Abysmal music program/what to do/talk to head of school??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - At least your kid's school has a band. Ours doesn't even have that, but that's unfortunately understandable because a HS would have to both have a critical mass of students interested in continuing with band in HS and figure out a time in the schedule that most of them could attend. You can't have a band director teaching 4 classes a day of band with 20 kids in each class (unless the school is rolling in money). If your kid is a really good trombonist, and particularly if they are interested in playing in a regional orchestra, it should be sky's the limit at what they can do outside of school.

Why not?

[Anonymous]

Let it go and join a more rigorous group outside of school. This was the program they had when you signed up. Addressing this will most likely just ruffle feathers, create an awkward social situation for you and lead to no positive outcome for your child. It takes time to develop a solid program. If, by miracle of miracles, the admin. decided to jump on this right away, your child will have graduated by the time the new solid program is firmly established.

Also, the comment about challenges with building a solid program in a small school is the issue. I grew up in rigorous competitive concert and marching band programs. I loved it and trained as an instrumental teacher. Now I teach in a small private. Have discussed at length a few different possibilities for trying to improve instrumental offerings during the school day. It's just not feasible mostly because of scheduling, and not really being able to rationalize hiring all the extra people you would need to have the separate music tracks--choral, band, general in such a small school. Instead we put a lot of effort into our choral/general program and students pursue private lessons after school. There are several great options. Then, perhaps your child could develop another interest during school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so interesting! Do many schools in the DC area, public or private, actually teach kids to read music!?

Both our public and private do, but that is unrelated to having the size and quality of a band/orchestra that OP wants. Our private school has some phenomenally talented musicians, but at school they are performing with kids who picked up the instrument a few years ago and don't practice. Outside of school, they perform all over the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - At least your kid's school has a band. Ours doesn't even have that, but that's unfortunately understandable because a HS would have to both have a critical mass of students interested in continuing with band in HS and figure out a time in the schedule that most of them could attend. You can't have a band director teaching 4 classes a day of band with 20 kids in each class (unless the school is rolling in money). If your kid is a really good trombonist, and particularly if they are interested in playing in a regional orchestra, it should be sky's the limit at what they can do outside of school.

Why not?

Because half of the skills taught in band and other groups are ENSEMBLE skills. These are measurable, objective skills (blend and balance, intonation, phrasing, etc) that need to be worked on together.

Very hard to work intonation when your whole low brass section is in a different class. Very difficult to work on phrasing in a specific section if only 2 flutes are there out of 5.

No harm in asking the question, but it would be like asking the basketball team to practice separately except for like a half hour before each game. Ensemble skills and team skills are very similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That said I do think it would be reasonable to suggest that you get students be able to test into advanced band/orchestra.

As a school administrator in a small school, this sounds easy but it isn’t. Scheduling classes with 1 section and kids in all 4 grades is a nightmare.