You brought up three good points.
Is it:
1. The Teacher - I personally hope this isn't the case, but all too often, it is the case. Many times, there are personality differences between teacher and student. This happens a lot when students move from one director to another. I'll be the first to tell you...I'm not perfect. But I do care about the program, the students, and the music. If there is something I can do to make your experience better, please let me know!
2. The Music that is chosen - This is a big one, and it probably ties into #1 (the Teacher). Every teacher goes through a professional development program and are molded in countless different ways. I like to choose a mix of music ranging from the classics, showtunes, some popular, and even some incidental music from time to time. I know many students would rather play popular all the time. I can understand that, but as a teacher, it is my duty to expose you to many different genres of music. Some of it you'll probably find boring, some I hope you'll find challenging, and some I hope you'll find fun
3. Having band one semester - This, in my opinion, is the major problem with our program. The 4x4 block splits up our band into small classes where there are gaping holes in the instrumentation. It would be different if we were a huge school where each band class had 30 students...but this isn't the case. It's very tough, and eventually it will smother a band program.
What was your favorite part of band?
