WHY PARTICIPATE IN BAND / ORCHESTRA?
Did you know that your child needs at least one high school fine arts credit in order to graduate? If your child already plays an instrument, enrolling in band or orchestra at South Carroll High School is an easy and fun way to fulfill this graduation requirement.
Being a member of the band or orchestra is really much more than performing music. It’s also about contributing to school spirit and being part of a caring, supportive team who help each other to be successful in all areas of their social and academic lives. Being a member of the instrumental music program will help build your child’s confidence, self-esteem and pride in accomplishment.
Concert Band and String Orchestra, are our two main curricular performing ensembles at South Carroll High School open to freshman. These are the gateways to many other performance opportunities at South Carroll. If your child plays a brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument they’ll want to be sure to sign up for Concert Band. If your child plays a stringed instrument, then Orchestra is the place for them.
Band and orchestra are regularly scheduled classes, just like any other class at the high school level. This means that there are no pullout lessons or rehearsals, so your child won’t miss any other classes for band and orchestra. And yes – in case you were wondering, your child can play a sport and also play an instrument at South Carroll High School. If fact, we encourage students to pursue multiple interests. We have quite a few student athletes in the instrumental music program and are quite proud of their accomplishments, both on the field and in the concert hall.
In addition to the curricular, or scheduled, music classes at South Carroll High School there are many extracurricular opportunities – opportunities for your child to get involved in addition to the regularly scheduled band and orchestra classes. For example, are very excited about the return of the South Carroll Cavalier Marching Band! We took secod place in our group at the last Maryland Marching Band Association State Festival at Towson University. We hope that all instrumentalists will participate in the Marching Band to represent South Carroll in parades and on the football field next fall. More information about this opportunity will be send home in the near future.
Members of the South Carroll instrumental music program are also well-represented in the All-County band/orchestra, All-State band/orchestra, Carroll County Solo & Ensemble Festival, State Solo & Ensemble Festival, Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra, Peabody Youth Wind Ensemble, and the Maryland Distinguished Honors program, to name a few. In short, there are many enrichment opportunities available to students enrolled in band or orchestra at South Carroll.
Finally playing in band or orchestra is fun. Although your child will need to practice and invest some time in order to be successful, I’m confident that he/she will find the instrumental music program at SCH to be an accepting, supportive ‘family of friends’ who share similar interests.
Your child has nothing to lose by taking band/orchestra in 9th grade and potentially a lot to gain. Your child will contribute to a growing and exciting music program, have the opportunity to participate in a wide array of musical opportunities, earn the respect of peers, have purposeful fun with friends, and satisfy a high school fine-arts graduation requirement.
We understand that you’re receiving a lot of scheduling information right now and may have more questions now than when you began the scheduling process. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions. Even if we can’t answer your question, we’ll be sure to refer you to someone who can.