Orchestra- RMIB or Blair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot speak to either school but the new Blair orchestra teacher is amazing. She also does mcyo.

That sounds awesome. What is her name? Looks the like it is not updated with her name on Blair website

Wondering this also because the person whose name is on the Blair site went to CJ, I think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot speak to either school but the new Blair orchestra teacher is amazing. She also does mcyo.

That sounds awesome. What is her name? Looks the like it is not updated with her name on Blair website

Not comfortable posting full names but we really like her. My child has taken a class with her. But she is a conductor with mcyo and energy one has lovely thing to say about her. She was from Loiederman.

[Anonymous]

I am shocked people advocate summer courses to fit an instrument in high school. That is sad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked people advocate summer courses to fit an instrument in high school. That is sad

Even at a non-magnet, kids who want to do 4 years of orchestra/band but still want to take their choice electives during the school year have to do this. You can't have it all, so something has to give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked people advocate summer courses to fit an instrument in high school. That is sad

Why? Some courses, like Health, are completely a waste in person, while others, like drama, orchestra, or art, really do benefit from being in a class with others. Why not get some of the boring classes out of the way online over a few weeks in the summer and enjoy the school year more, with more meaningful classes?

[Anonymous]

How is the band conductor at Blair?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked people advocate summer courses to fit an instrument in high school. That is sad

Even at a non-magnet, kids who want to do 4 years of orchestra/band but still want to take their choice electives during the school year have to do this. You can't have it all, so something has to give.

Yes, not going to summer school like normal kids and families

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked people advocate summer courses to fit an instrument in high school. That is sad

Why? Some courses, like Health, are completely a waste in person, while others, like drama, orchestra, or art, really do benefit from being in a class with others. Why not get some of the boring classes out of the way online over a few weeks in the summer and enjoy the school year more, with more meaningful classes?

Gotta love snowplows who rationalize the race to nowhere

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will need to plan ahead (summer online courses) to do 4 years of orchestra and the IB program. There are a lot of requirements to fit in and IB has no instrumental music class (very annoying!). I would ask this question to the magnet coordinator, I would guess there is a lot of overlap between orchestra and interest in the magnet.

Blair has a good orchestra program with some audition only ensembles. It is easier to fit orchestra into the AP curriculum.

OP) Thanks everyone. Quick question… are instrumental music class and orchestra electives are two different thing? RMIB mentioned about taking an audition and join the Google classroom for orchestra. Blair hasn’t given any information related to orchestra, so just thought maybe RM is more keen to orchestra program. Am I wrong?

Blair is usually the top orchestra in the county, maybe state, I think. Ensembles are classes. Auditions will be in spring. Contact the orchestra teacher (email should be on Blair's website) to ask what you need to do and when.

What makes you say that?

My kid was in the Senior Honors Orchestra this weekend. Looking at the program, most of the kids in Band were from Churchill or Wootton. Only a handful from Blair. Unless all the Blair kids do All-State?

Senior Orchestra seems to have kids from various high school, but Blair is not overly-represented. Though, maybe the kids at Blair are just really good and don't bother with the MCPS Honors Orch.

Most top players do not do orchestra. Maybe first year, but rarely in upper years. They do All State & usually skip county ensembles.

[Anonymous]

Sorry. Do not do honors orchestra. They do do orchestra!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will need to plan ahead (summer online courses) to do 4 years of orchestra and the IB program. There are a lot of requirements to fit in and IB has no instrumental music class (very annoying!). I would ask this question to the magnet coordinator, I would guess there is a lot of overlap between orchestra and interest in the magnet.

Blair has a good orchestra program with some audition only ensembles. It is easier to fit orchestra into the AP curriculum.

OP) Thanks everyone. Quick question… are instrumental music class and orchestra electives are two different thing? RMIB mentioned about taking an audition and join the Google classroom for orchestra. Blair hasn’t given any information related to orchestra, so just thought maybe RM is more keen to orchestra program. Am I wrong?

Blair is usually the top orchestra in the county, maybe state, I think. Ensembles are classes. Auditions will be in spring. Contact the orchestra teacher (email should be on Blair's website) to ask what you need to do and when.

I thought Blair's conductor left for Cabin John last year. How is the orchestra this year?

That being said, I am not sure I would claim Blair is the "top in the county, maybe state".

In the years my kid was there, Blair had the most students at All State and Chamber earned top scores as an ensemble with the most difficult degree of music available. The conductor is a part of it (glad to hear the new one is good!), but a lot of it is because there a bunch of kids who have been playing competitively for years at Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked people advocate summer courses to fit an instrument in high school. That is sad

Why? Some courses, like Health, are completely a waste in person, while others, like drama, orchestra, or art, really do benefit from being in a class with others. Why not get some of the boring classes out of the way online over a few weeks in the summer and enjoy the school year more, with more meaningful classes?

Mine didn't need to do health in summer. The extra period was enough. I know it's harder for kids now w/ 2 semesters of health. Sorry, kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked people advocate summer courses to fit an instrument in high school. That is sad

Why? Some courses, like Health, are completely a waste in person, while others, like drama, orchestra, or art, really do benefit from being in a class with others. Why not get some of the boring classes out of the way online over a few weeks in the summer and enjoy the school year more, with more meaningful classes?

Gotta love snowplows who rationalize the race to nowhere

I don't know. This person just seems like they want to experience more arts. I'm in the arts and can't knock that! I also didn't want my kid in summer school. She needed a break! My other kid did do health online the summer it was free and everything was virtual. She is in another program that doesn't have the extra period, so it is allowing her to take creative writing.

[Anonymous]

The magnet programs can have schedule conflicts with orchestra in Blair I've heard from another student who studies with my daughter’s private music teacher. However, last fall I read in the online Blair instrumental music handbook that the school accommodates those students by letting them participate in orchestra while not being able to take part in the orchestra classes. It's great to currently have a teacher dedicated to orchestra and professionally trained in that and a separate teacher for band. I don't know about Richard Montgomery. You can listen to how good the Blair orchestras sound with the tweets from their winter concert. https://twitter.com/MBHSmusic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rising 9th grader and trying to choose a good fit of school next year…
Is it realistically possible to do 4 years of orchestra if your child is at either RMIB or Blair SMAC?
DC really loves orchestra and the instrument she’s playing and wants to continue orchestra electives throughout the high school, but is concerned that she won’t be able to put orchestra elective in her schedule with all IB requirement classes or magnet electives that needs to be done. Are there many kids doing orchestra/band for 4 years at magnet program especially RM or Blair? Any other notes related to orchestra in those schools will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Many Blair kids do 4 years of orchestra. They may have to not be in the top orchestra to make it work because upper level magnet classes often are offered only in one time slot.