Our parochial school offers an orchestra class that is led by a percussionist who apparently teaches all of the instruments. They constructed with a music education company that apparently offers similar services to many parochial schools in the area. I’ve seen some videos of the company’s students and instructors and needless to say I’m not impressed. If you want your child to learn an instrument you really need to invest in private lessons with someone who specializes in that particular instrument.

In my experience at our elementary, very few kids go in not learning to read notes, and come out reading music. Either the kids can already read music very well because they took private lessons, or some kids have no interest in learning to read music but they have to go to class because it is required. Those same kids drop out of the instrument program as soon as they can.

Anonymous wrote:What is music education like in elementary and middle school near you? Interested in hearing about public, private, charter, whatever you are seeing.
I'm curious how students can have music class several times per week as they do in my district for years, but graduate not knowing how to read music. I know this is not the case in many other countries.

They’ll learn how to read notes if they play an instrument, otherwise it’s just learning about different genres of music a little bit of the history.

What is music education like in elementary and middle school near you? Interested in hearing about public, private, charter, whatever you are seeing.
I'm curious how students can have music class several times per week as they do in my district for years, but graduate not knowing how to read music. I know this is not the case in many other countries.