Anonymous
Post 12/23/2025 13:59     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:Frost MS and Wootton HS orchestras went to a national orchestra clinic this year. Of course the kids do a lot of prep outside of the school program.

Didn't they let go of the music teacher at Wootton?
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2025 13:56     Subject: Re:Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:RM.

Black Masker productions are amazing. They have a full orchestra for the musical production they put on every year. The orchestra is great.

The choral teacher is great, too.


Mostly agree. Newsies was great this year. If you're kid is more instrumental music than drama though and isn't into jazz, maybe look elsewhere. The concert band and marching band could be a lot stronger with more effort from the top.

I think RM is supposed to have the performance art regional magnet program. I don't know if that's still the case with all the maneuvering.

Newsies was great. My kid has been in Black Maskers all 4 years. Really top notch productions.

Disagree on the instrumental music. The orchestra is pretty great. They don't just play jazz.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2025 10:02     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.


OP has a kid in early ES. We don’t know if they’re even in the proposed region of Einstein. So many changes coming it’s hard to predict that far out what teachers will be where.


If I wanted top, I would go to a W school that has way more.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2025 10:01     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:The strongest MS and HS orchestras in MCPS are going to be in the wealthier schools where parents are paying for private lessons and a significant number of the kids are in MCYO/PVYO and/or enrolled in school music programs so they can be eligible for All-County and All-State. Frost, Cabin John, Hoover, Pyle, Tilden, etc. And then of course, Wootton, Whitman, Churchill, WJ, and RM (because the orchestra is full of IB kids coming from the aforementioned middle schools). Not to say that other schools don't have good programs, but that is where the highest concentrations are.


This. Those kids are not good because of school but private lessons and programs. Most teachers don’t teach come ms and high school and just conduct.

It also helps to have the extra funding and teachers willing to put in the time.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2025 09:16     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Frost MS and Wootton HS orchestras went to a national orchestra clinic this year. Of course the kids do a lot of prep outside of the school program.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 20:11     Subject: Re:Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:RM.

Black Masker productions are amazing. They have a full orchestra for the musical production they put on every year. The orchestra is great.

The choral teacher is great, too.


Mostly agree. Newsies was great this year. If you're kid is more instrumental music than drama though and isn't into jazz, maybe look elsewhere. The concert band and marching band could be a lot stronger with more effort from the top.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 20:05     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
The strongest MS and HS orchestras in MCPS are going to be in the wealthier schools where parents are paying for private lessons and a significant number of the kids are in MCYO/PVYO and/or enrolled in school music programs so they can be eligible for All-County and All-State. Frost, Cabin John, Hoover, Pyle, Tilden, etc. And then of course, Wootton, Whitman, Churchill, WJ, and RM (because the orchestra is full of IB kids coming from the aforementioned middle schools). Not to say that other schools don't have good programs, but that is where the highest concentrations are.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 19:53     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.


When the theatre program
Moves to Northwood, will there still be a need for a live pit orchestra at Einstein?

MCPS leaders really mucked this up.


There will still be a theater program there.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 15:16     Subject: Re:Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
RM.

Black Masker productions are amazing. They have a full orchestra for the musical production they put on every year. The orchestra is great.

The choral teacher is great, too.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 15:09     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
WJ is phenomenal. Tilden MS as well.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 15:04     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.


When the theatre program
Moves to Northwood, will there still be a need for a live pit orchestra at Einstein?

MCPS leaders really mucked this up.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 15:03     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.


OP has a kid in early ES. We don’t know if they’re even in the proposed region of Einstein. So many changes coming it’s hard to predict that far out what teachers will be where.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 14:52     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Einstein HS - five curricular instrumental music ensembles, marching band, pep band and a pit orchestra for their musicals. Mr. Casement is a fantastic teacher.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2025 11:41     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Walt Whitman HS has fabulous choirs / choruses
Anonymous
Post 12/21/2025 22:55     Subject: Any MoCo schools have great music and performing arts programs?
Anonymous wrote:Silver Creek’s instrumental music program is fantastic.


+1

But also agree that elementary schools don’t typically have what you are looking for at that age. Instead consider:

https://www.strathmore.org/nurturing-artists/strathmore-youth-chorus/

https://www.strathmore.org/nurturing-artists/maryland-classic-youth-orchestras/orchestras-ensembles/

https://music.umd.edu/community-engagement/summer-programs/terrapin-music-camp

https://imaginationstage.org/classes/