Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?

[Anonymous]

Frost MS and Wootton HS orchestras went to a national orchestra clinic this year. Of course the kids do a lot of prep outside of the school program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The strongest MS and HS orchestras in MCPS are going to be in the wealthier schools where parents are paying for private lessons and a significant number of the kids are in MCYO/PVYO and/or enrolled in school music programs so they can be eligible for All-County and All-State. Frost, Cabin John, Hoover, Pyle, Tilden, etc. And then of course, Wootton, Whitman, Churchill, WJ, and RM (because the orchestra is full of IB kids coming from the aforementioned middle schools). Not to say that other schools don't have good programs, but that is where the highest concentrations are.

This. Those kids are not good because of school but private lessons and programs. Most teachers don’t teach come ms and high school and just conduct.

It also helps to have the extra funding and teachers willing to put in the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.

OP has a kid in early ES. We don’t know if they’re even in the proposed region of Einstein. So many changes coming it’s hard to predict that far out what teachers will be where.

If I wanted top, I would go to a W school that has way more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RM.

Black Masker productions are amazing. They have a full orchestra for the musical production they put on every year. The orchestra is great.

The choral teacher is great, too.

Mostly agree. Newsies was great this year. If you're kid is more instrumental music than drama though and isn't into jazz, maybe look elsewhere. The concert band and marching band could be a lot stronger with more effort from the top.

I think RM is supposed to have the performance art regional magnet program. I don't know if that's still the case with all the maneuvering.

Newsies was great. My kid has been in Black Maskers all 4 years. Really top notch productions.

Disagree on the instrumental music. The orchestra is pretty great. They don't just play jazz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frost MS and Wootton HS orchestras went to a national orchestra clinic this year. Of course the kids do a lot of prep outside of the school program.

Didn't they let go of the music teacher at Wootton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The strongest MS and HS orchestras in MCPS are going to be in the wealthier schools where parents are paying for private lessons and a significant number of the kids are in MCYO/PVYO and/or enrolled in school music programs so they can be eligible for All-County and All-State. Frost, Cabin John, Hoover, Pyle, Tilden, etc. And then of course, Wootton, Whitman, Churchill, WJ, and RM (because the orchestra is full of IB kids coming from the aforementioned middle schools). Not to say that other schools don't have good programs, but that is where the highest concentrations are.

This. Those kids are not good because of school but private lessons and programs. Most teachers don’t teach come ms and high school and just conduct.

It also helps to have the extra funding and teachers willing to put in the time.

Also in my experience, a lot of the music directors at MCPS schools are brass/percussion players by trade. So for the string players without private instruction, the knowledge about instrument care and maintenance and what bowings and fingerings to do usually came from the more advanced players, not the teacher. This can be slightly frustrating for the advanced players because you are spending the first 10 minutes of class helping other kids tune violins, changing broken strings, re-seating bridges, etc. because the teacher doesn't know how. Though it does build those skills, and patience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.

When the theatre program
Moves to Northwood, will there still be a need for a live pit orchestra at Einstein?

MCPS leaders really mucked this up.

Einstein STAGE will stay at Einstein. Northwood theatre program isn’t as strong as Einstein. I would argue that Einstein has the strongest theatre program in the county. Einstein parents are just modest about the gem that’s in their community.

[Anonymous]

ES schools have music as a special and then offer band/orchestra starting at 4th. Clarksburg HS has Concert and Symphonic band, Concert and Symphonic Orchestra, Jazz band, Percussion Ensemble, Competitive Marching Band (outdoor and indoor), and Chorus.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know why chorus in MCPS doesn't start until 4th? I'm used to it starting in K or 1st elsewhere in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.

When the theatre program
Moves to Northwood, will there still be a need for a live pit orchestra at Einstein?

MCPS leaders really mucked this up.

Einstein STAGE will stay at Einstein. Northwood theatre program isn’t as strong as Einstein. I would argue that Einstein has the strongest theatre program in the county. Einstein parents are just modest about the gem that’s in their community.

It’s good but it’s overrated. The new teacher is good and trying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know why chorus in MCPS doesn't start until 4th? I'm used to it starting in K or 1st elsewhere in the country.

Strathmore Choir is really good if you want a private one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frost MS and Wootton HS orchestras went to a national orchestra clinic this year. Of course the kids do a lot of prep outside of the school program.

Didn't they let go of the music teacher at Wootton?

The teacher doesn’t matter as much as private lessons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.

When the theatre program
Moves to Northwood, will there still be a need for a live pit orchestra at Einstein?

MCPS leaders really mucked this up.

Einstein STAGE will stay at Einstein. Northwood theatre program isn’t as strong as Einstein. I would argue that Einstein has the strongest theatre program in the county. Einstein parents are just modest about the gem that’s in their community.

It’s good but it’s overrated. The new teacher is good and trying.

How is it overrated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The strongest MS and HS orchestras in MCPS are going to be in the wealthier schools where parents are paying for private lessons and a significant number of the kids are in MCYO/PVYO and/or enrolled in school music programs so they can be eligible for All-County and All-State. Frost, Cabin John, Hoover, Pyle, Tilden, etc. And then of course, Wootton, Whitman, Churchill, WJ, and RM (because the orchestra is full of IB kids coming from the aforementioned middle schools). Not to say that other schools don't have good programs, but that is where the highest concentrations are.

This. Those kids are not good because of school but private lessons and programs. Most teachers don’t teach come ms and high school and just conduct.

It also helps to have the extra funding and teachers willing to put in the time.

Also in my experience, a lot of the music directors at MCPS schools are brass/percussion players by trade. So for the string players without private instruction, the knowledge about instrument care and maintenance and what bowings and fingerings to do usually came from the more advanced players, not the teacher. This can be slightly frustrating for the advanced players because you are spending the first 10 minutes of class helping other kids tune violins, changing broken strings, re-seating bridges, etc. because the teacher doesn't know how. Though it does build those skills, and patience.

It depends on the school. There are some strictly strings. The students do end up helping and teaching each other a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.

When the theatre program
Moves to Northwood, will there still be a need for a live pit orchestra at Einstein?

MCPS leaders really mucked this up.

Einstein STAGE will stay at Einstein. Northwood theatre program isn’t as strong as Einstein. I would argue that Einstein has the strongest theatre program in the county. Einstein parents are just modest about the gem that’s in their community.

It’s good but it’s overrated. The new teacher is good and trying.

How is it overrated?

Compare it to what other schools are doing and have.