DCPS schools with good music programs

[Anonymous]

First that comes to mind is Hardy.

[Anonymous]

Eaton has two music teachers and a phenomenal program.

[Anonymous]

I have friends at Burroughs who rave about the music teacher/orchestra program. They played at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have friends at Burroughs who rave about the music teacher/orchestra program. They played at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage!

That’s the DCPS Performing Arts Festival that several other posts are talking about.

[Anonymous]

I’m amazed that these DCPS elementary schools have orchestra and band. My kids go to Hearst and Deal, and we have nothing. A school musical every year, but no instruction in musical instruments (except maybe drums in music class?) and no opportunities to play in an ensemble. Does it just depend on the teachers, or do some schools get extra money for these programs through grants?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed that these DCPS elementary schools have orchestra and band. My kids go to Hearst and Deal, and we have nothing. A school musical every year, but no instruction in musical instruments (except maybe drums in music class?) and no opportunities to play in an ensemble. Does it just depend on the teachers, or do some schools get extra money for these programs through grants?

Yes, some schools get grants, some allocate funds for music. What DCPS and DCPCS don't do is require schools to offer instrumental music instruction across the board at any level. Nothing is standardized or too serious. Compare to MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, where almost all by-right schools offer serious instrumental music instruction daily at school from the upper elementary grades on up, and weep. So lame.

[Anonymous]

Did Deal ever have band/orchestra classes? Hardy lost theirs briefly, during the Principal J crisis. What has been a scheduled academic period with teachers, grades, and concerts got demoted to the status of a quasi-club with erratic rehearsals during some lunch periods. Current principal promptly solved that problem and now there are once again multiple levels of wind band and string orchestra electives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did Deal ever have band/orchestra classes? Hardy lost theirs briefly, during the Principal J crisis. What has been a scheduled academic period with teachers, grades, and concerts got demoted to the status of a quasi-club with erratic rehearsals during some lunch periods. Current principal promptly solved that problem and now there are once again multiple levels of wind band and string orchestra electives.

What *had been. Sorry for typo.

Can also 10/10 recommend DCYOP if your DCPS isn't giving you what you need for music programming. Terrific, terrific program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed that these DCPS elementary schools have orchestra and band. My kids go to Hearst and Deal, and we have nothing. A school musical every year, but no instruction in musical instruments (except maybe drums in music class?) and no opportunities to play in an ensemble. Does it just depend on the teachers, or do some schools get extra money for these programs through grants?

For our school, it’s a great long-term music teacher who plays to his strengths (can teach keyboard well), his students’ strengths/interests (added a pick up keyboard group this year that started entirely organically) and a PTO that supports him and music as needed (new electric guitar & mics this year, subsidized after school programs, new sound system pieces). My K kid decided they wanted to take violin lessons after seeing a student violinist perform with the keyboard orchestra at our spring concert, so I can say first hand that exposure matters in terms of driving interest.

[Anonymous]

Does Walls have an orchestra (either class period or extracurricular)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed that these DCPS elementary schools have orchestra and band. My kids go to Hearst and Deal, and we have nothing. A school musical every year, but no instruction in musical instruments (except maybe drums in music class?) and no opportunities to play in an ensemble. Does it just depend on the teachers, or do some schools get extra money for these programs through grants?

Yes, some schools get grants, some allocate funds for music. What DCPS and DCPCS don't do is require schools to offer instrumental music instruction across the board at any level. Nothing is standardized or too serious. Compare to MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, where almost all by-right schools offer serious instrumental music instruction daily at school from the upper elementary grades on up, and weep. So lame.

Yeah, this is what nobody is mentioning. As a whole, DCPS is awful for music education. You might find a particular school or teacher that is great, but it's probably entirely contingent on a temporary grant and the will of one or two people. If music education is really important to you, you'll likely end up at either DCYOP, Levine, a private school, or the suburbs. We've made do with a combo of private instruction and private school after leaving one of the schools that was cited in the thread as "good."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed that these DCPS elementary schools have orchestra and band. My kids go to Hearst and Deal, and we have nothing. A school musical every year, but no instruction in musical instruments (except maybe drums in music class?) and no opportunities to play in an ensemble. Does it just depend on the teachers, or do some schools get extra money for these programs through grants?

Yes, some schools get grants, some allocate funds for music. What DCPS and DCPCS don't do is require schools to offer instrumental music instruction across the board at any level. Nothing is standardized or too serious. Compare to MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, where almost all by-right schools offer serious instrumental music instruction daily at school from the upper elementary grades on up, and weep. So lame.

Yeah, this is what nobody is mentioning. As a whole, DCPS is awful for music education. You might find a particular school or teacher that is great, but it's probably entirely contingent on a temporary grant and the will of one or two people. If music education is really important to you, you'll likely end up at either DCYOP, Levine, a private school, or the suburbs. We've made do with a combo of private instruction and private school after leaving one of the schools that was cited in the thread as "good."

+1. So true. A music teacher here and there or exposure to an instrument at a few random schools is not a serious music program like what they have across the board in the burbs.

[Anonymous]

Hands down Eaton. Two music teachers, choral, strings, winds, marimba, annual musical, performances at major arts venues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed that these DCPS elementary schools have orchestra and band. My kids go to Hearst and Deal, and we have nothing. A school musical every year, but no instruction in musical instruments (except maybe drums in music class?) and no opportunities to play in an ensemble. Does it just depend on the teachers, or do some schools get extra money for these programs through grants?

Yes, some schools get grants, some allocate funds for music. What DCPS and DCPCS don't do is require schools to offer instrumental music instruction across the board at any level. Nothing is standardized or too serious. Compare to MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, where almost all by-right schools offer serious instrumental music instruction daily at school from the upper elementary grades on up, and weep. So lame.

Yeah, this is what nobody is mentioning. As a whole, DCPS is awful for music education. You might find a particular school or teacher that is great, but it's probably entirely contingent on a temporary grant and the will of one or two people. If music education is really important to you, you'll likely end up at either DCYOP, Levine, a private school, or the suburbs. We've made do with a combo of private instruction and private school after leaving one of the schools that was cited in the thread as "good."

+1. So true. A music teacher here and there or exposure to an instrument at a few random schools is not a serious music program like what they have across the board in the burbs.

Sure. But most serious music students seem to go to DC youth orch or Levine, which seem far superior to an average suburban program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed that these DCPS elementary schools have orchestra and band. My kids go to Hearst and Deal, and we have nothing. A school musical every year, but no instruction in musical instruments (except maybe drums in music class?) and no opportunities to play in an ensemble. Does it just depend on the teachers, or do some schools get extra money for these programs through grants?

Yes, some schools get grants, some allocate funds for music. What DCPS and DCPCS don't do is require schools to offer instrumental music instruction across the board at any level. Nothing is standardized or too serious. Compare to MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, where almost all by-right schools offer serious instrumental music instruction daily at school from the upper elementary grades on up, and weep. So lame.

Yeah, this is what nobody is mentioning. As a whole, DCPS is awful for music education. You might find a particular school or teacher that is great, but it's probably entirely contingent on a temporary grant and the will of one or two people. If music education is really important to you, you'll likely end up at either DCYOP, Levine, a private school, or the suburbs. We've made do with a combo of private instruction and private school after leaving one of the schools that was cited in the thread as "good."

+1. So true. A music teacher here and there or exposure to an instrument at a few random schools is not a serious music program like what they have across the board in the burbs.

Sure. But most serious music students seem to go to DC youth orch or Levine, which seem far superior to an average suburban program?

My kid goes to DC youth and not really. DC youth is once a week and it’s not enough. You need the kid to be in private lessons too. I can’t speak for Levine since I know nothing about them. And DC youth, you need to get picked to move up in their orchestra so not all kids will have the opportunity.

If the burbs are offering daily music instruction, then that is huge and kids who are naturally good will get better. It’s much better because they are basically learning and practicing every day.

Lastly, the big elephant in the room is access. Burbs everyone has access and opportunity. In DC its pay to play and private lessons are not cheap.