The results of the 2008-2009 Albuquerque Youth Symphony auditions have been published (http://www.aysmusic.org/), and, to our intense delight and relief, Kiley was selected for the Youth Symphony cello section! The larger Albuquerque Youth Symphony program, which arguably is one of the best youth orchestra programs in the country, has two high school-age groups -- the Youth Symphony (AYS) is the "A" group, and the Youth Orchestra (AYO) is the "B" group -- and Kiley, having been in AYO the last two years, was going to be extremely disappointed if she didn't make AYS this year as a junior.I have a few observations to make:
1. We knew the competition for cellos would be stiff this year, but the results demonstrate it was positively brutal; the fact that Kiley came out of it with the desired result is something for which she and her parents can feel richly blessed. (The competition should ease considerably next year, as eight of the twelve '08-'09 AYS cellists are seniors.)
2. At least one cellist who was in AYS last year was relegated to AYO this year, which is strong evidence to us that the audition process truly is blind and impartial, and that, as the standard investment disclaimer goes, past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.
3. My enthusiasm for Kiley's placement in AYS is tempered a little by the fact that one of her friends and fellow cellists from her high school, who'd already played three years in AYO, still didn't make AYS as a senior. That fact, combined with the fact that an incoming freshman cellist (from another high school) did make AYS, served to dispel the idea I had that a senior would have an inherent advantage over underclassmen in the selection process. (A perfect result from my perspective would have put both Kiley and her friend in AYS; it wouldn't have killed the ninth-grader to serve a one-year apprenticeship in AYO, no matter how good a cellist he is.)
4. Several capable cellists apparently (and surprisingly) didn't even audition this year, probably not wanting to play another year in AYO yet sensing how tough the competition to get into AYS would be.
5. Kiley's friend from church, Bethany Roper, a harpist who also played in AYO the last two years, likewise made AYS this year (although Bethany's "promotion" was nearly a foregone conclusion after both of last year's AYS harpists graduated).
6. Kiley is excited about playing in AYS -- for one year, anyway -- with her good friends from the school orchestra Aaron Feeney (cello), Alex Doerfler (violin), and Kristin Cordwell (violin), seniors all.
7. Kiley is happy for her younger friends Jessica Robertson (cello), Dylan Reames (cello), and Samantha Parker (bass), all of whom made AYO (although Samantha's family very probably will move from Albuquerque this summer when her father takes an out-of-state job).
8. There is a rumor that AYS will take a foreign tour next year, perhaps to Australia, and Kiley is excited about the prospect of traveling overseas for the first time in her life.
None of this will come cheap, of course, especially for a family of relatively modest means, but of course we think Kiley's worth the sacrifice.
