Klarinet Archive - Posting 000186.txt from 1997/08

From: AnneVacca@-----.com
Subj: Re: Re: How young is too young? (II)
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 13:42:08 -0400

In a message dated 8/6/97 11:56:05 AM, you wrote:

>Gary VanCott=NHIN
>08/06/97 08:55 AM
>>> It has also been the subject of a study that people who start earlier
>than 6 grade do not show anymore of an improvement over those who start in
>6th.
>
>I have also had this study quoted to me by an elementary school music
>teacher when I questioned why the instrumental music school program here in
>Las Vegas didn't start until 6th grade. It is my understanding that the
>result of the study was that students reached the same level of proficiency
>(at the end of high school?) regardless of what grade (presumably 4-7) they
>started in. I am willing to accept that this is true, but would you rather
>have an 8th grade band made up of students who had played for one year or
>four years?

Personally, I would rather have a band of students who had played for 4
years. If they have only played for one year, they would not have
accomplished very much yet. Also, the kids may become frustrated and believe
that they are bad players and therefore quit. When the real reason is that
they just have not been playing long enough yet.

>Something I am curious about is if starting in elementary school versus
>middle school makes any difference in the percentage of kids participating
>and in attrition. Does starting later make for larger high school music
>programs, smaller, or is there no difference?

I believe that it makes for poorer high school programs (starting later). I
believe that the kids should start learning a band instrument in the 4th or
5th grade. By the time that the kids get to middle school they are being
pulled in so many different directions, they may be less inclined to practice
and therefore succeed with the instrument. If you start your child in Youth
soccer at age 10 why not start them on an instrument at that age too?

Personally, I don't know what effect starting later would have on the high
school programs. I grew up in NYS and I started clarinet in 4th grade. [I
also started swim team in 4th grade (I still do both)]. My impression would
be that the groups may be large, but not very good. I do know for a fact
that my home town, in a cost-saving measure (got to love that school
board-NOT!) decided to eliminate the 4th grade band program from the budget
(and the 3rd grade string program) about 5 years ago. Recently, when I was
talking to the director of the Jr. High bands she told me that she has
noticed a definite difference in her students that have had 2 years of
playing before coming to that school as compared to the students that had 3
years. The has noticed that the students are not as far advanced as before.
So now there are more things that she has to teach them now, that before,
they already knew coming into the program.

Just my $.02

Anne
AnneVacca@-----.com

>
>Gary Van Cott
>Las Vegas, NV
>Gary_VanCott@-----.com

   
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