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For today’s students to succeed tomorrow, they need a comprehensive education that includes music taught by exemplary music educators. To help members in this quest, MENC provides a forum for discussing professional concerns in music education.
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#1 2009-03-23 19:39:58
- musicman
- Participant
- Registered: 2008-05-09
- Posts: 96
Starting Over
I have been teaching in my current school for 3 years now. I have 4 feeder schools ( K-8 ), and there is no organized music in that district, a victim of a budget crunch 8 years ago. Having tried unsuccessfully to start a beginning band program after school, I decided this year to be proactive, so I offered to come to each school and teach beginning band. As a result, I have students in all 4 schools, 2 schools are curricular, and 2 are extracurricular. In the meantime, my own program at the high school continues to struggle along.
I have decided that for next year, we will not be a competitive band in field show, but will work very hard to improve on our parade work, and will enter both competitive and non-competitive parades.
My question to you all is, am I crazy, or thinking along the right lines. It seems that we have become so enamored of competition
and winning, that we have lost sight of teaching music.
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#2 2009-03-23 21:15:16
- scottmkeen
- Participant
- Registered: 2008-07-01
- Posts: 203
Re: Starting Over
I affirm this decision. You're not crazy, and I'd like to believe that your hard work will pay off in the long run. The ONLY piece of advice that I'd give is to consult with your booster club, if you have one. I have a feeling they'll agree with you, depending on how you present it. I would also consult with administration, if nothing else but to give them a heads-up. Since the band ostensibly represents the school, the person in charge of the school needs to be in the loop. You probably knew that, but I like to cover my bases.
Good luck! You should keep us informed and let us know what happens. I'm glad for your students.
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#3 2009-03-24 10:31:00
- thecheezcracker
- Participant
- Registered: 2009-02-20
- Posts: 73
Re: Starting Over
It's a good decision, but not an easy one to sell (to parents, administrators, or even other DIRECTORS).
We set our GOALS based on what we want and wish for. But we have to make our PLANS based on what is. The "band" part of "marching band" has to be solid before anything on the field matters. And anyone with a band under 30 kids should at least CONSIDER de-emphasizing the marching to work on boosting numbers and quality before worrying about competitions.
What you should be able to tell parents and administration is that you are doing what is best for YOUR students in YOUR program, rather than trying to grasp of an empty imitation of some other guy's program somewhere else. And just because you're meeting the students where they are doesn't mean you're going to leave them where they were--you still have the same goal of getting the program up to that top-level, but you simply recognize that they'll never be able to get there if the elevator doesn't meet them at the ground floor first.
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#4 2009-03-25 11:00:40
- drumminmama
- Participant
- From: ST. Paul, MN
- Registered: 2008-11-07
- Posts: 62
Re: Starting Over
I have one of those under 30 groups, so we don't march at all. What I have done in the past is to have a drumline. Some of the kids who play other instruments take very well to playing in a drumline and you don't need as many to sound good.
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