What happens when the answer is no, and how young Redwood performers learn to keep going.
By: Greer Olson
If you’ve ever been rejected from something, whether it was a job or a selective music group, you might’ve been told to just get over it. But is it really that simple? Rejection, naturally, damages one’s ego and makes one insecure. Feeling rejected after being rejected is normal.
Drama 3 student Katy Robles, ‘25, thinks so. She expresses that rejection is hard, and the notion that it isn’t, is wrong. Robles explains that so many people will tell you not to take it to heart, but that’s not the case, saying, “I think you’re allowed to be upset, I think you need to take a moment to feel it.”
She also says that despite this hurt she says that, “you’re allowed to feel that upsetness, but I don’t think, at least for me, it’s not worth it.” Elaborating further, she says to take it as a learning curve.
Robles adds that even after doing shows for so long, “some still hurt more than others.” She says that it just takes time to learn how to handle rejection: it doesn’t just randomly get easier.
No matter if it’s failing to landing your dream role or being picked last for a group project, having an emotional reaction to being rejected is normal. Though that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know how to cope with it.
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Advanced Orchestra 2 student, Julianne Arakaki, ‘27, says that after being rejected from CODA (California Orchestra Directors Association), an all-state orchestra group, she took it as motivation to do better. Somewhere along her career in music she was able to tell herself that she needed, “to use this as motivation or else you won’t get anywhere.”
Dwelling on rejection only further holds you back from getting to that later acceptance you wish to reach.
Mr. Rodney Yokota, the Advanced Orchestra and Orchestra teacher at Redwood High School, says to not quit on yourself and to take it as, “okay what do I need to improve on.”
Mr. Yokota also makes the analogy to a job interview later on in life. He said that, “when you’re out applying for jobs and all that, there are going to be ones you don’t get.” He follows that up with expressing to just put yourself out there and prepare yourself further.
But not only that, Mr. Yokota also explains how when it comes to rejecting students he understands that sometimes there just aren’t enough opportunities for kids. He adds that, “it’s about the preparation the student puts in for the audition.”
Concert Chior student Nathan Delgado, ‘26, also explains that when he’s faced with rejection, he just gets back up.
“I think I do pretty well with rejection,” he said, having tried out for multiple musicals and choirs. Delgado has learned to handle the rejections he does face with the attitude to just work harder.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t think about it. Delgado explains how he knows he can be hard on himself at times when an audition is coming up, so something that helps him is praying. Regarding his faith, he explains that it’s very important to him and he just, “gives it to God” when he’s in need of some comfort.
Greer Olson
Greer Olson '27 is in her first year of journalism and isn't quite sure what she exactly wants to write about, but is interested in learning about the people of Redwood and what makes everyone individuals.
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