Reply to APS - Symphonic Band marching band requirement

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Marching Band should be an optional extra curricular activity. I know high schools across the country that mandate it for kids in certain bands or for a certain number of years and very few of the kids who were forced to do Marching Band enjoyed the experience. I am sure that some do but the ones I know all did the mandated number of years and then stopped, none thought about doing Marching Band in college.

We are trying to encourage kids to join a music program and then we limit their choices by forcing them to do something after school that might interfere with other activities or requirements that they might have.[b] Arguing that they can participate in a less challenging option, ir a lower band, to avoid the requirement is silly. Kids have worked hard to improve their skills to be able to participate in a higher level group and then you say that they can only do that if they are willing to give up a month of summer vacation, time after school, and weekend days because they have to participate in a second activity.[/b]

Marching Band is a different beast then band or orchestra or other musical activities. It takes a different skill set to march and move. Not everyone is interested in the physical nature of marching band. Not everyone wants to play and move at the same time.

We should be making band more enticing, not less. Forcing kids to participate in a difficult, time consuming activity in order to be able to participate in the higher level band fails to make that class enticing. [/quote]

Then how about changing the policy in a way that doesn't make a "lesser" and "better" concert band? Don't make it "intermediate" and "advanced" band and encourage more students who don't want to do marching band to stay in concert band. Personally, I think "advanced" should mean something and the only real differences under existing policy are that all the better players are sucked away from concert band into symphonic band, and marching band is a requirement for symphonic band. Marching band, imo, is an extenuation of the advanced band curriculum and part of being in advanced band. Just like delving deeper into topics and requiring more reading/work is part of the AP class curriculum, even though those things do not directly extend beyond the school day - though they do create more homework outside of the school day. Yes, marching band is a time commitment - so is a sport. Regardless of what people here keep insisting, students don't have to be able to do both and band shouldn't have to be the activity that yields to all others. If you can't do both, don't do both. There are other electives my kids have wanted to take, but aren't able to because of schedule conflicts. It's unfortunate they didn't get to take them; and it's unfortunate if some kids can't or won't do "advanced" band because of marching band.

I cannot understand why everyone thinks marching band is the problem.
[/quote]

Marching band isn’t the problem. It’s a great activity and I hope more kids choose to do it.

Forcing kids who want to continue music at W-L to do marching band is the problem. [/quote]

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