6 Pros and Cons For RISE, NBC's Newest Groundbreaking Series | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

6 Pros and Cons For RISE, NBC's Newest Groundbreaking Series

The television series that could change the way music education is seen and understood.

54
6 Pros and Cons For RISE, NBC's Newest Groundbreaking Series
TV Promos

I recently had the opportunity to watch the pilot episode for the new NBC series, Rise. If you haven't seen this episode and don't wish for me to ruin it for you, I'll preface this article with a SPOILER ALERT. You've been warned!

PROS:

Okay, so here are the positive things that the first episode absolutely nailed in terms of the world of music education:

First off, high school is a tough place for students to find themselves and understand who they are. Specifically, choir students can be the most cutthroat, competitive, and jealous kids out there.

My high school choral program was fortunate enough to combat egotism by having an amazing director that recognized talent within everyone, and not just a select few people. I was allowed to shine as a performer, and that prepared me to have confidence in my abilities while I grew as a musician.

Rise happens to focus on the main character as a theatre director and hasn't focused on the choir program just yet, but I have high hopes that it will go in that direction.

Second, it gave a glimpse into the student's lives and provided a lot of reality and diversity that's completely accurate to what I saw throughout high school. My friends had faced divorce, death, drugs, alcoholism, abuse, and had to grow up incredibly quickly.

The pilot episode showed these issues throughout several homes and shows how it takes a toll on the mind of someone who's still trying to grow up themselves.

The third thing is the set of problems that teachers face in terms of parents, coaches, and fellow educators. When one of the students from the football team is asked to audition for the spring play, his parents and coach butt heads with the director over his "status" and how this would affect him and his reputation as a representative of the school.

Let me say that, in both my high school and college choirs, we had football players, soccer players, debate team members, scholar's club members, and students who needed a place to call home. The choir was where they found their biggest amount of happiness and a home away from home.

CONS:

First, the way that the theater director is employed to his position involves a short conversation with the principal and the principal didn't actually fire the previous director. The new director swooped in as they were rehearsing Grease and said, "Hey, I'm the new theatre director."

In all reality, he would have had to talk to the principal, conduct an interview, and then be selected formally and properly. And the position would have had to be open.

The school wasn't in dire need, they just replaced her on the spot because they didn't like her. Some schools aren't partial and would have fired her if she wasn't doing her job, but it wouldn't have gone down how it did in the pilot.

Second, in order to select a musical or play for the choral/theatre program, it requires an extensive process of the principal reading the script, approving the script, getting the rights to perform the production, and then finally casting the production.

Budgets are discussed for multiple options, what the school can afford, the ability to create sets, and the ability to get costumes. It's not simple enough to suddenly switch sets from Grease to Spring Awakening.

Spring Awakening would never have seen the rehearsal stage in reality, but the pilot portrayed the process backward anyways. The whole script would have to be rewritten to be performable at all because of the content.

Third, the audition process for a show, especially a musical, usually involves the actual script and songs from the musical so that the auditions are fair and organized. It allows directors to have a better idea of the student's range, acting ability, and stage presence in the roles and not just base their audition on their favorite pop song.

Students would sing the same songs, as only two of the characters did, and would read the same excerpts to determine if the part was right for them. It's an extensive process that would have taken up the entire pilot, which is why the director casted it so quickly and informally.

Conclusion

Finally! I'm so excited to see a series shine a light on the difficulties of education and music. While Rise has its inaccuracies, the pros outweigh the cons on this one. I look forward to watching more!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl
Pexels

In case you're unaware, "resting bitch face" is the term used to describe when a person's natural, expressionless face makes it look like they are mad at the world. Whether they are walking down the street or simply spacing out thinking about what to eat for dinner, it's very easy for others to assume that this person is either upset or mad at them. Because of this, those of us with Resting Bitch Face (RBF), and especially us women, have all experienced many of the same situations and conversations, including:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

The Stages Of A Crush As Told By The Cast of "Bob's Burgers"

We all go through certain stages when we have a crush, Tina just explains it better.

98
my heart just pooped its pants
Google

We've all had a crush before. Whether it leads to something or nothing, the process has all been the same. The awkward feelings, the stalking, and the stress of trying to keep this huge secret. The feeling of becoming a total spazz is something that cannot be avoided, and the most spazzy family that can relate to this feeling is the Belcher's.

Keep Reading...Show less
you didnt come this far to only come this far lighted text
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

At the tender age of 18, we are bestowed with the title of “adult.” For 17 years, we live under the rules and guidelines of our parents, school, and government, and to stray from any of those rules or guidelines marks us as a rebel. At 18, though, we must choose which college we want to go to or what career we want. We are allowed and encouraged to vote. We can buy lottery tickets and cigarettes. We can drop out of school, leave our household, and do other "adult" things. At 18, we start down a path of thinking for ourselves, when for the entirety of our lives other institutions have been mandated to think and do for us.

Keep Reading...Show less
university
University of Nebraska at Omaha

Creating your schedule for the upcoming semester can be an exciting process. You have the control to decide if you want to have class two-days a week or five-days a week. You get to check things off of your requirement checklist. It's an opportunity for a fresh start with new classes (which you tell yourself you'll never skip.) This process, which always starts out so optimistic, can get frustrating really quickly. Here are 25 thoughts you have when registering for classes.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

10 Thoughts Of A 5th Year Senior

What about those of us who don't do it all in four years?

1343
college shirt
pointsincase.com

"College will be the best four years of your life" is a phrase that we have all heard growing up. College is painted as a magical place to us while we are in high school. A place you go to learn, meet your best friends and probably have the time of your life while all of this is going down. Four whirlwind years, where everything that you've known changes and you start to learn what it means to live on your own, have a job, etc. But what about those of us who don't do this all in four years? Major changes, hard courses, switching schools, career paths changing, these are just a handful of factors that could extend your four years to five, six or seven. There is nothing wrong with taking extra time to graduate, but returning as a fifth-year is a little different. Most of your best friends have most likely graduated and moved and while you may be one of the oldest undergraduates on campus, you might feel as awkward as a freshmen. A world that became home and comfortable to you is still there but it's slightly different than you've known it to be and you have to find a groove to fall into. These are thoughts you'll have as you look ahead to returning to your college campus, with a victory lap planned.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments