There are many band directors and band programs that based their curriculum and goals on the belief that concert band is the center piece to a successful band program. Many have used the wheel metaphor in that concert band is the center of the wheel and other bands such as marching, jazz, pep/atheletic, small ensembles are the spokes that generate outward from the center (concert band)

I subscribe to this philosophy but i'm starting to question whether I want to continue to subscribe to this train of thought. What are the intrinsic values of concert band that make it a valuable and viable means for success in other ensembles? Must the concert band be actively performing in order for the wheel/spoke philosophy to hold true, or can you just have a concert band class?

Looking forward to your thoughts.

IMO, concert band challenges you more than any other ensemble. It can better your marching band's sound, your backetball band's sound and so on. Concert band challenges you with the change in speed, key, and so much more. Concert band can help the players get better.

If your concert band is crap, you'll work harder in every other area to get minimally acceptable results.

Your concert band is the foundation of your marching band...or any other ensembles....

I don't totally disagree or agree with anything that's been said. I've been basing my teaching philosophy off of the concept of concert band is the foundation for every other band. But sometimes I wonder how much affect/effect my concert band has or is having on the marching band. A school in a neighboring district won state championships (2 in a 3 year period) and did not have a performing concert band only the class. Would you consider that program to be successful.....there have been several students that received band scholarships and went on to major in music.

Concert band is where you music education lies. This is where they learn how to really play the instrument. This has changed EVERY band program that I had drastically. I express this and plan my lessons and rehearsals to promote my agenda. It's hard but propaganda takes time to marinate, but once the kids tell the younger ones then your job is done. I have seen the number of tunes memorized increase dramatically through concert band. Even the kids see the noticeable difference when we switch from concert to marching. They can read and interpret key signatures, they sight-read better, they stay in tune, the attacks and releases are uniform. Which makes your job easier. Which makes the band learn more music. Then they can concentrate on other aspects like marching fundamentals.

I have plenty of stories on individual students AND entire bands on how this theory works.

It's hard for me to change my view because I graduated from WANDO!!!!

5 TIME, 5 TIME OPA CHAMPS!!!

Interesting.....

We were all taught (hopefully) that concert band is the "center of the wheel" so to speak. But today's challenges with scheduling changes this without us really even knowing.

For instance......... You have a 80 piece total band program but only 25 kids manage to actually get scheduled in class for the year (Instrumentation is jacked up). You hold afterschool rehearsals for 2 hours, 3 days out the week to supplement for kids who do not have the class. You may put on a winter concert, a spring concert and you may go to festival, however with this many kids not in class....

All the while............ Your Marching Band went to Such and Such University's Band Camp, then you had a 2 week camp of your own, you practice for 2 and a half hours daily and perform on EVERY Friday and Saturday.

Ask your students which ensemble is the center of your program.......

This scenario is happening more and more in our schools. I have talked to about 10 band directors between VA and NC this spring that literally have about 10-20% of their students in a their symphonic band or concert band class. There is a director that I spoke with last week that has about 45 musicians in his program but actually has 6 in his class for the entire day.

Bruh, these test scores (Test preparation classes), credit recovery classes, and IB programs are killing us. Eventually we'll all be "Friday Night" bands