Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Typical high school level music

Just back from middle school first band concert of the year. 6th graders were all playing grade 1 stuff. Concert band is made up of 7th and 8th graders and some years one or two sixth graders. Concert band played four songs and I looked them up. The publisher didn’t list a grade on them but at the bottom listed what lists they appear on. Three of them were listed by some states as level 2 and some states as level 3 (so maybe a 2.5? And the fourth piece was listed as a level 3. I think by the end of the year they will be strongly in all level 3s like they were last year with a few level 4s. They work on Some pieces that don’t make the cut for performances but stretch the kids

That is a huge commitment to music so no wonder they are able to make such progress! DS/DD's middle school had about 4 hours a week before they changed to A/B/C/D schedule and got only about 2 hours a week although Honior Band/Orchestra (clubs) added another hour a week.

Yes..I mentioned before that DD's middle school band routinely plays level 4 music, but maybe I should say that she has band class every day and her level of band also has extra morning practice for 1 hour every week. They also have local university students come in and give group lessons to each section. They take band seriously at her school, and a lot are accepted to all county. This is also DD's third year.

Well it is an arts school. So I guess they should be. I didn’t mention that before? It was by audition but you didn’t have to be playing in 5th grade. He played a couple of pieces on the recorder and they had other activities to test your musicality and potential. But other kids are already playing an instrument and they audition on that. You can audition on the piano or guitar but you get another instrument if you go.

That is a big commitment to band time-wise Having group lessons regularly would make a huge difference as well especially if a significant number of the students do not take private music lessons. Most (almost all?) of the students in GT Band and GT Orchestra take private lessons.

Interestingly, at one of the magnet middle schools to which DS/DD applied, a number of the students who went through the instrumental music magnet did not choose to continue playing in high school. DS/DD had applied to a different magnet program at that school but had a number of friends in the instrumental music magnet. It may be in part because the standards weren't very high and people audition mostly to get out of the neighborhood middle school.