To the Editor:
One of the most common explanations for why talented Alexandria musicians drop out of band before high school is a little known but antiquated school mandate that in order to participate in T.C. Williams High School band programs students must join the marching band.
For a high school of its size, T.C. Williams has one of the smallest band programs in Northern Virginia. It doesn't have to be this way. In fact the TCW band program is significantly smaller than the band programs of GW and Francis Hammond middle schools. The problem occurs after 8th grade when the numbers show that many talented band students drop out of band — sometimes forever, sometimes to pursue their love of music outside of high school.
Although some student musicians love marching, it’s common knowledge among Alexandria's band families that the marching band requirement is responsible for smaller numbers of musicians participating in high school concert band, wind ensemble and jazz band. If the mandate was removed and marching made optional, the numbers of students joining TCW's seated bands would swell.
What does marching band have to do with the ability to play an instrument? Very little. The requirement is not a state Board of Education mandate based on objective curriculum standards. The origins of the requirement come from a state association of band directors. The requirement reflects a "feeling" that students of band instruments must learn to march in order to receive a comprehensive education in their instrument. This is largely a subjective and self-serving judgment by high school marching band advocates. Few colleges require marching band experience as a condition of acceptance to a department of music.
Several years ago the Alexandria City School Board addressed part of this problem. The board acted to exempt student athletes participating in fall athletics from the marching band requirement. Under this exemption which exists today, TCW band directors were prohibited from excluding student musicians from seated band if they participated in a fall high school sport.
This exemption worked fine for our son and the TCW Band program. He lettered in cross country for four years and graduated in 2013 as Boys’ Cross Country captain. He also lettered in band without marching and went on the earn all state honors in jazz and band, the first such accomplishment by a TCW band student. The exemption allowed him to support his school through athletics but to also continue his love of music. He is currently attending college pursuing a degree in music. At no time did any of his prospective colleges ask about his lack of marching band experience. Indeed, what the schools of music wanted to evaluate was his proficiency and poise as a musician revealed through challenging auditions.
We believe the current athletic exemption doesn't go far enough.
There are talented band students who are fully engaged in year-round sports training for such sports as crew or swimming that are necessary to prepare them to represent their school community in winter and spring sports. There are others who eschew marching band to pursue opportunities to participate in local youth orchestras which expose students to symphonic music not offered in TCW's band ensembles. The simple point is that marching band is not an experience that is objectively necessary to be a successful musician. If this policy is changed, student musicians who decline to march would still need to pass skill-based auditions to win placement in a seated band.
Recently a number of concerned TCW and middle school parents pleaded with ACPS faculty to address this longstanding problem. The efforts met strong resistance from the faculty members who have for too long relied on the mandate as a crutch to guarantee a minimum quota of student marchers. In an Nov. 20 email, the school division’s designated K-12 Arts Coordinator Shawn Thorpe admonished parents: "We need to remember that band is a skill just like crew, swimming, volleyball and dance. We do not want to change a structure around ’time on task’ that would affect the overall performance of a child in any of the programs."
What Mr. Thorpe fails to appreciate is that participation in sports is voluntary for aspiring athletes ... unlike marching band for aspiring musicians.
It is time for the school board to get involved in this issue. In Alexandria we pride ourselves on offering students greater not fewer choices. It is time to end the marching band mandate and embrace the musical talents of all students based on auditions and skill. If students have the talent to perform in TC's top band, the Wind Ensemble, they should be welcome whether or not they choose to march.
Going forward, students should be recruited for marching band the old fashioned way ... voluntarily. Those who teach marching band should recruit students by promoting what they see as the value and fun of performing in a marching ensemble, not by threatening the denial of musical opportunities. And for those musicians who prefer to study their instrument in the traditional, seated ensemble, their contributions would be similarly valued, encouraged and welcomed.
Let’s end the marching band mandate now and allow all students the choice to follow their musical dreams.
Ripley and Diana Forbes
Alexandria