Do I play better than a 7th grader?

The problem: I don’t know how well I play, objectively speaking.

The solution: Ask an expert: Emily aka the Rebel Music Teacher.

It’s been almost 25 years since I started playing so I was delighted to discover my old Rubank book among my etude books. I thought - maybe I can handle this? Maybe playing exercises from the Rubank book will allow me to perform a self-assessment? Maybe I can play better than a 7th grader?

This book didn’t help me determine whether or not I play better than a 7th grader for a few reasons. First, there are no metronome markings so it’s hard to know if I am playing the exercises proficiently. In terms of music theory it’s far too elementary because I can count sixteenth notes and I know the difference between a slur and a tie. It’s been a fun book for sight-reading but to know how well I play, I will need to play for someone else (gulp).

Enter Emily, aka, the Rebel Music Teacher. Emily is a music educator, blogger and parent. She has been a music teacher for over a decade and most of her career has been as a middle school band director. She is also an old college friend of mine who performed with me at the apex of my flute-playing abilities. She knows how good I was - what will she think of my playing now? What will she think of me now?

Emily and I met on Facetime and she had a lot to say, especially about 7th graders and 7th grade. According to Emily, 7th grade is a very hard time,  “There’s a wide range (of abilities); (7th grade), it’s like the nadir of middle school...there’s a wide variety.”

First I played a D-major scale from Taffanel Exercise 4 knowing full-well that 7th graders don’t play T&G exercises. Immediately Emily said “D-major is not considered one of the middle school scales.” Emily teaches in Florida and in the Sunshine State middle schoolers are expected to play F, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, C, and G. These are the keys for all instruments and these keys were selected as those are common keys in band literature.

I then played Blue Bells of Scotland from the Rubank book (below). According to Emily, my ease playing high D was a dead giveaway that I am not a 7th grader,  “Band directors don’t put a lot of emphasis on 6th grade flutes working on their high notes. When they (7th graders) get to playing more advanced literature they’re like, ‘Oh, I have to play high notes now.’”

Peterson, A.C.. Rubank Elementary Method for Flute. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 1934.

Emily’s verdict: “I think you sound much better than a 7th grader...You sound at least like a 10th grade level.”

I’m clearly not a 7th nor a 10th grader. I’m in my thirties and I have a degree in music although I am out of practice. Emily could hear that too, “I think you sound really good...you still got your vibrato working. It’s clear you’ve had that for a really long time...You can tell you are not at the level you once were but you’ve been there.” By “there” Emily means the level of proficiency I had when I was in music school and getting ready to be a professional flute player. 

As supportive as Emily was, I couldn’t help but feel sad after our call. How do I get back “there” when I only have 15 minutes a day to practice? How do I get back “there” when it’s not safe to meet with other musicians to play in ensembles? I don’t know how I will get back “there” but unlike a 7th grader or 10th grader I get to decide what scales I need to practice, what solos I want to play, and how much I should be practicing a day. For the first time in my life my flute-playing is not being held to anyone else’s expectations or standards. I think that’s enough to inspire me to keep playing for now.