Reply to I fear for the future of Einstein.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Northwood is a better performing arts program and that’s why they are getting the criteria program. Einstein has a better visual arts program. Both schools will keep local programs too. I don’t know why this is so complicated for Einstein parents except they are have prejudice against other schools which makes no sense because Einstein is no blue ribbon school either.[/quote]

Does Northwood split Guitar 1 and Guitar institute separate classes (same question for piano)? If not, I’m not at all impressed. Einstein also combines these courses and it’s painful for experienced students. Especially if you’re coming from a MS where you already took guitar and piano or have private lessons.

Does Northwood have 2 curricular jazz bands? Does their marching band do community parades? How many students from Northwood end up in All State and Honors ensembles? [/quote]

Einstein only has two where as other schools have more.  Einstein marching band doesn’t compete.  The teacher at Einstein runs all state so they take their students.  I wouldn’t look at that as criteria.  I’d look at how many students participate in other competitive groups.  Very few at both schools.  [/quote]

I'd like to weigh in here as a music parent, even though I don't have kids in any of the schools mentioned. My kids are now 20 and 15.

For music, you need years of private lessons with a great teacher to get into All-State regularly and do well in similar or higher level auditions or regional or international competitions. The caliber of the public school program doesn't matter at all. It's negligible.

My youngest kid was at Westland MS, which has a jazz band, and three orchestras, and sends students to junior All-State regularly: the level of the highest musical ensembles was not comparable to what my kid was doing in her private music lessons and private youth orchestra (MCYO). Now she's at BCC HS, and again, even though there's a nice jazz department, and multiple orchestras and bands and whatnots (it's a reputable program, as public schools go)... the level of the top philharmonic orchestra, which my kid is in, is not comparable to the music she does outside of school. All these school ensembles win top prizes at national events *for public schools* in Chicago or Nashville or New York every year. But compared to the real stuff that goes in the world of music, the public school music level is abysmal. There's no other word. We love all the teachers, they're great! But they're dealing with kids who don't have private lessons, or who don't have many years of private lessons. They're limited in what they can do. It's not their fault. The level of a public school music program is never going to impress a college admissions officer.

The kids who are going to Senior All-State didn't get there because of their public schools. They are required to sign up for music class in public school to be *eligible* for All-State. This is how public schools retain talent to boost music programs. Talent that is built on years of private lessons paid for by parents.

I want to explain this so that you stop wringing your hands and comparing two public school music programs. The differences between them are NEGLIGIBLE. Truly.

I cannot comment about other art forms, but in general academics are what's most important when choosing a school. This is really what's going to matter in life: developing critical thinking skills, that are mostly taught through higher-level math and analytical reading and writing. The arts enhance critical understanding and cultural development, but if the core academics aren't there... they cannot replace them.

Please focus on your kids' academics. And I say this as a parent whose kids spent years in music and really loved it. One of my kids started their instrument at 3 and did two private lessons every week, year round, won international competitions and performed solo at Carnegie Hall. Math and writing are still more important.

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No, that's not what's happening.  And, please don't assume some of us don't know what MCYO is or have kids in MCYO or PVYO... Phil is not that hard to get into if your child is talented.  [/quote]

And, the issue is Northwood and Einstein DON'T have the academics, so its hard just to focus on that.  [/quote]

What are you talking about?  Yes, they do. [/quote]

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