extravagant student ensemble trips


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Posted by js on June 01, 2003 at 13:09:25:

I know there are some directors of student ensembles who read this list, and I would like to make an appeal. In my experience, well more than half of you exercise good judgment about this and I would like to appeal to the minority who do not view this topic in the way that I do:
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In the last couple of weeks I discovered that my daughter's (and son's) school band is planning a trip to the opposite coast and our local youth orchestra (daughter again) is planning trip to Europe this year.

Uhh... WHY?

WHO, several thousands of miles west of our home and thousands of miles east of our home are terribly eager to hear my kids play horns? How many of the parents of these kids can afford to take themSELVES to these places, much less their children? How many of these parents will put a financial hardship on themselves (credit card debt / home equity loan / not sufficiently funding their retirement / working too many hours / etc.) to send their children out on rushed-and-little-appreciated trips these "exotic" destinations?

As a music store owner, I can tell you that these trips that involve airplane travel take unsuspected financial tolls as well. No longer will airlines accept all of this musical equipment as standard baggage without charging double or triple fares, so parents end up shipping instruments to these destinations ahead of the ensembles' arrival. Of course, parents have absolutely no idea how to properly crate up tubas, baritones, horns, percussion, etc., so a large percentage of this equipment shipped back and forth on these trips ends up being destroyed. There is, of course, no reimbursement by the shippers because the parents did not follow the shippers' packaging guidelines.

I'm going to get a little more "personal" with you directors at this point. What are your motives for scheduling these extravagant trips? Are you concerned that not as many kids would join or stay in your ensemble withOUT these extravagant scheduled trips? If so, why? What is not being offered by you to these young people that requires a $2500+ trip to compensate for these (either real or self-perceived) shortcomings? In future years, could you possibly strive to make what you have to offer to these young people desirable enough that your ensemble membership numbers and quality will be as high as you need without such extravagant "carrots" to dangle in front of potential members?

In the 21st century, competition is "stiff" for the time and attention of young people. There are sports, video games, church activities, school activities, garage bands, dance, music lessons...and of course...(CELL) phones, instant messenger, ten-year-too-early sexual relationships, rap, satanic bands, drugs, and much more (even academic studies, for just a few).

I encourage you school band directors and youth orchestra directors to "sell" what you have to offer to young people, rather than disguising what you fail to deliver by offering some outrageously expensive (parentally-funded) excursions that have absolutely nothing to do with the pursuits and disciplines you have been charged with offering to our youngsters.

Let's get out the compasses, draw 350-mile circles around our hometowns on our maps, and get back on the bus.


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