| CollegeHighway.com Login |
| Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name. |
| Trippin? |
 |
| Check Yourself |
 |
| Ephemerids |
One Day like Today...
|
| Welcome |
| You are Anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here. |
 |
|
| Home / College Guide / My Charter School - Part 2 (Music School) |
| Posted on Sunday, January 16 @ 00:00:05 PST |
I havent decided if Im going to make my son read this. Actually, I havent decided if Im going to ask my son to read this and have him tell me no. He is awesome. He plays multiple instruments. He plays violin, harp, marimba, and piano. The fact that he plays so many sometimes makes it hard for him to excel in any, but I think his skills and talents are amazing. But I think Band sucks. In my opinion Band sucks, but he loves it. It does though, it sucks so bad. First, band costs too much. Im not talking about the musical instruments, but the program. The competition that the students are going to be involved in is too much damn money. My sons schools band program cost a million dollars and 500 ish students also ponied up $600 dollars a piece and there are multiple fundraisers. Thats too much damn money. I know that there are people who sort of shmack talk about whether its more difficult to be in band than in say football, for me theyre both too difficult. But football get more praise. So the band spends hundreds of hours putting together this really expensive show. It takes too long. They used to do it for the football team only. Now they have massive competitions that cost too much money no one but the band knows who won unless its was your team.
Band has taken on a mind of its own which is good, because they shouldnt serve the football team, but they still kind of do. Band is art, it makes you smarter, attention to detail, discipline in skill building, some athleticism; these are all reasons why band should be practiced in school. But in my charter school things will be much different than they are at your normal 5A or 6A school band program. These days Band lives for marching season. Marching season is the program that they do at halftime. The band is practicing at the game and usually only doing part of their program. The real competition is the multiple competitions they do on Saturdays after the game. 12 hour long competitions. Theyre trying to make their program perfect by about the end of the football regular season where theyll probably go to state band competitions. During the week, the students practice in double blocks, that means an hour and a half everyday. Then they have multiple after school practices. Then they have Friday morning before the game and theyre at the game 5-10:00 or later. It takes as much time as a part time job. 20-30 hours. It takes too much time. And the program theyre perfecting, is usually only three or four songs.
This is why I hate it. Band stopped being about being really good at music and started being about the competition. Band members devote so much memory their marching and arent spending enough time learning the notes to more songs. Some band members do band only for marching band season. I think that is a problem and so far I havent seen any limiting principle. How much practicing for these competitions is too much. There are rules and laws about how much time should be utilized, but it doesnt seem that many top notch schools follow these rules. I know my sons school doesnt. Sometimes, the rules are purposefully vague. I think those rules should be clear and concise. I think there should be an hour long class in school everyday. I think there should be no more than five hours outside of school for that. There would be no reason to get ready for football games. There should be no marching competitions because there isnt enough time. Band could produce shows but not buy them. Schools could have simple uniforms, but cheap. And emphasis should be placed on exceptional play and music library rather than expert steps. One goes with the musician after school one doesnt. Band after marching season and after football season is for competitions and shows.
So it should be still. Band can play at smaller sporting events that are intramural, but they should create these halftime shows themselves and with the help of faculty. They dont have to be professional productions. Why should they be. They ARENT professionals. Orchestra should be the same as band. Learning a large library of songs, pressed to play with greater talent and skill on a limited basis in school and some out of school.
ANTS SPECIALIZE
Athletes who are good enough to play intramurally for the school should have enough time to play in either band or orchestra. Band members should have enough time to do band and orchestra. Or they could be part of a musical club/class and another club instead of athletics. If students are in two things outside of school they should be able to do them both in 10 hours. NO more. Limiting principles. If the students and their parents want the student to achieve some sort of professional grade athleticism or musical talent then they should do that at home. Their parents are responsible for that schools are not. Schools shouldnt be.
MISSION CREEP
Schools all over the US are getting confused thinking that there purpose is to produce students who are professional grade in high school and starting them on the path in middle school.
NO. Schools are preparing students for LIFE. The talents that they achieve should be introductory. If theyre doing something seven years of secondary education I think they should be good enough to go to any college music program because theyre more focused without competitions. If not, their parents should be the ones who have stronger expectations at home, not at school. I think athletes in my school can do the same a varied capability in many sports may make them a more all-around athlete. If the parent thinks the student needs more time in basketball or tennis, or whatever, they can see to those needs themselves or go to a school with bad priorities.
|
|
| |
|
|
