WHY BAND?
Although many see band as a class on learning to play an instrument, it is much more than that. WHY BAND? The answer to the question has some lifelong implications. In many respects, band is a microcosm of our society. It demands high levels of responsibility, social skills, ongoing communication, analytical talents, and the important ability to work with others. Simply put, learning a musical instrument and continuing to explore the limitless possibilities of music provide an excellent preparation for life.
MUSIC IS A SCIENCE
It is exact, specific, and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor’s full score is a chart, a graph that indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time.
MUSIC IS MATHEMATICAL
It is rhythmically based on the subdivision of time into fractions, which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper.
MUSIC IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not English – but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complex and universal language.
MUSIC IS HISTORY
Music usually reflects the environment and time of its creation, as well as the country, climate and national feelings.
MUSIC IS PHYSICAL EDUCATION
It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lip, cheek, and facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back, stomach, and chest muscles. The mind interprets and the body responds instantly to the visual sight of the musical notation and the sound the ear hears.
MUSIC IS ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT MOST OF ALL, MUSIC IS ART
It allows a human being to take complex techniques and use them to create emotion. That is one thing science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, and emotion.