Klarinet Archive - Posting 000724.txt from 2001/05

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] School Board
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 09:12:28 -0400

----- Original Message -----
From: <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subject: Re: [kl] School Board

> At 07:08 AM 05/27/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >I did *NOT* suggest elimination of band and chorus from the curriculum.
If
> >you think that I did, you totally misinterpreted what I had to say.
>
> She later clarified:
> >1. Music should be part of the educational curricula. But by this I
mean
> >theory, music history, music development, music appreciation
> >etc. Students could even do a little simple composing and so on.
> >2. Band and chorus should be extracurricular activities for two reasons.
> >a) There isn't time to teach music in either one, what is being taught is
> >performance not music per se. b) If you are in band or chorus, there
are
> >weekend and evening commitments that students in other classes do not
have
> >to contend with.
>
> I've read it seveal times Dee. Numbe 2 and 2a. above suggest band and
> chorus to be extracurricular. I didn't misrepresent you.

Yes you misinterpreted again. Extracurricular *DOES NOT* mean eliminate for
crying out loud. You are equating two things that are not the same. The
juxtaposition of the two quotes indicates that you do equate the terms.
Just as an example, some extracurricular activities like sports teams are
more immune to being eliminated than elective courses (art, drama, elective
advanced English classes, elective advanced math classes, etc ). Make music
mandatory and then if music (not just performance) is actually being taught
as part of the band or chorus (either elective or extracurricular, either
one works for me), the band class could fulfill the students mandatory music
requirement.

However, the real point is to craft a proposed curricula for music and get
it incorporated into the mandatory core requirements for graduation. Until
that point in time, any subject that is either elective or extracurricular
will be a potential candidate for local school boards to cut based on
*their* personal feelings about the importance and relative merits of the
subject or activity. The current system allows major variations from school
to school, district to district, and state to state.

So go define your program and go fight the state board of education.
Fighting me over the exact details of the plan doesn't get the job done.
I'm not against any program that you might suggest although I would like to
see the excessive amounts of outside time required of band students reduced
so that they would actually have time to practice and study music. No one
should be required to march, play in pep band, or go to contest to get a
grade. Band/chorus need to be put on the same footing as other elective
courses.

Dee Hays
Michigan

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