Post by gatordog on Mar 16, 2009 13:00:52 GMT -5
Last week, WV Music Dept held auditions for next-year’s higher level orchestra ensembles. This week, they are doing the band auditions. (This also includes current 8th graders/rising freshmen). Results for orchestra are to be given today. And the band results very soon too.
A fair number of auditioning musicians were/are of course rising sophomores. Many of these ensembles are exceedingly difficult for a freshmen to make. Many times its your sophomore year that one who has worked hard at music through their freshman years gets their chance to earn their way into one of these ensembles.
Specifically concerning sophomores, when it comes to placement and selection of students and instruments to fill the chairs, the music teachers have to know right now who will be at which school. Is this literally a point where once these picks are made, its very hard or unfair for these musicians and their instructors to "undo" these choices? This effects the entire ensemble, from senior level on down.
I am just pointing out yet another a cost of trying to re-assign some number of sophomores. You need the right mix and proportion of instruments. Many are probably unaware that these music tryouts for next year are already over. This is meant to be a concrete example showing where we already have directly hit the "affecting students lives" level where it wouldn’t be trivial to “redo” student assignments.
To given an idea of the scale, here are the audition-only groups at WV, with NV no doubt having parallel groups:
BAND
Wind Ensemble
Wind Sympony
Symphonic Winds
Concert Winds
ORCHESTRA
Chamber Strings
Symphonic Strings
Concert Strings (9th only)
These ensembles have graded curricular class that goes with it. So this is very much about course selection, too. (I don’t know about Chorus programs) MV also has audition-only ensembles, but not the entire full spectrum yet for next year.
A fair number of auditioning musicians were/are of course rising sophomores. Many of these ensembles are exceedingly difficult for a freshmen to make. Many times its your sophomore year that one who has worked hard at music through their freshman years gets their chance to earn their way into one of these ensembles.
Specifically concerning sophomores, when it comes to placement and selection of students and instruments to fill the chairs, the music teachers have to know right now who will be at which school. Is this literally a point where once these picks are made, its very hard or unfair for these musicians and their instructors to "undo" these choices? This effects the entire ensemble, from senior level on down.
I am just pointing out yet another a cost of trying to re-assign some number of sophomores. You need the right mix and proportion of instruments. Many are probably unaware that these music tryouts for next year are already over. This is meant to be a concrete example showing where we already have directly hit the "affecting students lives" level where it wouldn’t be trivial to “redo” student assignments.
To given an idea of the scale, here are the audition-only groups at WV, with NV no doubt having parallel groups:
BAND
Wind Ensemble
Wind Sympony
Symphonic Winds
Concert Winds
ORCHESTRA
Chamber Strings
Symphonic Strings
Concert Strings (9th only)
These ensembles have graded curricular class that goes with it. So this is very much about course selection, too. (I don’t know about Chorus programs) MV also has audition-only ensembles, but not the entire full spectrum yet for next year.