Instrumental music in MoCo public schools

[Anonymous]

Can any current MoCo public school parents tell me about the opportunities for instrumental music that are available to elementary school kids? I'm not thinking of private lessons, but of ensembles like orchestra or band. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

MCPS offers instrumental music classes to 4th and 5th grade students. Typically, the instrumental music teacher gives lessons at a particular school 2 days a week (one day for "beginners"/4th grade kids or 5th grade kids who did not take lessons in 4th grade, and one day for "advanced" kids/5th graders). The lessons are 30 minutes and occur during the school day. The schedule rotates so that a student will not miss the same subject area every week (ex. one week your kid may have a lesson from 9:30 - 10:00, but the next week the lesson may be from 10:00 - 10:30). At our school, kids can choose to take lessons with the following instruments: flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, trombone, and baritone. 5th grade kids who take clarinet lessons in 4th grade may take saxophone lessons in 5th grade. Our school has 2 concerts each year...one in January and another in May.

[Anonymous]

I think piano is offered as an after school activity at Rosemary Hills (k-2)?

[Anonymous]

17:22 provided a great overview. The only thing I would add is that parents are required to provide the instruments and the books.

My son is taking clarinet. I have found his instrumental music teacher to be fantastic. He has called me at home to inquire of our practice schedule and to answer questions I've had. And, he is the only teacher who has ever answered my questions by initiating personal interaction. Needless to say, I am impressed.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks so much. Do elementary schools offer ensembles like orchestra and band for kids? And do the instrumental music offerings vary by school? It sounds like that may be the case.