2016 UMPI / Community Band , Jon Simonoff , Director ( photo credit : J . Simonoff )
Other benefits I have seen from having students participate is an improvement in attitude towards music , better accountability for the student , and an increase of social skills from talking to other students and adults . It is not surprising that this is the case . When there is a large gathering of like-minded people enjoying a similar activity there are bound to be positive experiences . Students see adults that still love music that they can aspire to be like and adults see young people that they can help to grow socially and musically . It ’ s a win-win !
There are hurdles to overcome as well . I know that in Aroostook County , being so spread out geographically , my school needs to provide transportation to the rehearsals for many students . Having time to dedicate to another activity is always an issue and things like sports and homework sometimes cause people to miss rehearsals . It ’ s also an extra night out a week for parents and teachers which may seem quite taxing . I look at these hurdles as potential lessons in time management , flexibility , and commitment .
I can speak from personal experience that spending a night away from home , especially during concert or competition season , seems almost impossible . However , I have found that it is enjoyable for myself and the other teachers in the groups to play and sing in a large ensemble . Generally the music is more engaging than what we do on a daily basis and we rarely get to play or hear an ensemble with complete instrumentation in the school setting . I also think it ’ s important for students to see that we love music outside of the school day just as much as within . If we expect our students to love music for more than 40 minutes a day we should expect the same of ourselves .
While participating in community ensembles is not a possibility for every student , I have seen them help many in multiple ways . It is not a not a perfect solution but merely an option you may wish to explore . I encourage you to seek out community bands /