 

If you said it was based on your skills as a musician…that is not always the correct answer! If you go to a 100% music and performance based school, sure, how good you are matters. However, a majority of us musicians went to schools orchestra was an afterthought and talent doesn’t always matter. 

The REAL reason that you were placed in a certain orchestra (Sinfonietta, Philharmonic, Symphony, Chamber) is due to some teachers’ biased decision. Yeah… I said it… The teachers were biased when deciding your placement, the songs you play, and where you sit in the orchestra. It doesn’t matter how good you are with the instrument or how much musical knowledge you understand. All they care about is that you agree with whatever they say.. If you don’t agree with them one single bit… Welp… Say goodbye to your chances in getting into Chamber orchestra (highest rank), or even Symphony orchestra (second highest rank). 

[Fellow Orch Dork]: What?!?!? That’s crazy! How do you know? 

Well, back in my first year of middle school orchestra, I noticed that another first year orchestra group got the opportunity to play an extra, more technically challenging, piece. Thinking that was unfair, my dumb middle school self later called out our directors on that unfairness in front of everyone during class 😅.

I know… questioning a teacher about their decisions during class was not a smart move… But what’s wrong with asking? Right? It was just a simple question that anyone could answer. 

They took it the wrong way and took me into a practice room after class. Furious at my question about their biased decision, they angrily told me that no matter how skilled I was, I would never be Chamber or Symphony orchestra material because of my behavior. So… in the end… they put me in the lowest ranking orchestra since I didn’t agree with their opinion. 

But, on the bright side, it was better than getting detention for not agreeing with what the teacher thinks 😂.

So… to the next generation of orch dorks, if you want to be in that Chamber or Symphony orchestra, you better start kissing *ss to your orchestra teachers! 

If any one of y’all have a story dealing with biased orchestra teachers in middle school or high school, share your story below 😆 

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