When You Don't Fit the School.....

My daughter is heavily into band as I was when I was in high school (yea, eons ago). She is taking private lessons with a doctorate student at MSU and let me tell you, her lesson teacher is AMAZINGLY talented.

The high school we are in doesn't have a great music program. The band director is nice enough...he's very good with the kids, but this band is TERRIBLE. I hate saying that because it's a group my daughter plays in, but in today's world, there is no reason to as bad as they are. The band director does not put these kids into chairs....at least not based on ability/talent. He does it mostly by seniority. That means, even if you are better than a senior, it generally wont' matter because you will still get a lower part and chair. I don't think this band director even does testing. I mean, what would be the point if he isn't going to put them in chairs by ability, anyway? I wonder how he decides grades for report cards. Interesting. We have contemplated leaving the school district and doing school of choice. There is a similar school (same socio-economic demographics...lower and higher poverty) that has a GREAT band! I saw some of their YouTube videos of their marching performances AND their concert performances. They are outstanding. I would NOT send my child there, either, due to the same type of school, though (our district it just bad, though very, very small). There is another district that is about 8 miles away that is a higher-socioeconomic area. It is a wealthier area, for sure, and they, as well, have an amazing band. I've heard great things about them, as well. The only problem I'm concerned about is how it might be from a social standpoint for my daughter. She is in 9th grade and the district is pretty big. That's a tough age. But, as I explained to my daughter, if you want to be a music major in college, you've GOT to be in a great program in high school. I didn't have that luxury. I didn't go to a ghetto school or a smaller rural school...we were class C and I had about 130 kids in my class. We weren't as bad as my daughter's school is, but the priority in our school district was athletics and not music...at all. So when I got to college and auditioned for their marching band, I BARELY made it. At the college level, students march backwards, forwards, sideways, and all different kinds of funky ways that I never did. It was tough so I truly believe that a successful music program would be very beneficial for that high school student.

Anyway, I attended my first band booster meeting tonight. Let's just say, I TRULY don't fit in with these people AT ALL. I had my hair done, makeup on, I had on nice jeans, a cute mock turtleneck sweater, earrings, penny loafers. These people didn't. Some looked like they crawled out of bed. But, I wouldn't expect much more from this community. Hell, I saw some loser take a pet DOG to a performance. I saw another at a performance that had waders (like rubber boots) up to their knees. That's great if that is part of your job, but you don't change your clothes before you go to a show? It's not my thing. I do not fit in with these people. It was still very interesting to be in this meeting. They have a shitload of money in their general fund for a district that sees a 40% rate for free/reduced lunches. What they do with it, I have no idea because they are not spending it on competitions or anything like that. I asked if they had ever given scholarships to students so they could attend Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp or Interlochen (kids who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend). You know what they said to me? "well, we've never done that in the past". OK..well, never mind then. They also go to Disney every 4 years. That trip will cost each student 1200 PLUS spending money (estimated at 500 bucks). They shove all these fundraiser at these kids and tell them to go sell candles and seeds (to plant). Yea, right. I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't want that garbage. ' With the money they have, they could go somewhere EVERY YEAR and perform versus every 4 years at Disney. No, my child is not going. All you have to do is Google Dean Transportation bus driver and you will find a number of reasons why my kids do not ride their school buses AND WILL NEVER take one of their charter busses anywhere....especially on a few thousand mile trip down 75 the week of spring break. PASS.

I don't get it, but this school doesn't exactly share my values or care to hear other ideas. If my daughter does want to go on to be a music major, we are absolutely going to have to utilize school of choice and get her into a better music program.