Which MCPS school has best symphonic and marching band program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WJ is Great for music. 4 FT music faculty with 2 orchestras, 3 bands, and a Jazz ensemble. Great piano and guitar instruction, too! They have an extracurricular pep band and drum line.

How do they get 4 FT music faculty? Are you including Chorus and Theatre in this count?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Students who were selected for Senior All-state from MoCo this year:

Band:
Churchill
Blake
Wootton
Whitman
RM
Blair
Clarksburg
BCC
QO

Jazz:
Whitman
Blake
BCC
WJ
Einstein
Blair

Orchestra:
Blair
Wootton
Churchill
RM
Sherwood
NW
Gaithersburg
Seneca Valley

Commercial (rock):
Whitman
Einstein
WJ

This list doesn’t really tell anything about the musical program itself as kids in these have to choose to try out. There are plenty of kids that are musically great but who don’t audition for honors or all state band because they have other activities

nope

Why are you saying nope? I have a private orchestra kid and they did not try out as between music and sports they have little time. This is just a weekend and doesn’t seem worth it.

it's much harder to get into all state than to make strathmore. your kid wouldn't get in. NBD, but not "i could do it but didn't bother" situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Students who were selected for Senior All-state from MoCo this year:

Band:
Churchill
Blake
Wootton
Whitman
RM
Blair
Clarksburg
BCC
QO

Jazz:
Whitman
Blake
BCC
WJ
Einstein
Blair

Orchestra:
Blair
Wootton
Churchill
RM
Sherwood
NW
Gaithersburg
Seneca Valley

Commercial (rock):
Whitman
Einstein
WJ

This list doesn’t really tell anything about the musical program itself as kids in these have to choose to try out. There are plenty of kids that are musically great but who don’t audition for honors or all state band because they have other activities

nope

Why are you saying nope? I have a private orchestra kid and they did not try out as between music and sports they have little time. This is just a weekend and doesn’t seem worth it.

it's much harder to get into all state than to make strathmore. your kid wouldn't get in. NBD, but not "i could do it but didn't bother" situation.

Really? MCYO is extremely competitive. Many kids don't make it. Clearly, you have no clue. PVYO is more flexible. MCYO only takes a few kids for wind instruments and percussion for each group. And, you have to earn your spot back each year. They are both competitive. We have zero space in our schedule for it. We have 1-3 activities per night per child, from private lessons to group lessons to orchestra to sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ is Great for music. 4 FT music faculty with 2 orchestras, 3 bands, and a Jazz ensemble. Great piano and guitar instruction, too! They have an extracurricular pep band and drum line.

How do they get 4 FT music faculty? Are you including Chorus and Theatre in this count?

MCPS is a system of schools, not a school system. Secondary principals are given a staffing allocation that they can use however they want. The schools that respect the performing arts staff them adequately whereas the schools that don’t expect one line teacher to be a miracle worker and cram as many kids in their classes as they can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ is Great for music. 4 FT music faculty with 2 orchestras, 3 bands, and a Jazz ensemble. Great piano and guitar instruction, too! They have an extracurricular pep band and drum line.

How do they get 4 FT music faculty? Are you including Chorus and Theatre in this count?

They support 4 bands, 2 orchestras, 4 choruses, piano classes, guitar classes, AP Music Theory and music technology classes + extracurricular bands (pep, drumline, pit orchestra), and extracurricular a Capella groups. They are amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ is Great for music. 4 FT music faculty with 2 orchestras, 3 bands, and a Jazz ensemble. Great piano and guitar instruction, too! They have an extracurricular pep band and drum line.

How do they get 4 FT music faculty? Are you including Chorus and Theatre in this count?

MCPS is a system of schools, not a school system. Secondary principals are given a staffing allocation that they can use however they want. The schools that respect the performing arts staff them adequately whereas the schools that don’t expect one line teacher to be a miracle worker and cram as many kids in their classes as they can.

WJ has 4 music teachers (who teach the choral and instrumental ensemble classes and other music classes like music theory,
piano, guitar etc and support extracurricular activities like pep band, acapella, musical theatre and pit orchestra), a theatre teacher in the English department (who teaches theatre electives and directs the fall play and spring musical), and a very supportive administration. It is a fantastic school for kids who want to play, sing, act and do crew. There are a lot of opportunities for a range of interests and experience and commitment levels.

I agree on your sentiment about expectations for one teacher to be a miracle worker and agree that is unfair. That said, I can’t help but think these 4 wonderful teachers are miracle workers given all they do for their students.

I think there are many great schools in the county. We are just familiar with WJ because that is where our kids go/have gone. Very happy with and grateful for their music teachers.