Reply to APS - Symphonic Band marching band requirement

Forum Index » VA Public Schools other than FCPS

Reply to "APS - Symphonic Band marching band requirement"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My high school had the same requirement, and it’s clear that the only reason it was mandatory was that If they had made it voluntary no one would have done it. People defending the policy need to ask themselves why, if marching band is such a valuable experience, it has to be a compulsory requirement attached to something only tangentially related. Kids taking AP English aren’t required to write for the school paper, and as others have said, you can take a theater class without having to be in the school play.

There’s only three questions here that matter: 1) what makes marching band such a uniquely valuable experience that it must be mandatory? 2) if it’s such a uniquely valuable experience, wouldn’t compulsion be unnecessary? 3) Do you think it makes the marching band better or worse to have it filled with people who don’t actually want to be there?[/quote]

Unique:
It isn't mandatory. It is only mandatory if you enroll in symphonic band. You don't have to sign-up for symphonic band. Just like you don't have to sign-up for AP Calculus or AP Lit.
Again, it is for academic credit; so the other comparisons people keep making are not the same. You enroll in "Marching band." You don't enroll in track and field.
Marching band significantly improves skills beyond what you get in just a band class. So it benefits the concert bands in turn.

Compulsion unnecessary:
Most team activities are unique and students' experiences in them unique. But society/culture here apparently values those things more and bills them as fun. Whereas people look at the requirements for marching band and only think "work, effort, time." (It's only for the first quarter, folks - probably the easiest time of year to have a time-consuming activity beyond the school day).

Compulsion clearly isn't necessary in college - all those big bands at the football games are not draftees. So clearly there is interest. Interest which is developed before going to college, developed mainly from high school programs that encourage it.

Better or worse:
Marching band is NOT filled with people who don't want to be there. The majority of those who don't want to be there - aren't. They don't do band. They stay in concert band. They quit. But the people who stay, even if they aren't the most enthusiastic, are better for it. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics