4 years of language or band

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[Post New]07/10/2023 13:48
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I would choose language.

Band is an extra curricular activity, and you can continue an instrument outside of a regular class day. Lots of options for that. In fact you could start a band club and be the President of it!


LOL what?! You think a kid can just start a band club? Do you have any exposure at all to bands as they exist in high schools?
[Post New]07/10/2023 13:50
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how a school has a schedule that leads you to have to make this choice? How many periods classes can they take per semester?


You can take 7 periods per semester. In theory, that would let you take 5 "core" academic classes each year - English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language. Then you could take band/orchestra every year, and use the 7th slot for one year each of PE, health, required tech credit, and another elective. So it is possible to do both music and language every year.

One difficulty is for students in special programs (like magnet or project lead the way or IB or others) that have specific electives that take up additional space. My kid decided against some special program options in order to preserve flexibility for band. Or there could be problems with wanting to take an AP science class that is a double-period class, for example.
[Post New]07/10/2023 14:49
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Transplant_1
Member Offline
Anonymous wrote:OP ask the school if they will accept the online Health via BYU. My kid did that and they give you 12 months to complete each half a year (totally excessive amount of time) its entirely online and no live sessions. Costs about $200


What does BYU stand for? -- Thank you.
[Post New]07/10/2023 15:14
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I would choose language.

Band is an extra curricular activity, and you can continue an instrument outside of a regular class day. Lots of options for that. In fact you could start a band club and be the President of it!


Most private band/orchestra's are very expensive and some require weekly private lessons. So, in theory they could start a band but doubtful many kids would do it if they are serious musicians and the kid starting it isn't. And, most of those kids have a pretty full schedule after school/weekends. Any serious musician would plan this out carefully starting freshman year. That's what we had to to do.
[Post New]07/10/2023 15:23
quote
Anonymous
Transplant_1 wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP ask the school if they will accept the online Health via BYU. My kid did that and they give you 12 months to complete each half a year (totally excessive amount of time) its entirely online and no live sessions. Costs about $200


What does BYU stand for? -- Thank you.


Bingham Young University
[Post New]07/10/2023 18:17
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Anonymous
Band for sure.

It’s hard to learn to read music and it’s hard to learn to play an instrument. Takes time, effort and commitment. And, it’s fun! Band does fun field trips, performances in various contests, etc. Great sense of community.

Plus, with all the amazing translating apps available on your phone now, learning a second language won’t be as much of a draw as it used to be. Just enter your info into Google Translate and it works beautifully.

Not everyone can play an instrument. But everyone can use Google Translate or SayHi
[Post New]07/10/2023 18:20
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Band for sure.

It’s hard to learn to read music and it’s hard to learn to play an instrument. Takes time, effort and commitment. And, it’s fun! Band does fun field trips, performances in various contests, etc. Great sense of community.

Plus, with all the amazing translating apps available on your phone now, learning a second language won’t be as much of a draw as it used to be. Just enter your info into Google Translate and it works beautifully.

Not everyone can play an instrument. But everyone can use Google Translate or SayHi


Wow. I agree on music, but reducing learning a language to Google translate? Ignorant.
[Post New]07/10/2023 18:29
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Band for sure.

It’s hard to learn to read music and it’s hard to learn to play an instrument. Takes time, effort and commitment. And, it’s fun! Band does fun field trips, performances in various contests, etc. Great sense of community.

Plus, with all the amazing translating apps available on your phone now, learning a second language won’t be as much of a draw as it used to be. Just enter your info into Google Translate and it works beautifully.

Not everyone can play an instrument. But everyone can use Google Translate or SayHi


Wow. I agree on music, but reducing learning a language to Google translate? Ignorant.


Do you think most kids who take up to French 4 can translate a document as well as Google Translate does? Not. A. Chance.

The software is excellent. Every teacher at my school uses it to send out emails in various languages.

Especially for a kid who plans to major in Biology.

She could go back and play her instrument as an adult in community band or she could play in an ensemble for fun in college. Way more useful than four years of French.
[Post New]07/10/2023 19:58
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:In order to take a double period AP Biology class senior year, DD needs to drop either Spanish or band. Is it better to have four years of language, terminating in Honors Spanish 4, or four years of band, terminating in Wind Ensemble? If she keeps both, she’d need to take Health in summer school, which she really doesn’t want to do.

She wants to study Biology or Environmental Science in college.


Better for what?
For college admissions, it doesn't matter.

For your your daughter (remember her?), whichever she cares more about.

Learning language in school is completely useless. No one learns language in school. You learn language and immersion.

You can't do band on your own.

[Post New]07/10/2023 20:01
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Band for sure.

It’s hard to learn to read music and it’s hard to learn to play an instrument. Takes time, effort and commitment. And, it’s fun! Band does fun field trips, performances in various contests, etc. Great sense of community.

Plus, with all the amazing translating apps available on your phone now, learning a second language won’t be as much of a draw as it used to be. Just enter your info into Google Translate and it works beautifully.

Not everyone can play an instrument. But everyone can use Google Translate or SayHi


Wow. I agree on music, but reducing learning a language to Google translate? Ignorant.


Do you think most kids who take up to French 4 can translate a document as well as Google Translate does? Not. A. Chance.

The software is excellent. Every teacher at my school uses it to send out emails in various languages.

Especially for a kid who plans to major in Biology.

She could go back and play her instrument as an adult in community band or she could play in an ensemble for fun in college. Way more useful than four years of French.


The goal of learning a language isn’t to be a professional translator. It’s to learn about another culture in a way you can’t if you don’t know the language.

You can also do both. Many of us have.
[Post New]07/10/2023 20:02
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In order to take a double period AP Biology class senior year, DD needs to drop either Spanish or band. Is it better to have four years of language, terminating in Honors Spanish 4, or four years of band, terminating in Wind Ensemble? If she keeps both, she’d need to take Health in summer school, which she really doesn’t want to do.

She wants to study Biology or Environmental Science in college.


Better for what?
For college admissions, it doesn't matter.

For your your daughter (remember her?), whichever she cares more about.

Learning language in school is completely useless. No one learns language in school. You learn language and immersion.

You can't do band on your own.



Umm … having a foundation for a language in school is pretty helpful though.

The extent of ignorance on this thread is astonishing.
[Post New]07/10/2023 20:53
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In order to take a double period AP Biology class senior year, DD needs to drop either Spanish or band. Is it better to have four years of language, terminating in Honors Spanish 4, or four years of band, terminating in Wind Ensemble? If she keeps both, she’d need to take Health in summer school, which she really doesn’t want to do.

She wants to study Biology or Environmental Science in college.


Better for what?
For college admissions, it doesn't matter.

For your your daughter (remember her?), whichever she cares more about.

Learning language in school is completely useless. No one learns language in school. You learn language and immersion.

You can't do band on your own.



I agree with this. Band is way more fun and fulfilling that Spanish will be.
[Post New]07/10/2023 20:54
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In order to take a double period AP Biology class senior year, DD needs to drop either Spanish or band. Is it better to have four years of language, terminating in Honors Spanish 4, or four years of band, terminating in Wind Ensemble? If she keeps both, she’d need to take Health in summer school, which she really doesn’t want to do.

She wants to study Biology or Environmental Science in college.


Better for what?
For college admissions, it doesn't matter.

For your your daughter (remember her?), whichever she cares more about.

Learning language in school is completely useless. No one learns language in school. You learn language and immersion.

You can't do band on your own.



Umm … having a foundation for a language in school is pretty helpful though.

The extent of ignorance on this thread is astonishing.


No. We’re not ignorant simply because we disagree with you.

You think that learning a language in school is more fulfilling. I think that playing in a musical ensemble in school is more fulfilling.

Either way, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is what OP’s kid finds more fulfilling/rewarding.
[Post New]07/10/2023 20:58
quote
Anonymous
This is tough especially because both are hard to drop and come back to, given the value of continued practice.

I dropped Spanish my senior year and still reflect on what a mistake that was. I returned to it in college, placed lower than I would/should have, and lost important time in a language I ultimately needed for graduate study. I am a huge believer in foreign language — but those are my interests. Arts are wonderful too. What does your daughter think she might be interested in pursuing in college?
[Post New]07/10/2023 20:58
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In order to take a double period AP Biology class senior year, DD needs to drop either Spanish or band. Is it better to have four years of language, terminating in Honors Spanish 4, or four years of band, terminating in Wind Ensemble? If she keeps both, she’d need to take Health in summer school, which she really doesn’t want to do.

She wants to study Biology or Environmental Science in college.


Better for what?
For college admissions, it doesn't matter.

For your your daughter (remember her?), whichever she cares more about.

Learning language in school is completely useless. No one learns language in school. You learn language and immersion.

You can't do band on your own.



Umm … having a foundation for a language in school is pretty helpful though.

The extent of ignorance on this thread is astonishing.


No. We’re not ignorant simply because we disagree with you.

You think that learning a language in school is more fulfilling. I think that playing in a musical ensemble in school is more fulfilling.

Either way, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is what OP’s kid finds more fulfilling/rewarding.


I don't think anyone cares if either is "fulfilling" that's not what school is about. That's what hobbies are for.
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