Greene County High School in Iowa has restructured its band program into two tiers, giving students more ownership over their level of commitment, Raccoon Valley Radio reported.
Band Director Wes Anderson told the station the Symphonic Band remains the regular concert ensemble where students earn credit by performing in five concerts during the school year. The new Varsity Band is a volunteer component that includes marching, jazz and pep bands, honor band auditions, and solo and chamber contests.
Anderson said the model is designed for students who want to take on more responsibility beyond Symphonic Band. He noted that over the years, many students quit band because they did not want extra commitments such as 12 basketball pep band performances.
Students can earn points toward a varsity letter by participating in more activities and can qualify for a year-end trip to Adventureland. Seventh and eighth graders have already been allowed to join marching band season and accumulate letter points before reaching high school.
Anderson said the approach has kept the ensemble roughly the same size as a required marching band would have been, but without the friction, since students are there voluntarily. He is keeping the marching band non-competitive this first year, with hopes of building the ensemble to a competitive level in the future.
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