High school attitude

I find out if I make it to the next round of the Teach for America interviews tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, but more than that, I think I just want to have an answer rather than sitting around in suspense.

I'll also be conducting band rehearsal at the high school tomorrow. Since they were doing marching band at the beginning of the year, I wasn't as involved with them as I was with the middle school. I've done a fair amount of sectionals/lessons with the kids there and I've enjoyed it, but for some reason, I'm kind of nervous about conducting the whole band. I'm not sure if it's just because they're "new" kids to me or if it's because they're older, but I'm a little anxious.

I had the weirdest experience at the high school yesterday. There are four clarinets in the lower band, and to be quite honest, none of them play well. Every time I'm there, they also seem to be fussing over their instruments so often that it interrupts their ability to even attempt playing. Yesterday was another one of these days, so Mr. Dubbs, the high school director, asked me to take the three of them (one was absent) into a practice room and see if anything was obviously wrong with their instruments.

Two of the three instruments were actually just fine and the last girl needed some minor adjustments but her instrument was fine to play for rehearsal. I was trying to let them each play a little individually so I could hear what they were struggling with and how to help them, since their issues are due to embouchure, technique, etc. rather than mechanics. One girl just blew me away, and not in the good way. She was just MEAN to everyone, including me. I was so shocked that I didn't react as well/quickly as I should have . . . what she needed was some smackdown and to really be put in her place. For some reason, the other girls just took her bad attitude, and since they took it, she kept giving it. I was trying to listen to one girl who was really struggling, and while I was giving suggestions about her setup, this other kid walks over, interrupts me, and tells the struggling girl to take apart her instrument and give it to her. The struggling girl mutely does what was demanded of her. The mean girl then puts her mouthpiece on the other girl's clarinet, plays two notes, and says "Look, don't you see how it doesn't sound fuzzy when I play it? What are you doing?!" Of course, I said something to her, but she continued with her rudeness. She interrupted me almost every time I tried to say something and physically got in the way and took instruments out of my hands when I was helping another kid.

When I was having all three play together, she would stop playing when she heard a mistake and blame whoever she thought was responsible (she was often incorrect, not that it makes it any better). She did play slightly better than the other two, but she was by NO means a hot-shot clarinet player (not that it would have been acceptable behavior had she been phenomenal, but it might have been slightly more understandable). Her behavior was inexcusable, unacceptable, and really difficult to work with. She thought she knew everything about everything and was condescending to both her peers and myself. When I mentioned it to Mr. Dubbs, he said she's always like that and we have our work cut out for us. At least next time, I'll be prepared.