Reply to APS - Symphonic Band marching band requirement

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[quote=Anonymous][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 [b]very few of the kids who were forced to do Marching Band enjoyed the experience[/b]. 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. 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.

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]

Sounds like you are looking at a self-selecting group.

Kids who play sports also do marching band.  The two are not mutually exclusive.  [b]OP is an extreme outlier with a peculiar teacher and a clueless parent who doesn't know how to support her DC.[/b]  [/quote]

I'm one of the marching band defenders here; but this is an unfair characterization of OP. I agree about the peculiar music teacher, but OP - and her daughter - are fine with her not doing symphonic band. OP merely asked if it was a possibility for her daughter to do symphonic without marching. OP seems quite supportive of her daughter's interests and talents, as well as her priorities and future ambitions.[/quote]

OP here. Thank you! My daughter's teacher did not want her taking trumpet as a second instrument, I honestly haven't asked about anything else because the only other instruments my daughter has expressed any interest in are cello and piano - neither of which are relevant for band or emboucher. Her teacher actually did encourage her to do marching band and said most of her students do it mainly because it is fun and social. But my DC does not really like band music (she tolerates it now out of loyalty to the Arlington schools music program, which is how she got interested in music in the first place). She wants to do scales and practice Strauss and Mozart concertos until I beg her to put her horn away and go to sleep. DH and I do not know where her music drive came from -- definitely not from us but we are trying to support her as best we can. She loves her current youth orchestra and they seem to like her and she is getting tons of cool opportunities. It is a better fit for her than AYPO (which would be band-compatible) for a variety of reasons. [/quote]

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