As a child, one of the most exciting things about moving up from Elementary to Middle School or Junior High is the opportunity to play in a band class. Outside of the thrilling opportunity to take a step away from monotonous schooling and make some noise in a band room, kids often miss all the other wonderful benefits of joining the band.
Purpose
Being part of a school band gives students a reason to play an instrument, and reason to keep getting better. The ability to be apart of a group that is motivated to perform at a peak level gives kids incentive to get better. In contrast, when a child is required to play an instrument because their parents make them or from their personal desires, the drive to get better comes from within oneself. Having a purpose helps provide a reason to play.
Friends
Based on the size of the school, bands can vary from 25-100 different kids with one purpose. This shared purpose and close proximity to others create a healthy way for kids to make friends. Especially as the band is broken into different sections where it is easier to get to know others that are apart of their same group.
Being apart of a Team
In addition to the ability to make special bonds and friendships with other band members, being apart of the band provides all the benefits that come from being on a team. For example, considering these kids are beginner trumpet players or oboe players, they work in unity and come across constructive teamwork building opportunities. These opportunities combined with the purpose of being the best band requires discipline to follow strict instruction.
Having an Instructor
When someone works to learn an instrument on their own, they miss the opportunity to be critiqued and must rely on their own drive to push themselves harder. A present band instructor can recognize not only technique mistakes and shaky notes but also students that might be struggling with low-self-confidence. These instructors become life mentors for students to lean on.
Competition
Though the band is united in purpose, there is a competition between students to be better than the next. Kids aim to be the top-chair or the best in their group. This facilitates competitive challenges that help motivate students to keep up with their practice in order to be the best. So even if you have a child that wants to learn flute online, being apart of the band not take away from anything, but only help them anticipate their lessons outside of school as they aim to be the best!
Performances
In the end, a band simply wants to help students learn the beneficial life-long habits of performing at their highest level. The largest test or challenge bands have are their live performance when they must show everyone in attendance how well they can play together. Doing so tests kids mental abilities, and pushes them to take practice seriously. The extra clarinet lessons or online saxophone lessons from Musicians Toolkit only helps students to be more prepared for their concert.
Band truly provides kids the ability to develop skills that are needed throughout life and emotional fulfillment in supportive friends and instructors. Therefore, if you have a child that wants to learn to play saxophone or another instrument, then encourage him to join the band. You can show further support by helping him be their best by signing them up for online saxophone lessons or any kind of lesson found on Musicians Toolkit. We even have marching band instructions from Jeff Young (search Dynamic Marching Band to find out more). Whatever you end up doing, help your children see all the benefits of playing in the school band.
