Reply to Recent Experiences at Loiderman?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Multiple kids left last year.  Lots of staff turn over.  Band/Orchestra teachers are not great.[/quote]

Another new orch teacher this year. Great teachers at the elem feeders but not sure what’s going on in MS[/quote]

I suspect it's the leadership.  They got a new principal who everyone had high hopes for as she had been there for many years and very likable.  But, several VPs and multiple staff left.  Another orchestra teacher... thats a bad sign that the last one lasted a year.

Part of the music problem is the teachers.  The other part is what another poster said about it not being test in so anyone can do the band or orchestra.  They don't really do teaching with multiple instruments all in one class period in MS or HS so either a child has to be naturally talented and teach themselves or be in private lessons and/with private orchestra or other groups to really get good.  The bands/orchestras that are good have kids from private lessons and the orchestras vs. a school being that good just because.  We are another family who moved to the private music groups and the difference in quality is night and day.[/quote]

Playing an instrument is a serious endeavor. It's not possible, at all, to be "good" at it if you do not have individual lessons. It's not like a sport or dance where you can mostly learn as a group and only need private coaching occasionally. Most music groups in schools absolutely suck because hardly any kid has private lessons. The wealthy neighborhoods have music groups that suck less because parents can afford to pay for private (individual) lessons.

My middle schooler plays the violin. Weekly private lessons at a school of music for a few years then $100/hr twice a week at a studio. She's been concertmaster of her youth orchestra. She's played every day, except a few days off for sickness and travel, for years. You can't replicate that in any school setting apart from a music conservatory.

So this idea of public magnets for certain skill sets definitely has its limits, especially when there is no talent selection and no requirement to train with professionals outside of school.
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