Wakeland Band Benefits
Family
There will be ups and downs as with any family, but band provides its members with a unique environment of students that will support them both during good times and bad. For our underclassmen, there are many upperclassmen to learn from who have been through what they will experience. For our upperclassmen, they will learn to develop leadership skills and give back to others in the way someone gave to them.
Camaraderie in the joy of music making
Our primary goal as performers is to entertain and share great music with our parents and community. Whether it is playing stand tunes at the football game to fire the team and the crowd up, performing our unique and high energy competitive show at half time or contests, jamming out with our jazz bands or percussion ensembles, lightening the mood of the season through pops music on a concert, or sharing delicate and passionate literature through our concert bands, there is no end to the wonderful music that we enjoy with one another. We strive to perform at the highest level but of course, there is great joy in doing what we do.
Self Confidence
All 250+ of the students are a part of the greater whole. We experience success and failure together, we learn how to handle ups and downs together, and most importantly your band member can take pride in knowing that they contributed to something greater then him or herself, and can take ownership in the group. Band also provides our members with a model of excellence that can boost their confidence in their own abilities in other classes or activities. Band members will learn that they really can accomplish goals with a clear plan and a high level of discipline, and will be able to tackle other projects outside of band with direction and purpose.
Commitment
Band members learn by committing to a practice schedule, accepting responsibility to complete a task, and making a promise to their team mates to see a task through to its conclusion. Participation in a team sport, and sticking it out when it isn’t always fun or the rewards aren’t always tangible in the moment is a lesson that benefits band members far beyond the music classroom.
Conflict Resolution
With over 250 members on the team, conflicts are bound to happen. Band members will face conflict in their lives within their families, with friends, and will also have to learn how to deal and work with people they just plain don’ t like.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you choose to react.”
Learning to work through these challenges is a unique opportunity posed through participating in a large team sport. Band members will not just “learn concepts” of conflict resolution, but will practice them through the course of their seasons.
Balancing Act
Ultimately, learning how to balance the many requirements of school and band is no different than learning to balance a job, mortgage payments, taking the kids to activities, building in vacation or family time, and other skills that adults face in their lives.
While they are “just teenagers”, learning to balance on their own will prepare them as they head off to college. College requires a high level of independence, and many college students either fail out after their first semester, or burn out under the stress of work. Band will provide students with tools to help overcome these stresses, and ensure they learn how much is possible in a day, and how to manage their time efficiently.
Rewards
A great sense of joy and satisfaction comes from achieving goals either as an individual or as a team.
Band members will be able to celebrate their victories at all levels. Whether it is simply overcoming the hurdle of checking off a single measure of music, achieving a personal victory they did not believe was ever possible, or learning the exhilaration that comes from a team winning an event together.
Sometimes, the greatest rewards are those that come from gaining strength through failure or realizing that the sun will indeed come up tomorrow, and you get a fresh chance with each time you start over at something. These rewards become even sweeter the older our students get, and they learn how to truly cherish the rewards of hard work heading into college and the real world.
Family
There will be ups and downs as with any family, but band provides its members with a unique environment of students that will support them both during good times and bad. For our underclassmen, there are many upperclassmen to learn from who have been through what they will experience. For our upperclassmen, they will learn to develop leadership skills and give back to others in the way someone gave to them.
Camaraderie in the joy of music making
Our primary goal as performers is to entertain and share great music with our parents and community. Whether it is playing stand tunes at the football game to fire the team and the crowd up, performing our unique and high energy competitive show at half time or contests, jamming out with our jazz bands or percussion ensembles, lightening the mood of the season through pops music on a concert, or sharing delicate and passionate literature through our concert bands, there is no end to the wonderful music that we enjoy with one another. We strive to perform at the highest level but of course, there is great joy in doing what we do.
Self Confidence
All 250+ of the students are a part of the greater whole. We experience success and failure together, we learn how to handle ups and downs together, and most importantly your band member can take pride in knowing that they contributed to something greater then him or herself, and can take ownership in the group. Band also provides our members with a model of excellence that can boost their confidence in their own abilities in other classes or activities. Band members will learn that they really can accomplish goals with a clear plan and a high level of discipline, and will be able to tackle other projects outside of band with direction and purpose.
Commitment
Band members learn by committing to a practice schedule, accepting responsibility to complete a task, and making a promise to their team mates to see a task through to its conclusion. Participation in a team sport, and sticking it out when it isn’t always fun or the rewards aren’t always tangible in the moment is a lesson that benefits band members far beyond the music classroom.
Conflict Resolution
With over 250 members on the team, conflicts are bound to happen. Band members will face conflict in their lives within their families, with friends, and will also have to learn how to deal and work with people they just plain don’ t like.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you choose to react.”
Learning to work through these challenges is a unique opportunity posed through participating in a large team sport. Band members will not just “learn concepts” of conflict resolution, but will practice them through the course of their seasons.
Balancing Act
Ultimately, learning how to balance the many requirements of school and band is no different than learning to balance a job, mortgage payments, taking the kids to activities, building in vacation or family time, and other skills that adults face in their lives.
While they are “just teenagers”, learning to balance on their own will prepare them as they head off to college. College requires a high level of independence, and many college students either fail out after their first semester, or burn out under the stress of work. Band will provide students with tools to help overcome these stresses, and ensure they learn how much is possible in a day, and how to manage their time efficiently.
Rewards
A great sense of joy and satisfaction comes from achieving goals either as an individual or as a team.
Band members will be able to celebrate their victories at all levels. Whether it is simply overcoming the hurdle of checking off a single measure of music, achieving a personal victory they did not believe was ever possible, or learning the exhilaration that comes from a team winning an event together.
Sometimes, the greatest rewards are those that come from gaining strength through failure or realizing that the sun will indeed come up tomorrow, and you get a fresh chance with each time you start over at something. These rewards become even sweeter the older our students get, and they learn how to truly cherish the rewards of hard work heading into college and the real world.