Lance Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Yeah, I agree with that. Why any band director would be stupid enough to keep a kid out of marching band for missing a few days of band rehearsal because he/she was marching corps is beyond me. Take it up with the school district beforehand if the band director is that dumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Yeah, I agree with that. Why any band director would be stupid enough to keep a kid out of marching band for missing a few days of band rehearsal because he/she was marching corps is beyond me. Take it up with the school district beforehand if the band director is that dumb. Then the band had better have a similar policy for a student who misses for another reason as well as corps. Science camp, computer camp, even another music camp, a family vacation. IMO a band director has to treat all students the same, otherwise he or she is in for a world of trouble down the road from irate parents and the admin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvs me sum mello! Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 The way we do things is simple. You make a commitment to band. The band calendar is posted in MAY for the following year (September-august). That way the parents know when contests, concerts, the band trip, and even band camp is going to be a whole year in advance. Sure, we may not know what contests we're going to or where we're going for the spring trip, but we always know when we're going. We set aside one saturday in the fall from contest for kids to take the SAT, that way no one can use that as excuse to miss contest. You can apply for an exception but it has to be at least a month in advance and you have to provide sound resoning for the absence. Not, "We're going on a family vacation and I'll miss the forst week of band camp." No dice. You had all summer to vacation. I could go on, but you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tekneek Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Then the band had better have a similar policy for a student who misses for another reason as well as corps. Science camp, computer camp, even another music camp, a family vacation. IMO a band director has to treat all students the same, otherwise he or she is in for a world of trouble down the road from irate parents and the admin. Nobody has to be treated "exactly the same" as everybody else. We are human beings and we have the ability to weigh evidence and make a reasoned judgment based on that evidence. I agree that a band director shouldn't "punish" somebody for being involved in more than music, but it should be clear that most students coming off of drum corps tour will be prepared to pick up marching band music/drill much faster than somebody coming off of science/computer camp. Your thought process sounds like the type behind all sorts of "zero tolerance" rules/laws that accomplish nothing positive and reduce humans to robots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Nobody has to be treated "exactly the same" as everybody else. We are human beings and we have the ability to weigh evidence and make a reasoned judgment based on that evidence. I agree that a band director shouldn't "punish" somebody for being involved in more than music, but it should be clear that most students coming off of drum corps tour will be prepared to pick up marching band music/drill much faster than somebody coming off of science/computer camp. Your thought process sounds like the type behind all sorts of "zero tolerance" rules/laws that accomplish nothing positive and reduce humans to robots. Oh, you had absolutely BETTER treat all of your students the same when it comes to adhering to the rules you set up. You may think drum corps is an OK reason to miss part of the band season, but if a parent gets wind of the director allowing kids to miss band camp for corps, but not for an activity just as important to their child, that director might be in a lot of trouble from the parents and eventually the school administration. It has nothing to do with whether the student will be capable of picking up the drill or music quickly after a season of marching corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) Oh, you had absolutely BETTER treat all of your students the same when it comes to adhering to the rules you set up. You may think drum corps is an OK reason to miss part of the band season, but if a parent gets wind of the director allowing kids to miss band camp for corps, but not for an activity just as important to their child, that director might be in a lot of trouble from the parents and eventually the school administration.It has nothing to do with whether the student will be capable of picking up the drill or music quickly after a season of marching corps. I think that Mike has a legitimate point on that one. Being a band director isn't like being a Drum Corps director, because the latter isn't embedded in a school system or drawing a salary from the taxpayers or dealing with superintendants and boards of eds. I don't think too many Drum Corps directors have to worry about most of that stuff. It's a whole different ballgame in that regard. Also take into account that most band directors are hired in large part due to their teaching and musical abilities, whereas Drum Corps directors are hired primarily for their orginizational skills and have very little to do with the actual show design. Edited February 21, 2008 by Piper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I think that Mike has a legitimate point on that one. Being a band director isn't like being a Drum Corps director, because the latter isn't embedded in a school system or drawing a salary from the taxpayers or dealing with superintendants and boards of eds. I don't think too many Drum Corps directors have to worry about most of that stuff. It's a whole different ballgame in that regard. Thanks...that is exactly what I mean. One thing administrators and board of ed members hate to hear are parents complain about unfair treatment of their child. The parents of, say, a HS science prodigy, who sent their son/daughter to a science honor program at a major university and had to miss all or part of band camp, would expect to have any consequences dealt to their child be the same as if another band member marched corps and missed the same amount of band camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tekneek Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Thanks...that is exactly what I mean. One thing administrators and board of ed members hate to hear are parents complain about unfair treatment of their child. The parents of, say, a HS science prodigy, who sent their son/daughter to a science honor program at a major university and had to miss all or part of band camp, would expect to have any consequences dealt to their child be the same as if another band member marched corps and missed the same amount of band camp. I'm not suggesting that it doesn't work this way, I am simply saying that it shouldn't have to. People should be able to handle situations on a case-by-case basis. This is just another thing that is wrong with the system. It's why kids who bring a knife to cut their steak are punished the same as somebody who brings a hunting knife. Despite any reasonable person understanding there is a clear difference there, they get treated the same by a system that refuses to think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Then the band had better have a similar policy for a student who misses for another reason as well as corps. Science camp, computer camp, even another music camp, a family vacation. IMO a band director has to treat all students the same, otherwise he or she is in for a world of trouble down the road from irate parents and the admin. Good admin would look at the situation of a kid doing drum corps, and do everything they could to make it work for the student and the band director. That's why I suggested taking it up with admin before leaving for tour if you have a stupid band director like that. Situations are different, Mike, and only really awful teachers and admin take the monolithic approach you're talking about. Of course every band director can do what they want, but the one the OP is talking about is a complete idiot, IMO. Sorry if you disagree. Most public school science teachers would be fine with a student missing their class to attend a science workshop or camp...many would even go so far as to find a way to give the student credit for analogous work they're doing while gone. Same thing with a computer teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senagod Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Good admin would look at the situation of a kid doing drum corps, and do everything they could to make it work for the student and the band director. That's why I suggested taking it up with admin before leaving for tour if you have a stupid band director like that. Situations are different, Mike, and only really awful teachers and admin take the monolithic approach you're talking about. Of course every band director can do what they want, but the one the OP is talking about is a complete idiot, IMO. Sorry if you disagree. Most public school science teachers would be fine with a student missing their class to attend a science workshop or camp...many would even go so far as to find a way to give the student credit for analogous work they're doing while gone. Same thing with a computer teacher. True, but I understand where Mike's coming from. There are parents these days that are quick to demand everything for their kids, so I could see a parent saying that if it's okay for a kid to miss band camp because of drum corps, then it's okay for their kid to miss band camp for a family vacation and heaven help anybody who tells them it's not okay. It's because of parents like that that some band directors and administrators end up making rules like that. It's awful, but that's what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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