<p>Brand new poster with two posts, Big Al, and both of them criticizing other posters. Any agenda? Please share more about your own situation, so we won't think you're just a troll.</p>
<p>Music is a very competitive pursuit, and prone to a bit of grandstanding now and then. Yet most of us parents go out of our way to support each other and cheer each other's kids on, and if you stick around here, I'll bet you'll benefit too from some of that. If you are overly sensitive of the fact that some of our students chose not to pursue marching band, then I'm sorry it offends you, but ask that you not take it so personally. If your child loves marching band, have at it. There are plenty here who will support her decision, whether or not it is the one our own children make. If you can add a different view point, then your presence here is especially welcome! Especially if you can do it without alienating everyone.</p>
<p>The question about marching band is a valid one for parents whose kids are just beginning this journey. That's what this board is all about. Parents who have it all figured out don't spend a lot of time here.</p>
<p>Perhaps you're right about the use of the words "serious musician" being used as a synonym to "performance major". My kid's teacher, though, happens to also be a performer who doesn't even have a degree (dropped out of Juilliard to get a job. I've given my kid the same permission, if the opportunity comes up!) He does prepare all his "serious" students to become performers. </p>
<p>By the way, I am a music (piano) teacher, and am not at all offended by the idea that serious music students dream of performance. Most teachers expect that their students want to perform. Why go to all that trouble if you never want to share your gifts? Every music teacher I know also performs, whether in community ensembles or weddings or .... And everyone has to make decisions about what kinds of gigs promote their goals, and which ones merely waste their time.</p>
<p>Binx, you obviously did not take the time to read the whole thread. I took issue with the absurd notion that some foster that serious musicians don't do marching band. If you had read the whole thread you would have seen that I did share a bit about my situation.</p>
<p>As far as being a new poster, I have been lurking here for months. I just felt I had to respond to the condescending notion that serious musicians wouldn't do marching band. </p>
<p>My daughter is a serious musician. She is section leader at a Magnet school for performing arts. She takes private lessons from a man who makes his living playing trumpet. She is in her 3rd year of theory and will be taking AP theory next year. And since I am bragging, she is also an honor student with and unweighted 3.7 GPA:)</p>
<p>It justs frosts me that some folks think that certain types of music are more serious than others. I believe that as long as their are instruments involved and musical composition, all music has validity, even the stuff I don't like.:)</p>
<p>Big Al:
Your input to this forum would be much more meaningful if you could offer some practical advice or suggestions rather than blatant criticism of other posters' observtions and opinions. How does your daughter deal with the common issues (time management, fatigue, etc.) that prevent other student musicians from enjoying marching band? What specific benefits does she gain from marching band that motivate her to continue the time committment? This is the type of information that would be helpful to other parents and students who are trying to make important decisions about high school activities.</p>
<p>And, BTW, your daughter is lucky that her arts magnet school has a marching band. Although we live in a small town that does not have magnet schools, there are several arts magnets in the bigger cities in our state, and none that I am aware of even have marching bands or football teams.</p>
<p>Marching band is about marching. It is about socializing. It is about school spirit. It is about supporting the athletic program. All fine and valuable activities. It is not about becoming a better musician. Being a better marcher may or may not be more important to one child than being a better musician. No one ever rated one activity as better than the other, therefore no one was ever condescending.</p>
<p>If your child enjoys marching and has the time management skills to be a marcher and school work and still have time to put the hours in on her instrument, congratulations. She is truly an exception.</p>
<p>With my tongue firmly in my cheek may I point out that binx and mommab have sons. Big Al has a daughter. That might account for the time management issue.</p>
<p>"It is not about becoming a better musician."</p>
<p>I'm not sure I agree. My S has become a better musician through marching band and drum corps. He's developed into a soloist (which he wasn't before), understands ensemble playing a lot better and how different sections work together, and is more sophisticated in his understanding of composition and theory. </p>
<p>Does this make him a better classical player? Maybe not. Does it make him a better musician? Yes.</p>
<p>librarian: I have a feeling binx's son is a bit more on the ball with time management than my son, but you've probably hit the nail on the head in our case! I have a daughter, too, an honor student who "played at" the flute during middle school. She has just as much innate musical talent as her brother with amazing time management skills, and she probably could have been one of those "do it all" student musicians. However, she just didn't want to follow in her brother's musical footsteps and chose track and competition cheerleading as her school ECs.</p>
<p>To paraphrase Mel Brooks, "Folks, rest your sphinchters!" </p>
<p>Some children love and thrive participating in marching band and I personally "know," in the "I'm paying the tuition sense," at least one of said children that is currently enrolled as a performance major at a well respected conservatory. If you were to ask anyone at her HS who are some "serious musician" graduates of our HS, her name would certainly come up.</p>
<p>It's all a matter of time management. My D did marching band for the three years of HS that she was eligible (no Freshmen) and never would have considered otherwise. She had to give up other things she enjoyed to do this, but this was all of her choosing since she knew she had to manage her academic, music and social schedules to attain her goal of attending a conservatory.</p>
<p>So let's rephrase the original question to "How do people who are or hope to be performance majors in college find the time to participate in Marching Bands in HS and/or college?"</p>
<p>With all due respect to parents of daughters (I have one of those, up and coming in the music world LOL! :)), not all boys are poor time managers. My son is involved in every single musical activity he can be: honors band and orchestra, two jazz ensembles, pit orchestra, paid accompanying gigs, lessons and practice on two intstruments, teaching in his own studio AND a full certificate program on Saturdays. He manages the time and practice for all of these musical endeavors well (I sometimes don't quite know how).</p>
<p>But he doesn't have the time or inclination for marching band. He wouldn't attend a conservatory or university that required it (maybe he would choose it of his own volition, but probably not). It's just not his thing.</p>
<p>I don't think it is a slam on Big Al's daughter that he doesn't think highly of marching band. It's his opinion. If your daughter enjoys it and thinks that the musicians are serious, which she clearly does, why does it bother you what my kid thinks?</p>
<p>I'm just shopping for knitting yarn on eBay (paying college tuition has made me so thrifty :)) and enjoying this discussion as a sideline diversion. No flaming intentions here, but I am hungry for some popcorn!</p>
<p>Actually, Big Al, I have read the whole thread, even posted a couple times. Maybe I'm just not good at reading tone in emails. My apologies if you were not trying to say (post 49) that anybody who dropped out of marching band to concentrate on personal musical pursuits was uncoordinated, and anyone who defended those students was arrogant and ignorant. That's what I was hearing. Of course, I don't know who's posts you were referring to, and having a son who dropped out of marching band for musical and time reasons, I took offense.</p>
<p>I don't know much about magnet schools. Your D sounds like she is enjoying her situation. Is it possible that a performing arts magnet school might be more understanding about musical commitments, and that a magnet school marching band might have a few more "serious musicians" than the average high school? Perhaps your experience has been something quite different from mine. (And I'm also curious what kind of football team you have. Seriously!)</p>
<p>I truly am a nice person (most of the time) - and I did 4 years of marching band (as a "played at" clarinetist. It didn't affect my piano playing at all.) I loved it, for all the reasons mentioned. My son's time management skills have their ups and downs - he fits an amazing amount into his schedule, but he does oversleep once a semester or so! In high school he was in band, orchestra, competitive marching band, two community youth orchestras, and composed and performed regularly. He wrote a march the band performed, and won southeast regionals for another composition. He was also in the gifted program (including a handful of APs eventually) with a heavy schedule, with teachers who thought music was a nice hobby. Ultimately, he ended up with pneumonia, and doctor's orders to quit something. The following year he dropped one community orchestra and marching band. Neither director was happy with him. Nobody likes to be the bottom priority.</p>
<p>I mentioned embouchure issues (for horn players, playing a different instrument) and time management. There is another pet peeve of my son's that horn parts in marching music (whether played standing or seated!) tend to be syncopated monotones! So, someday he will have his marching band experience to thank when he starts publishing marching music with variety in the horn section! :)</p>
<p>I have a daughter, too, but I'm not sure I can compare their time management skills - they don't use violinists in our marching band.</p>
<p>Hope your popcorn is now all popped - I don't intend to fan any more flames. :)</p>
<p>Hi Allmusic,
My ds did marching band from 6-12th grades. His HS band is a very competitive one and took a serious time commitment. He also did drum corps for the last 2 years. needless to say he is a die hard bando. He is also a very serious musician who managed to be in every musical group in high school, took private lessons, was in a demanding brass ensemble outside of school. In addition he went to district/ regional and all state band orchestra. It was a wonderful experience and I believe it made him a socialy well rounded young adult.
He is now a college freshman majoring in music performance. I would not reccommend doing marching band, at least the 1st year of college anyway. There are too many other demands on his time and as it turns out he has wound up in 5 different ensembles within the music program. College marching bands are known for thier entertainment value and not music excellence (although there are sure to be exceptions). So if your student really loves to march there is no reason to stop them from doing so as long as it does not take away from other committments as a music major. I do not believe it hurts them in any way even if it does not help advance them musically.
P.S. I do love marching bands/ drum corp and if you ever have the chance to attend a competition you may just change your mind about the quality of music played.</p>
<p>I have learned so much from the Music Major Forum since I joint a month ago. Only wish I could have found it much earlier. Parents in this forum have been very helpful in sharing the information and their experiences. Thank you all very much. D is a serious music student. To D, orchestra and chamber music are more rewarding musically than band (marching or not). There is only so much time in a day. Since she plays two instruments and piano demands a lot of her time, it is only wise to choose the activities that she think will benefit her most. In her math & science charter school, bands aren't that good (shared with a magnet visual/performing arts school), serious wind/brass musicians opt out of band and audition for YO and chamber music groups. You would have thought that the arts school should have a good band or wind ensemble. But the math & science high school has better musicians than the arts school. Granted most of the charter kids went on to non-music studies in college, one pianist got admitted to Peabody and Eastman but chose to study CS at CMU, one is a freshman at Curtis, D gets paid (free coaching and private lessons reimbursement) to be in a chamber music group. Pianists from her school won competitions and performed with orchestras.</p>
<p>Not all performing arts schools are created equal, not all marching bands are created equal. Help your D choose wisely so that she will get to where she wants to be.</p>
<p>No violinists in the marching band!! Maybe marching bands would be more popular with fewer blaring horns and fewer booming drums and instead a larger variety of instruments. Maybe a marching band could use some violins, violas, basses, and a couple of bassoons and a harp. It might take some sort of cart to move the bigger instruments. Or then again, maybe the band could setup in the middle of a field and the audience could march.</p>
<p>My oldest son's college (UPenn) had a scatter band - run to formation, then play standing still. Much less rehearsal time needed! Sounds like a lot of fun to me. He was recruited to join, but turned them down. They recruited him for electric guitar.</p>
<p>I thought a scatter band with an electric guitar sounded interesting so I looked up the UPenn marching band webpage. I guess they are one of the better marching bands; however, I did find the admission requirements:
"We have no auditions all you need is a pulse and the passion!<br>
Were not pretentious snobs if you want to join our group and blow you horn/bang on a drum, youre in!"</p>
<p>I don't know if you would call them serious musicians, but at least they are not pretentious.</p>
<p>The ad they sent my son said something along the lines of, "It's better to play with us than to play with yourself." Definitely not pretentious.</p>