Band Sectionals in Manteno

By David Conrad, Music Director
Manteno (Illinois) Community Unit School District #5

Program Philosophy

The pull-out band program in Manteno has existed for at least 25 years.  Our band students have demonstrated the responsibility necessary for making the program such a success!

Students play their instruments in full band rehearsals. We work on group/ensemble techniques such as balance, blend, tuning, and releases. With so many students in each band, we can’t spend the full rehearsals teaching just a few students.

Students learn how to play their instruments during the sectionals. We teach instrument fundamentals, section techniques, articulation, fingerings, trill fingerings, and tone qualities. Our parents have invested hundreds of dollars in instruments for their children. They expect us to teach their children how to play their instruments.

Sectional Rules

• Band students attend one sectional per week. Sectionals take place during Related Arts classes. Sectionals rotate between two class periods according to the posted schedule.
   
• Students must first report to their teacher for attendance and assignments. If a quiz or test is scheduled, students must take the test before coming to sectionals.
   
• Students are responsible for any homework, notes, or activities that are assigned. Band sectionals may never be used as an excuse for late homework.
   
• Students should find a study partner who will take notes for them.
   
• Classroom teachers will contact the band teachers about problems or concerns. Students receiving the grade of D or F in a related arts class will not attend sectionals.

Research on Achievement

Research has shown that pull-out music lessons do not negatively affect student achievement.  In fact, students in music lessons earn higher scores on standardized tests than non-music students.  At Manteno Middle School, when the National Junior Honors Society existed, most inductees were active students in our music ensembles. Pull-out lessons have certainly did not hurt their academic achievement!

There is a direct correlation between improved SAT scores and the length of time spent studying in the arts.  Those who studied the arts four or more years scored 60 points higher on verbal and 41 points higher on math portions of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the fine arts. Fine arts students scored 101 points higher.    In addition, students with coursework/experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT and 37 points higher on the math portion of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in music.  In total, music students scored 89 points higher.  Source: Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, complied by the American Music Conference in 1997.

The Shawnee Mission School District in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, studied the academic achievement of 554 beginning band students.  These data show that the elementary instrumental program is not harmful to students' academic growth, even if these students are "pulled-out" of classes considered basic.  Their report concluded that:

Students in the instrumental music program appear to have as good or better academic growth (development) in Reading and Math as the District as a whole. A strong case can be made that it is, in fact, superior growth!

However, the questions must still be asked: Does the instrumental music experience provide additional discipline and practice that transfer to other cognitive areas thereby aiding growth? OR, do students who select instrumental music automatically grow more anyway?  In any event, a student's academic growth is not compromised by engaging in learning to play a musical instrumental and it is this researcher's opinion that instrumental music participation actually aids in cognitive growth.  Source: Bob Cramer, Director of Testing and Data Processing, Shawnee Mission School District.

These web sites provide more information on music classes and their effect on achievement:

• Pull-out lessons will not hurt your child's grades
• Does Music Impact Student Achievement?
• The Elementary Pull-Out Crisis: Using Research Effectively
• An Ohio study of test scores between pullout/non-pullout kids

Other research articles in print:

• Kvet, Edward J. "Excusing Elementary School Students from Regular Classroom Activities for the Study of Instrumental Music: The Effect on Sixth-Grade Reading, Language, and Mathematics Achievement." Journal of Research in Music Education, June 1995.
• Carthy, Kevin J. "Music Performance Group Membership and Academic Success." Paper presented at Colorado Music Educators Association, January 31, 1992.

Additional web sites also provide information on music lessons:

• Attitudes about elementary band
• Music students get higher SAT and ACT scores!
• Music helps the brain!
• Music and cognitive development in children
• Where We Stand?  (MENC: The National Association for Music Education)
• Music Education Facts & Figures (MENC)
• Links to many pages from "Music Is...."
• Music Benefits Classroom Populations
• Music and Language Skills
• Karen Stafford's Survey on Beginning Band

How do other area schools schedule band?

In May of 1999, the Manteno music faculty surveyed area school districts about their band schedules. We wanted to know when classes were scheduled and how pull-out lessons were structured. The results were:

• Local schools have pull-out programs for their beginning bands during the school day.
• Local schools provide time for full band rehearsals during the school day.
• All local schools (except Momence) teach pull-out band lessons to their middle school students during the school day.  (Momence is the only area school which does not offer pull-out lessons. Their band also received the only "III" rating at the 1999 IESA music contest.)
• The two most visible high school band programs in our area – Herscher and BBCHS – have pull-out lessons and sectionals during the school day.
• All middle school bands meet during the school day for the equivalent of daily class periods (some meet every other day for an extended period).

In 1998, fifth grade parents invested almost $85,000 in the purchase of beginning band instruments. At the very least, the district needs to provide appropriate instruction for kids to play these instruments.  When you realize the investment that our parents are making, beginning band is one of the most cost-effective programs a school district can offer.