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Middle School Band, Orchestra, or Choir: Which Should your Child Choose?
Middle School Band, Orchestra, or Choir: Which Should your Child Choose?
When you have a 5th grader, it is a good time to start considering which elective course your child could choose in the 6th grade. You might hear of the Middle School Band, Orchestra, and Choir, but you might need clarification about these classes. Also, you might be wondering if music is a good option for your child as the year-long elective if they don’t have any previous experience with an instrument or did not participate in the elementary choir.
Cultural Bridges interviewed several Maywood Middle School 8th-grade students who participated in Band, Orchestra, or Choir to share their experiences. We hope this can give parents a better idea about these classes and ease anxiety when choosing an elective course.
Maywood Middle School Band
Lora Doytcheva: I currently play the flute. I have played it for two years, since I was in 6th grade. I joined middle school band with absolutely no prior experience. I didn't even know how to assemble the instrument. I chose playing an instrument as an elective course because I wanted to learn a new skill that would be unique and a challenge to me. Also, learning to play a new instrument really challenges the brain, making it a lot of fun because you learn something new that's completely out of your comfort zone.
Our band class usually begins with a couple of minutes to assemble instruments. We talk for a little before starting our warm-up, which is usually a Choral. After the warmup, we either sight-read a new piece or work on sections of the pieces we are getting ready for an upcoming concert. We end class with a few minutes to pack up and disassemble instruments.
During the school year, our band has three major concerts, one every trimester. We also have some special events like playing with the high school marching band, going to festivals with other school district bands, playing at school events, etc. My favorite part about playing the flute is that 99% of the time, the flutes get the melody, meaning we get pretty big parts that can get complex at times, making them really fun to play.
My biggest advice to incoming middle schoolers? PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! You don't want to end up never practicing because it doesn't benefit the band or yourself. It only makes playing tests more stressful when you know you’re not sure about how to play what you’re being tested on. To make sure you don't end up having that problem, have a time in the day when you can sit down and practice without any distractions, and it has to be outside of school. The one period you get per day is to learn other people's parts, not your own.
Emerson Archer: I play the alto saxophone in the band. I started playing this instrument in 5th grade. This year will be my fourth year of playing the alto sax. The reason I chose to play the alto sax is because I thought it looked like a cool instrument to play. So, I started to listen to alto sax music. It sounded really cool, so I decided to try it out. My favorite part about playing the alto sax is that it has a lot of different styles that you can play, from jazz to concert band to marching band.
During our band class, we play our instruments almost daily. Normally, we start the class with warm-ups, and we might play out of the “Essential Elements” book. After that, we work on our concert pieces or just play some songs for fun and practice. Sixth graders will typically play out of the “Essential Elements” book every day, and concert pieces might come out of that book. We have about three concerts a year, and there is also a band festival that is fun.
The one suggestion I will give to the incoming or current 6th graders is that band can get challenging towards the middle and end of the year. The songs that you are playing may seem like they are really hard, and sometimes you feel like you are messing things up, but in the end, the concert will always turn out well, and the audience will love the music. So don’t give up, and trust yourself that you can make it to the end.
Maywood Middle School Orchestra
Kendall Baker: I play viola in the middle school orchestra. I have played viola since 5th grade, a few months before middle school started. This is my 4th year. I chose the viola because I wanted to learn a new instrument and thought it sounded nice. Our daily orchestra class is mostly rehearsals, but we do sectionals as well, and there are at least three concerts each year, not including events like orchestra festivals. I really like how the viola fits into the rest of the orchestra and how all the instruments make such cool music. Orchestra is a great class and has an opportunity to improve your abilities. If you are interested in trying a string instrument, just choose an instrument you like and go for it!
Sophie Cao: I play violin in the middle school orchestra. I’ve played violin for 3-4 years now and started playing the summer before sixth grade. I chose violin because I always thought it sounded like a lot of fun, especially to be a part of an orchestra and witness the different sounds. In addition, I thought it would be fun to play the melody as opposed to a bass line. During our daily class, we learn lots of new music regularly, but it’s a lot of fun. It takes us a while to tune, but it goes quicker as you get more used to it. We do sectional practices as well as whole-group practices. There are normally three concerts in a school year, and it’s awesome to go back to old videos to see how much you’ve improved. Typically, for each concert, there would be two orchestras: the sixth grade one and the combined seventh/eighthgrade one. Last year, the high school orchestra joined our end-of-year orchestra performance. It is great to listen to older students’ performances.
My favorite part of playing this instrument is playing a duet with my friend. It’s always such an adventure to hear how our different parts fit together. Also, during the end of the school year, we’ve done fairy tales with our instruments. Kind of like acting them out, but with a twist!
My advice to the new students is don’t be scared to try something new. Instruments can be scary, but if you just try your best and give yourself time, then I’m sure you can succeed.
Maywood Middle School Choir
Anabelle Kiang: I've been in choir since I was in 4th grade. Yes, I joined Apollo Elementary's choir before middle school. However, it got canceled because of Covid-19. I chose choir in middle school because it's a course I did before in elementary school. I felt like I would have more experience and knowledge of what to do in the class because of my previous experience. I wanted to see how middle school was different and how they did things differently.
Our daily choir routine depends on the teacher. So far, in my experience, I've had two teachers in choir class, soon to be three. But the class always includes warm-up and singing practice. We will also prepare for concerts and go over concert attire.
In a normal school year, there should be three school performances that include all grades of the choir classes. There’s one choir performance for each trimester. There are some performances that are only for certain grades, like the 7th and 8th graders. There are certain festivals that the 7thand 8th-graders go to and perform at.
My favorite part of choir is that it is like a big family where you can sing with other people and have fun. One story I can share is that our teacher, Mr. Nguyen, used to use his hands as the numbers during the countdown to get our attention. For example, if he was counting down to 8, he would put his thumb and pointer finger together to form a circle and then put the two circles together, making an 8. He was also just a very fun teacher, and he made us all laugh multiple times, and he always made us feel like we belonged in his class.
A suggestion that I give to the upcoming middle school students is that if you’re feeling stuck with your music, ask your teacher for help separately or take your music home and practice. Also, remember to arrive early for choir concerts. It’s better to be early than late.
Giana Bressan: I have been in choir since 3rd grade and have done it all three years of middle school. When I was younger, I always loved to sing, and that hobby never stopped. During our daily class, we always stretch in the morning to get our bodies moving. Then we will warm up and, of course, SING! There are three main performances and multiple informal performances throughout the school year. My favorite performance was singing at “The Nutcracker” and getting to audition to sing for the Seattle Mariners. I love getting to connect with everyone in the community; this is my favorite part of choir. I would like to recommend to upcoming middle school singers to not just focus on volume, always focus on technique, and always remember every teacher does it differently.
Zach Gelinas: I have been in choir for three years. One year was in the Apollo Elementary Rocket Choir. This is my 4th year. I chose to continue with choir this year because my 6th-grade choir teacher, Ms. Wood, told me never to stop singing. She significantly boosted my choir “career”! She saw something in me and knew I had great potential. I also love the community and families that connect us singers.
Our daily routine begins with a quick briefing given by the teacher about any new or general choir business. Then, we would move on to warm-ups, where we practice various singing exercises to prepare our voices. After that, we spend the rest of class going over the music we will sing for an upcoming performance. We learn our music from sheet music, which we learn and go over elements of music theory.
Throughout the school year, there are plenty of performances and events that choir students attend. We have traditional concerts, such as the winter and spring concerts, and events like caroling each year. We once even sang at the “The Nutcracker” intermission, which was an amazing opportunity!
My favorite part of choir is the community! It’s magical to hear all parts of the choir sing their “layer of the cake,” let’s call it! We’re all great friends as choir companions. It’s a real treat. Last year, the 7th and 8th grade boys formed our own little choir called “The Maywood Men.” There were only five of us, but it was still fun! While we practiced our songs, the girls decided to do something similar. When the upcoming concert rolled around, the girls sang their song on the stage, and the boys danced backstage. I had so much fun waltzing together with my friends and will never forget the feelings of joy. It was a blast!
One suggestion I would make to incoming middle school choir students is to ALWAYS ENCOURAGE YOURSELF! You have an amazing talent in you that can be brought out through singing, so LET IT OUT! I know for myself that attending choir brought out my meaning and purpose through how I belonged and the talent it brought out. Choir is truly a life-changing experience, and I would seriously recommend it!
