Marching band and academic conflicts

[Anonymous]

It's possible. Know a kid from DC HS that was a drum major and in a regional orchestra. Is now at Duke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, yes. Our college freshman did marching band all four years of high school with honors and AP courses all the way through HS. It is a great experience for your student to learn how to budget time and handle a workload. This is what colleges like to see, actually. Can you manage your time well? (College requires it.) Can you work under pressure sometimes? Can you use time management skills?

I would say do not deny your student the opportunity to demonstrate it.

But the thing is, my child wouldn’t be able to fit in 4 yrs of the most important core classes in addition to required electives (gym, etc) with band. They likely would have to cut social studies and not do 4 yrs if it or maybe not 4 yrs if a foreign language. They only have 5 periods at their school.

This seems like a failure on the school's part, to make taking band not compatible with a full academic schedule.

+1 That's a school issue. Band all 4 years isn't a problem in FCPS. As others have said, maybe look into summer PE.

Same in APS. There are 7 class periods. DD has been in band all 4 years, took French through level 5, and had additional electives. She did take econ/personal finance over summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, many kids take health and/or the technology credit in the summers.

You can do the tech credit in MS too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's possible. Know a kid from DC HS that was a drum major and in a regional orchestra. Is now at Duke.

A student from my kids' high school in Indiana was drum major and went on to the University of Michigan where she became *their* drum major. Went into biomedical engineering or something. Just an all-around badass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finding it hard to fit in all the classes my child wants/needs to be competitive for college yet still fit in marching band. Has anyone’s child managed to keep up with marching band while still taking 4 yrs of math, science, English, language, and social studies?

Yes! Along with four years of foreign language and a sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finding it hard to fit in all the classes my child wants/needs to be competitive for college yet still fit in marching band. Has anyone’s child managed to keep up with marching band while still taking 4 yrs of math, science, English, language, and social studies?

Yes! Along with four years of foreign language and a sport.

Classes were all AP and honors, but took consumer finance and PE over the summer. Super easy to do, great use of the summer, and freed up two electives. This was in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

At our MCPS school, marching band is an extracurricular. Practice after school. It’s a class for people here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our MCPS school, marching band is an extracurricular. Practice after school. It’s a class for people here?

Yes marching band is after school in FCPS. But that still conflicts with a fall sport, as some noted. Additionally, some segue into the question about curricular band taking away an elective spot over the four years, which is why some in FCPS do PE or consumer finance over the summer.

[Anonymous]

I did a full honors/AP schedule in high school, 4 years of marching band and was editor of the school newspaper for two years. I also worked 9 hours a week at an office job. My grades were always better during marching season. I eventually did four years of college band, which really made my college experience.

I think a lot of kids had conflicts and some were allowed to do band without taking the band class. Sports conflicts were also worked out. We always had a football player in the band if I remember correctly. This was at a small school in NJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did a full honors/AP schedule in high school, 4 years of marching band and was editor of the school newspaper for two years. I also worked 9 hours a week at an office job. My grades were always better during marching season. I eventually did four years of college band, which really made my college experience.

I think a lot of kids had conflicts and some were allowed to do band without taking the band class. Sports conflicts were also worked out. We always had a football player in the band if I remember correctly. This was at a small school in NJ.

Bigger school districts, like those in Northern Virginia at least, are definitely stricter regarding fall sports. I don’t think anyone in Fairfax County could be on the football team and do marching band. Cross country? Probably…

[Anonymous]

Definitely recommend summer PE and summer Personal Finance. Then your kid will have room for 4 years of band. And depending on what they want to major in college, they could consider the standard diploma… Most colleges don’t care about 4 years of history. Look at what the college requirements are and read threads here and on college confidential about what students have taken to get into specific schools. Good luck! I did 4 years of marching band in college too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely recommend summer PE and summer Personal Finance. Then your kid will have room for 4 years of band. And depending on what they want to major in college, they could consider the standard diploma… Most colleges don’t care about 4 years of history. Look at what the college requirements are and read threads here and on college confidential about what students have taken to get into specific schools. Good luck! I did 4 years of marching band in college too.

This is OP. My child Is very strong academically and is very dedicated and bright. I do think she would have a good chance at getting into a top college, which is what she wants. From what I am reading, those colleges are looking for 4 years of English, math, Science, foreign language, and social studies/history. Perhaps the social studies component isn’t that important? How our school does scheduling is confusing and complicated; I’m hoping there is a way to fit it all in that I’m not seeing now.

[Anonymous]

It sounds as if this is something very school-specific.
My kid did marching band all 4 years and is graduating with a 8 APs and an advanced diploma. They also had room for electives other than just band. However, they had 7 periods a day and did virtual PE over the summer.
I would definitely check with the band director and counselor at your child's school. Clearly, there's a way to make it work if other kids do it. But I'm not sure advice on this site is going to be relevant to your situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our MCPS school, marching band is an extracurricular. Practice after school. It’s a class for people here?

Yes marching band is after school in FCPS. But that still conflicts with a fall sport, as some noted. Additionally, some segue into the question about curricular band taking away an elective spot over the four years, which is why some in FCPS do PE or consumer finance over the summer.

I don’t believe in my kid’s FCPS school that you can be in marching band (an after school activity) without being signed up for some band class. I could be wrong on that though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our MCPS school, marching band is an extracurricular. Practice after school. It’s a class for people here?

Yes marching band is after school in FCPS. But that still conflicts with a fall sport, as some noted. Additionally, some segue into the question about curricular band taking away an elective spot over the four years, which is why some in FCPS do PE or consumer finance over the summer.

I don’t believe in my kid’s FCPS school that you can be in marching band (an after school activity) without being signed up for some band class. I could be wrong on that though.

That is how it works at APS too.

It is at least possible to do a Fall sport too but may take some negotiation between coach and band director. We attended a Yorktown game last year where one of the football players also marched with the band (wearing his football uniform).

My DD is in band at W-L and has at least one band friend who also did cross country in the Fall.