How do you feel about black pants for mcps winter concerts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP must not have been in band or chorus or orchestra when she was in school. Black pants (and black dresses!) have been required forever.

Or maybe op went to a private school?

FTR: the dress code isn't just for the band. Our school uses this dress code for the winter choir concert (4th and 5th graders). It's mandatory, not an elective like band.

And at private schools, the dress code for such a thing is "holiday best."[i][u] I think kids would like nicer in their holiday best (sparkly or velvet dresses, red/green or blue/silver, holiday ties. etc.). Plus, it adds to the festive spirit.

Perhaps at your kids' private school the dress code is holiday best, but that's not true at my kids' school, and it wasn't true of the private school I went to at a different state. (I still remember going to about 8 different stores to find a black skirt that would fit in 8th grade. I was really short and skinny, but didn't want little kids skirt.)
The preschool/K kids are "festive attire" but after that, it's white shirts and black pants.
As so many PPs have said, that's standard concert attire all across the country, from little kids to professional orchestras. (Minus the tux/suit jacket for kids)

DP, pointing out as other PPs have, that not everyone has a “holiday best” outfit. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, that’s not necessarily part of your world, and would certainly be more expensive than just buying a pair of black pants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP must not have been in band or chorus or orchestra when she was in school. Black pants (and black dresses!) have been required forever.

Or maybe op went to a private school?

FTR: the dress code isn't just for the band. Our school uses this dress code for the winter choir concert (4th and 5th graders). It's mandatory, not an elective like band.

And at private schools, the dress code for such a thing is "holiday best."[i][u] I think kids would like nicer in their holiday best (sparkly or velvet dresses, red/green or blue/silver, holiday ties. etc.). Plus, it adds to the festive spirit.

Perhaps at your kids' private school the dress code is holiday best, but that's not true at my kids' school, and it wasn't true of the private school I went to at a different state. (I still remember going to about 8 different stores to find a black skirt that would fit in 8th grade. I was really short and skinny, but didn't want little kids skirt.)
The preschool/K kids are "festive attire" but after that, it's white shirts and black pants.
As so many PPs have said, that's standard concert attire all across the country, from little kids to professional orchestras. (Minus the tux/suit jacket for kids)

+2 no holiday best. Blue blazer, gray pants, black shoes and socks and black belt. this was standard for lower school, middle school and high school.

Everyone wearing different outfit is distracting. It's supposed to be about the music.

[Anonymous]

When my kids signed up for band or strings in elementary school, we had to sign a contract. One of the things it included was details about the required concert clothing. How is this a surprise in December?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school requires black pants and white shirts for the winter concert and band performance. As a mother of boys, I would never buy black pants but for this one night event. Instead, it would be easier if they could wear khakis since we already have those---and I feel like most families would already have khakis rather than black pants.

I'm curious how others feel about this?

I *feel* (since that's what you asked) like black pants with white shirts is the standard and has been since the beginning of time. Unless your school is requiring you to purchase a specific brand and style, this approach is used all over the US.

I also wonder if high FARMS schools, they may not necessarily have this policy (since many seem concerned about affordability). I think that the dress code would be a school decision and a principal knows what is best for that school's students and families.

I also donate my son's black pants to Interfaith Clothing. Hopefully other parents would do the same.

Our school maintains a collection of donated black pants, white shirts, black shoes. My kids don't dress up much so during the years DS was in school band he just wore the band black pants/shoes for the occasional dress up occasion. DD already wears black pants all the time so not an issue for her.

[Anonymous]

So my preschool Christmas concert says white shirt, DARK pants. I can get away with navy then, right? The only black pants DS has are sweatpants and I'd rather him wear the navy dressier pants because the concert is in a church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my preschool Christmas concert says white shirt, DARK pants. I can get away with navy then, right? The only black pants DS has are sweatpants and I'd rather him wear the navy dressier pants because the concert is in a church.

I would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my preschool Christmas concert says white shirt, DARK pants. I can get away with navy then, right? The only black pants DS has are sweatpants and I'd rather him wear the navy dressier pants because the concert is in a church.

I would.

Yes, navy is fine then.

[Anonymous]

One year, my son couldn't button up the black pants I him bought earlier in the year. And he was supposed to wear them the next day (all day) to school. So, I had him just wear his black karate pants. I doubt anyone really noticed.

I never really bothered about the dark shoes requirement until he started 6th grade band. This year I got black pants for about $14 and black shoes for about $25 at DSW.

[Anonymous]

DD has a pair of black jeans hat she will wear for her concert. I bought about buying her a pair of pants but then decided no one will notice, as the only difference will be that one is made of denim. Hard to tell when both are black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boy is this poster gonna be bummed when she needs to pony up for a suit for their son to wear to bar mitzvahs - or the dresses for the girls.

No one needs to buy a suit to go to a bar mitzvah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was super annoyed by the black pants as well. It's not part of his regular wardrobe, and to go out and buy it special for one night is consumptive and wasteful, even if I can afford to.

Turning on the heat and lights just so parents could hear their kids scrape out some tunes is also consumptive and wasteful. No utility to that whatsoever.

Also, do none of you people have friends, neighbors or relatives who can lend you stuff? My husband was an immigrant kid with a single mom who worked all day and studied all night and he worked this out, ON HIS OWN, from middle school on for his orchestra concerts, without spending a dime. I myself have borrowed a suit from my co-worker who had a son older than mine, and I've passed along lots of my kids' dress clothes.

[Anonymous]

Consignment/Thrift/Goodwill/etc. I just sent DD's black pants from last year there - she hated them, so they were only worn once.

[Anonymous]

Ffs just spend the $10 at Old Navy and be happy to live in a place that offers music education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ffs just spend the $10 at Old Navy and be happy to live in a place that offers music education.

For an allegedly excellent school district, I think our music programs are uniformly crummy across mcps.

Google holiday school concert and you'll find much better programs.

Have you seen the Motown shows from Baldwin Hills? This school's annual concert has gone viral. It's amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ffs just spend the $10 at Old Navy and be happy to live in a place that offers music education.

For an allegedly excellent school district, I think our music programs are uniformly crummy across mcps.

Google holiday school concert and you'll find much better programs.

Have you seen the Motown shows from Baldwin Hills? This school's annual concert has gone viral. It's amazing!

MCPS has a hugely diverse population with lots of different needs. The budget is limited and not much money left for music and arts. Our poor ES Music teacher is fantastic but she has about a dozen kids in her instrumental music classes. Impossible to effectively teach kids that way when they have one 40 minute lesson a week.

MCPS is overcrowded and poorly managed. Crappy all around.