<p>binx–$1000 for band program? Our band fees are about $500 and with the bad economy, I’d say that 20% are not paying. It really is putting a crimp in the budget. In a usual year, it’s about 5% non-payers.</p>
<p>Our band director’s motto is “early is on time and on time is late”. She speaks lovingly and sincerely of my son and I love her for that; I suspect she loves all 200 of those kids (or nearly). They will do anything for her and will swear she controls the weather! She is a consummate leader and teaches leadership and relies on the many section leaders and drill instructors in the band to keep things running smoothly. We also have a finely tuned machine that is the Band Parents Association that feeds the band for $5 apiece before every competition; loads all the equipment onto a semi truck and a smaller truck and drives it to the competitions; designs and sews the very elaborate color guard uniforms and flags; raises money through an annual auction, jam, pastry, and meat sales; mends, organizes cleaning and storage of the band uniforms–each in its own garment bag; sends out quarterly newsletters; provides medical care (a nurse who voluntarily accompanies the band everywhere–and she doesn’t even have a student in the band!); provides snacks and chaperones on the buses; arranges police and fire dept. escorts when the band returns from the state competition; chaperones and administers and staffs a week-long, sleep-away band camp; SELLS socks and gloves to those who have mislaid or forgotten theirs; maintains a cache of spare drillmasters (for trade, loan, or sale); makes, duplicates, and sells dvds of band camp, and the season; and a whole bunch of things I’m not thinking of. The director and her assistant directors are wonderful, talented musicians, leaders, and people. </p>
<p>All that said, the director rarely speaks harshly, but when she does, those kids know they need to shape up and they work their butts off to do it. In the summer of 2007 she swore at them twice at a practice and left the field in disgust. She apologized to them every time I was in the band room that season for her behavior (and who-knows-how-many times when I wasn’t.) The kids never blamed her at all, but it sure did make an impression. They just felt miserable for letting her down. Lateness is handled by the section leader, who will impose extra work or mild punishment (stand with arms outstretched, clean out the section’s band cage, etc.). Missing a performance without a good reason or missing a practice without prior notification to the band director (directly or via the leadership kids) will affect one’s grade. </p>
<p>(I kind of got off topic here! I guess I got a bit carried away singing the praises of our HS’s amazing band!)</p>
<p>Two belated points:</p>
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<li><p>If you think your HS director is intense you probably want to stay away from bands in the Big 10. Your section leaders will be 10X louder, more abrasive, and less mature than your director on his worst day. Of course, you will also be performing for 110,000 people and a potential national TV audience on one week of preparation. There’s no feeling like it.</p></li>
<li><p>Our top band was almost 100% AP students. Many were also Varsity athletes, and one was given a special marching position in the pit so he could play varsity football and still join the marching band in competitions. We were a VA Honor band every year, and while we weren’t considered the premier music school in the area we sent our fair share of students to all-district and state. The top trumpeter in my class was 1st chair all-state, a varsity swimmer, a varsity lacrosse player, and was loaded down with AP’s. The point I am rambling towards is that you can put in the time and effort needed to be an excellent musician and still make time for other things.</p></li>
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<p>Yes you can IF you have coaches and band directors who will work with you. Many don’t quite have that luxury.</p>
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<p>Agree with this, hops_scout. Band director at our school is often less flexible than coach.</p>
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<p>At my kids’ HS, it is made very clear in advance that early arrival is required. School starts at 8:35 am. Marching band, football and drill team all meet first period. During football season, band roll call is 6:30, football 7, drill team 7:15. If you couldn’t come until after 8, you couldn’t be on the team. (And yes, because the same busses are used by the middle school and the high school, they do arrive just in time at the HS.) I drop my drill team D off at 6:58 every morning. I assume that after the last competition in mid March, they can stop arriving 90 minutes before school starts.</p>
<p>Our daughter is in the marching band at a large school in the SEC. I can assure you from the stories she has told us that their band director can be harsh. And yes, like everybody else has said, if you’re on time you’re late. Also on game days they must be in full uniform in public or not in any part of their uniform. They have specific rules about how they must carry their hats, gloves, etc.</p>
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<p>Well…in our high school, there are at least several students each year who get scholarships of some kind related to music. Those who choose music as a major in college have done very well (DS was one of those) and those who continue to play without being majors have done well also (DD was one of those…small scholarship but also gets FREE private lessons).</p>
<p>Also…I just have to say, we found the sports folks to be just as unreasonable with regard to doing “other things” or missing anything. When DD had a commitment (coach knew about it two months before the date), she was given the ultimatum of either showing up for the sports event (she was NOT a starter…sat on bench most of the time) or quit the team. She quit.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but for an academic class with a grade I do not see how the instructor can REQUIRE that the kids arrive early every day or dock their grade. For financial and other (safety) reasons, some kids have to ride the bus. Most high school kids do not have licenses, and many do not have their own cars. Transportation is out of their hands. I would complain vocally to the principal about a markdown in grading if my student is showing up on time.</p>
<p>I was in a competitive marching band in high school, my son was in the top band in high school. Some band directors have highly inflated views of themselves, and of their importance - and the band’s importance - in the world. Believe me, the world will not come to an end if rehearsal is 5 minutes shorter every day because kids are assembling their instruments and warming up when the bell rings. Honestly, if the director spent less time berating and verbally abusing the kids in front of each other, he’d have more time to rehearse. GET A LIFE, BUDDY.</p>
<p>Definitely, complain to the principal. You are clearly not alone, if the director is threatening to leave due to “parental attacks.” I have been in bands and choruses (including an award-winning touring choir) and my daughter has danced competitively for years. Artistically-oriented people tend to be tempramental, but that doesn’t mean they get to be abusive self-important boors and get away with it.</p>
<p>(BTW the best band director anyone in my family ever had won Teacher of the Year for our state. She never raised her voice and she understood that music an important PART of an EDUCATION. She is beloved and respected, and she has an award winning band.)</p>
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<p>My coaches were not like that. And I wasn’t a “star” player either.</p>
<p>On the other hand, my sister was told that she had to miss a varsity softball GAME for a band practice or her grade would be dropped. That’s just wrong.</p>