Anonymous wrote:Tough titties to those of you who balk at your kid having to do marching band.

It is a way to ensure that kids are committed to both bands. Many kids think band is something they can skip out on. If you're serious about symphonic band, you would do marching band.

Marching band is treated like a varsity sport. It requires mandatory commitment.

I think what the previous WL band director did was brilliant! Win-win because both bands were great!

It makes doing an actual fall sport very difficult/impossible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. My DC currently plays in the middle school advanced band (brass) and AYP youth orchestra (violin) and is looking at whether to take band+marching band+youth orchestra next year or to take orchestra+youth orchestra (brass or violin).

Not sure why OP thinks that marching band really conflicts with youth orchestra. The bigger issue for my DC is the time commitment, all honors classes including Algebra II and future AP classes.

OP here, by DC's youth orchestra meets on Saturdays and Julliard program is also on weekends so that also conflicts with some of the marching band stuff based on the published calendar. My DC also hates jazz (much to my dismay) so that is out. I do like the guitar idea and will flag that as an option.

If it's just Saturdays, then the only conflict is with competitions, generally 4 events across Sept-Oct. They would definitely be expected to be at competitions. So, she'd need to see if the youth band/Julliard program has any flexibility about missing 4 Saturdays.

Anonymous wrote:NP. My DC currently plays in the middle school advanced band (brass) and AYP youth orchestra (violin) and is looking at whether to take band+marching band+youth orchestra next year or to take orchestra+youth orchestra (brass or violin).

Not sure why OP thinks that marching band really conflicts with youth orchestra. The bigger issue for my DC is the time commitment, all honors classes including Algebra II and future AP classes.

OP here, by DC's youth orchestra meets on Saturdays and Julliard program is also on weekends so that also conflicts with some of the marching band stuff based on the published calendar. My DC also hates jazz (much to my dismay) so that is out. I do like the guitar idea and will flag that as an option.

My DD did marching band at W-L. I was glad it was required because it pushed her to try something she found really intimidating since she definitely wanted to do symphonic band. I don't know that she'd have stretched herself to try marching if it hadn't been required. But it was a great experience and really great for a 9th grader to walk into school already knowing the band kids from band camp. It does build skills - especially memorization - that symphonic band alone does not require.

NP. My DC currently plays in the middle school advanced band (brass) and AYP youth orchestra (violin) and is looking at whether to take band+marching band+youth orchestra next year or to take orchestra+youth orchestra (brass or violin).

Not sure why OP thinks that marching band really conflicts with youth orchestra. The bigger issue for my DC is the time commitment, all honors classes including Algebra II and future AP classes.

Anonymous wrote:Tough titties to those of you who balk at your kid having to do marching band.

It is a way to ensure that kids are committed to both bands. Many kids think band is something they can skip out on. If you're serious about symphonic band, you would do marching band.

Marching band is treated like a varsity sport. It requires mandatory commitment.

I think what the previous WL band director did was brilliant! Win-win because both bands were great!

I did marching band and every possible band option available at the time (chamber orchestra, jazz, pit, etc) and I still think it's crap that APS forces kids to do marching band.

Marching band is like a varsity sport that requires commitment - that is a very different beast than performing in an orchestra. Why force that on anyone?

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I agree having more advanced band students does help the overall band. This year my DC taught the other students playing her instrument various counting techniques that she has learned through private instruction and summer music programs, so it bums me out that she may not continue with school band since I think she gets something out of that too. Unfortunately DC plays a brass instrument and switching to another instrument in school could mess with her embouchure (or at least that is what her private teacher fears, I know nothing about music). I guess she could do percussion, but she doesn't really like percussion. It is pretty late to start violin (which of course would avoid the marching band problem). She has expressed an interest in piano, but that also does not really help with school band. I guess we will talk to the band director but not holding out much hope.

High school is late to start violin, but not too late to start bass. It would be a fun instrument to pick up and allow her to do both orchestra and jazz.

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I agree having more advanced band students does help the overall band. This year my DC taught the other students playing her instrument various counting techniques that she has learned through private instruction and summer music programs, so it bums me out that she may not continue with school band since I think she gets something out of that too. Unfortunately DC plays a brass instrument and switching to another instrument in school could mess with her embouchure (or at least that is what her private teacher fears, I know nothing about music). I guess she could do percussion, but she doesn't really like percussion. It is pretty late to start violin (which of course would avoid the marching band problem). She has expressed an interest in piano, but that also does not really help with school band. I guess we will talk to the band director but not holding out much hope.

What about jazz band? Does high school orchestra not have winds and brass?

Anonymous wrote:Tough titties to those of you who balk at your kid having to do marching band.

It is a way to ensure that kids are committed to both bands. Many kids think band is something they can skip out on. If you're serious about symphonic band, you would do marching band.

Marching band is treated like a varsity sport. It requires mandatory commitment.

I think what the previous WL band director did was brilliant! Win-win because both bands were great!

The difference between marching band and varsity sports is that you are still allowed to take gym in school even if you can't make the commitment to a varsity sport

Another option if she wants to do something musical at school but can't do marching/symphonic and doesn't want to do concert/can't learn a different brass instrument (I find that surprising - my DD played brass and switched instruments between marching and regular band season and I know a young man who is a music major playing multiple brass instruments) another option at W-L could be to take the guitar class. They learn classical guitar style and perform at the concerts.

Tough titties to those of you who balk at your kid having to do marching band.

It is a way to ensure that kids are committed to both bands. Many kids think band is something they can skip out on. If you're serious about symphonic band, you would do marching band.

Marching band is treated like a varsity sport. It requires mandatory commitment.

I think what the previous WL band director did was brilliant! Win-win because both bands were great!

I've never understood this requirement myself. Marching band is a completely different kind of commitment (i.e. centered around sports and having to attend all of the games) and undertaking/activity vs. learning an instrument, learning the technique and standard repertoire for that instrument, playing in an orchestra, etc. In comparison string players aren't expected to participate in any sort of comparable activity as marching band. I mean, they might be encouraged to participate in a pit orchestra or something but that is rarely required.

One thing I think everyone is missing... the reason everyone in symphonic is in marching band is because the symphonic band period is used to rehearse for marching band. It's not like the band has a different repertoire they are working on and then the marching band is learning something different. For August-October symphonic band IS marching band. Being in concert band + marching band is actually a bit more challenging because you miss part of rehearsal if you aren't in the symphonic band class period.

Marching band is over at the start of November. So one consideration could be if the kid has any flexibility with her non-school band for the two months of marching band and around band camp in August. That's if she really wants to do band at school, she certainly doesn't have to. Band is definitely very social but my DD's experience (4 years in W-L symphonic/marching band) is that most of the social cohesion is formed around the marching experience which then carries through for the rest of the year.

Depending on the band director's flexibility/demands of the non-school band, the options could be...
1. Do marching band but have to miss one(?) rehearsal per week. If it's more than one, probably a no-go IME
2. See if you can do symphonic in 2nd semester only, calling 1st semester "independent music study" if the counselor agrees?
3. Just do concert band but make it more challenging by learning a new instrument

OP here again. I agree having more advanced band students does help the overall band. This year my DC taught the other students playing her instrument various counting techniques that she has learned through private instruction and summer music programs, so it bums me out that she may not continue with school band since I think she gets something out of that too. Unfortunately DC plays a brass instrument and switching to another instrument in school could mess with her embouchure (or at least that is what her private teacher fears, I know nothing about music). I guess she could do percussion, but she doesn't really like percussion. It is pretty late to start violin (which of course would avoid the marching band problem). She has expressed an interest in piano, but that also does not really help with school band. I guess we will talk to the band director but not holding out much hope.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this not APS policy? It's the same at WHS.
But students in Concert Band do not have to participate in marching band; so maybe do that instead? I know it's not as challenging; but clearly your child has other avenues for that. (It would also help out the concert band overall to have more of the advanced students in it)

+1. I’m pretty sure this is the policy pretty much everywhere around here. But she can still do band— just not advanced band.

It should be the other way around. If you are good enough for advanced band you should be able to opt out.

Why would you want a marching band without the best players?

Moreover, why would you "force" the poorest players to do marching band?

Good point. Make it optional for everyone. No one should be forced.