Is marching band affecting school work?

[treblemaker]

This article was published in our local newspaper and has started mass controversy...

 

Do they practice too much? Some parents think so

From their entertaining halftime shows to their burgeoning trophy racks, Leander ISD's high school marching bands have a growing reputation for precision and pageantry.

 

Vista Ridge High School Band qualified for state after performing at area UIL competition on Saturday, an honor earned by only four out of 24 bands in Area D; fewer than 10 percent of Texas 4A schools advance to state.

 

Leander High School Band recently earned a division I rating at the UIL Region Marching Contest - the 22nd consecutive year the band has taken the top rating at regional competition.

 

Cedar Park High School Band took grand champion in the Sam Houston State University Marching Band Festival on Saturday and got three straight division 1 ratings at Regional competition on Oct. 20.

 

The pride, showmanship and discipline come at a price. LISD band students put in many hours of hard work to achieve success. Is the price too high? Should concert band be separated from marching band? Band students and parents will soon have a chance to answer these and other questions on a survey developed last spring by a committee made up of band directors and parents from each high school.

 

 

[Fata1]

I think it's bull. I'm in band and I have time to make straight A's, put an hour to an hour and half past required band rehearsal each day to practice All-State music, and hang out with friends. Eight hours a week is not too much at all. I can see how the twenty or so hours they mentioned could be a bit too much but the eight hours here in Texas is just fine.

[flutearmy]

I go to Cedar Park, and I really hate that this is happening.

At my school, band students are usually some of the best students in the entire school!

As long as you don't go home and play video games instead of doing your homework, it isn't that hard to get good grades in marching season, and the friendships made during that time will last all year.

I really hope the commitee won't make us change anything!

[Danpod]

I go to Cedar Park, and I really hate that this is happening.

At my school, band students are usually some of the best students in the entire school!

As long as you don't go home and play video games instead of doing your homework, it isn't that hard to get good grades in marching season, and the friendships made during that time will last all year.

I really hope the commitee won't make us change anything!

 

Well said!

 

I know that some bands will put together a tutoring program for the band members who are struggling with some classes. Marching band is a team activity and we all have to help each other out.

[flutearmy]

thank you

our band tries to help everybody out as well.

in the mornings before class starts, there are tons of band "study groups" huddled together working on homework and stuff in the cafeteria.

it works really well, b/c you have people in band that already took the class and know how to do the work, and most are more than willing to help out so that everyone can stay on the field

[treblemaker]

Band kids are usually some of the smartest kids in school.

 

Leander is an IB school so a lot of band kids are in that program and if they can handle band and IB then almost anyone should be able to. =]

[rpd]

My grades are actually better during marching season. It almost as if I'm subconsciously trying to work as hard as I can on or off the field. In my school, theres many top 10% kids in the band. Last year, the valedictorian was a pit player, with a GPA higher than 100.

 

We work about 7 and a half hours a week, and its really not all that bad. For the two hours a day I'm out working with the band, I would probably just be farting around the house instead.

[Donezo]

8 hours a week is hardly excessive and I do not think it negatively affects school work. 4 of the top 10 graduates in my class were band kids and I don't even want to begin counting the other kids who were in the top 10%. Heck, I think my involvement in band probably helped my college applications stand out among other kids with high GPA's. Band is a time commitment, but the exceptional students will excel anyway.

Edited November 5, 2007 by Donezo

[borchnork]

oddly enough, my grades actually drop dramatically once marching season is over.

 

I have no idea how that works out.

[Serardian]

Band kids (and fine arts kids in general) are definitely among the smartest in the school.

 

I do agree with the one point in the article about missing practice though. Our director was not very understanding when it came to family obligations, even if we told him ahead of time. Many times we came to practice because we were terrified of what would happen if we missed.

[just_a_texas_girl]

I think people need to realize that it is just not marching that presses us for time....State Music takes up just as many hours as marching, if you are really going for it. It is just a combo of everything...but grades in the fall are usually better because the pressure creates jam up time management skills.

[rsb3]

Wow, the whole idea of this article is ridiculous in my opinion. There are a multitude of national statistics which prove that students involved in fine arts extracurriculars (specifically music-oriented) have higher grades on average. Secondly, that committee should listen to that director who pointed out the fact that bands up north practice 24+ hours a week. Quite frankly, that should tell everyone how great Texas bands and their directors are when compared to the rest of the nation... we can practice 8 hours every week and still out-score and out-place most other bands across the US.

 

I'd also be mad if those parents quoted in the article were involved with my band program somehow. If I was a director, I'd prefer concerned parents to come talk to me before getting placed on a committee, as well as telling the newspaper that you think I work my kids too hard, despite the fact that I'm bound by rules which fall well below the national average...

 

 

Just my opinion. Let's just hope the statistics speak to this committee, for the sake of the bands in this area... those are some great programs that would be deeply affected

 

**EDIT**

 

I forgot to say that the parent who said "band isn't life blah blah blah... my kid should be able to take a trip with the family blah blah blah." Yes, band students should be able to spend time with their families on weekends. But they have to keep in mind that by being in band and signing the papers (handbook acknowledgment pages, codes of conduct, etc..), your child makes a commitment. And committing to things long-term is a part of the real world. Do these parents think that when their kids go to college or get jobs that they won't be working crazy weekly schedules for the sake of meeting tough deadlines? Besides, I don't know of any band who doesn't tell their kids what they expect, and what the students should expect for the year... It's not like these parents were just blind-sighted by the practice and performance schedules of these bands. C'mon people!

Edited November 5, 2007 by rsb3

[thesnareguy]

Band kids are usually some of the smartest kids in school.

+1

 

And it's AFFECTING not EFFECTING.

[treblemaker]

+1

 

And it's AFFECTING not EFFECTING.

 

Sorry! I'm a horrible at spelling! Math is my forte

 

Danpod= my hero =p

Edited November 5, 2007 by lhsfluter

[king_kool360]

8 hours is not too much, I'm just lazy.

[ClaireAnnette07]

I'll be the first one to admit that marching band + school is tough. Since i was in the dual credit program junior and senior years, I began school at 7AM and stayed until nearly 7PM everyday. Then, I had tons of homework since I was in almost all AP classes as well, then I went to bed. It was exhausting and sometimes I thought it was unbearable, but I think it was worth it in the end. It's not like marching band lasts forever..only a few months..and I had a blast doing it in high school. I wouldn't trade that experience for all the free afternoons I "missed out" on in four years!

[Spazztastic]

I agree that if you know how to manage your time, then you have plenty of time to get everything done.

Most of our kids are in AP classes and have jobs and still manage to come to every rehersal.

 

Also,

 

I think the idea of kids only wanting to do concert band is funny...

At my school I think the majority of kids would much rather just do marching season

[Spazztastic]

oddly enough, my grades actually drop dramatically once marching season is over.

 

I have no idea how that works out.

Our grades as a whole drop once season is over.

 

The directors think it is because

there is less pressure once eligibility isn't an issue.

[cattleman007]

Those complaining that the work load is to much, propably have no work ethics themselves. When was it that this country has decided that work is a bad thing? Marching is about learning to follow. Learning to follow teaches you to lead. Learning work ethic teaches you to stay the course and good things will follow. All good things come with time and sacrifice. There are no short cuts.

[TRtrumpet]

Well said!

 

I know that some bands will put together a tutoring program for the band members who are struggling with some classes. Marching band is a team activity and we all have to help each other out.

 

Our band does this!

 

It seemed to help alot too. We only had 2 people fail out of marching contest.

 

 

I think if you know how to manage your time, you'll be fine. It affects me cause I suck at that... so my grades are way lower during marching season.

[Clarinot]

In addition, would it not be in the director's best interests to ensure students in their programs are sucessful academically? After all, students that fail cannot participate. I challenge the parent to find a band director who does not want the students in his or her program to suceed academically.

 

Being a graduate from Cedar Park myself, I can say this is true for my school as well as the other schools in the district. If there was ever a need to miss marching rehearsal for school related issues, no questions are asked... the directors want students to pass.

Since I have a little background on this issue, I might also point out that one of the parents in the article suggested counting travel time to football games, football games, and travel times to contests against the 8 hour rule. Uhh... not so much!

 

As far as family vacations are concerned, I don't see how that differs from any other part of high school. You can't just leave school for a "trip with the family" or "weekend off" as the parent in the article put it. If you want to plan ahead of time, great! Most band programs put out a calendar for the year before marching season starts. Use it.

 

[/end rant]

[french_horn_finatic]

i dont kno about the rest of yall, but i personally love how much we work. it feels good to be able to say "we worked our butts off for that and we deserved it!"

 

i hope that parents dont get to worked up about it. we are all in it for fun (some competitive reasons) but mostly for the fun!!!

[french_horn_finatic]

Our grades as a whole drop once season is over.

 

The directors think it is because

there is less pressure once eligibility isn't an issue.

 

 

 

YOU TOTALLY STOLE MY SIG!!!!!!! but thats ok, i still love u!

[barisaxy08]

i honestly think if i didn't have band all 4 years of my high school career...i wouldn't have a reason to want to pass or really be inspired to pass besides getting into college. If anything, band helps me keep the mind frame that I need in order to keep passing my classes and actually doing my homework. If I was a normie, I wouldn't really care as much and I would just hope to pass since I really wouldn't have any type of motive to pass. So thank you band for giving me a reason to work hard when I never really wanted to.

[Trumpet of Doom]

Same here I basically do my homework so I can stay eligible for band.