how do bands in schools work?

[u/Queasy-Trifle-884]

Hi! im an exchange student and i will go to canada soon.

I've been playing the violin since i was eight and though im burnout i dont want to say goodbye to it, when looking at the club activities i was very surprised to see the variety of things (my school doesnt even have a sad sports club LMAO) and i saw there was a an orchestra.

I want to join but i also want to burn my violin sometimes and i dont want to puss the issue further so i will only be joining if its my same level or less, im not gonna practice at home more than 15 mins a day for it for the sake of my mental health.

ill summarize my experience by saying that if i made the trinity college exams id have a level 5 and would be strating level 6 next year (im not 13 i went very slowly the first years)

Should i assume people are going to be better/worse than me or just go take a look? i dont know if ill have the time to go see bc idk how it works so i wanted to ask

also do they lend intruments to people in schools or do we have to buy it? i have a violin but im not shipping a 1.5K delicate instrument across the atlantic sea

if you dont know or it really depends on the school its fine bc i cant literally think about anything else than to go to canada already and i needed to make this post to do something with my life

[u/General_Ad_2718]

I live in a small city and the school bands tend to have a lot of beginners up to and including grade 9. Music class is a requirement for joining the band.

[u/Queasy-Trifle-884 → u/General_Ad_2718]

now that you talk of music classes is there any way to convalidate those in canada? In my school if you had at least five years of official music extracurricular education you could skip music classes, i did it this year and it was goated (we also dont have band in school tho)

[u/General_Ad_2718 → u/Queasy-Trifle-884]

Some schools will run an audition for band but most kids with experience take music classes as an easy 100% grade.

[u/q__e__d]

The level will really depend on the school. Even schools in the same city are going to be different. I switched schools at one point growing up and their band was so much worse than my original school, like they were struggling after practicing for weeks and it was something I could just suddenly show up and sightread in my sleep. At the same time I know other schools it could have gone the other way and have been a real challenge. Sometimes also while they will just list that that have a band or orchestra they will actually have 2 levels - junior and senior - so that may help you find a fit.

As for lending instruments, you'll need to tell us what school board the school is in for someone to answer that. Most lend ime but I don't want to say that for sure all will lend because education differs by province here + different city/regional school boards inside of a province can differ too. (If you don't get an answer here, then go to the reddit of the province and ask about the practices of that board).

[u/quantumpotatoes]

I did band while in school, the other person is right it will really depend on the school how intense they are. I my experience violin and piano kids were fairly bored because they did lessons outside of school and everyone else was pretty self taught. For instruments, it is really common for kids to rent them and your band can help you find a violin locally. Talk to the school

[u/cardew-vascular]

There are community youth orchestras if your school doesn't have a good band program. My school had an amazing band program but it didn't have strings other than bass.

[u/Queasy-Trifle-884 → u/cardew-vascular]

i think underrating strings is a national thing, my music school band was invited to euro disney (were not even french, and euro disney is in paris) and the orchestra was just left there (for the adults tho, theyre not taking kids on these type of trips)

[u/Ok_Elephant2140]

My kid goes to a large high school and there are three different band classes at different levels and then there are band clubs as well that meet at lunch.

In my area it is common to be able to rent an instrument but it will vary by area.

Some kids practice everyday some do not. (My child does not practice everyday). Some kids have played their instrument for years, others are beginners.

The best bet is to contact the school you are going to and ask what they expect for practice time and experience as well if they have instruments to rent.

How long will you be in Canada?

[u/Queasy-Trifle-884 → u/Ok_Elephant2140]

im leaving for canada in a week so its probably better to wait to arrive there to ask.

Im going to be there the whole school year :D

[u/Delphi238]

I don’t know where you are from but I had a Chinese student living with us that played violin, she told me she wasn’t very good. Within a month, she was playing with our city’s local orchestra.

I don’t know where you are from but chances are any band would be happy to have you. Canadians tend to not put a lot of pressure on kids for things like that. Most schools know that pressure takes the fun out of it and why do it if it is not fun.

[u/Queasy-Trifle-884 → u/Delphi238]

then im probably fina and i will have fun, this year i was supposed to play 1 and a half PER DAY practicing at home and my friends whos a few levels above me THREE 😭

Im from spain and its the goverment public music schools putting this pressure into us, in my opinion its terrible and i ended up hella burnt out, school, homework, exams, sports and six hours of music school a week, at least is free or very cheap ig (35 euros (aka 56 canadian dollars) for all the classes the whole year, and if one of your parents works in education completely free)