10 Coherent Reasons Why Band is NOT to blame for poor grades 

1.     Students get out of school at 2:21.  The average student gets home at 3:00 and doesn’t go to bed until 10:00pm.  Therefore, in terms of after school hours the amount of free time the average student has per week is 35 hours.  This does not count weekends.  Band rehearsals amount to only 3 – 5 of those hours per week.  That is less than 12% of the free time per week spent doing band activities.

 2.     Band is a positive activity.  Students in band are generally more disciplined and well behaved than the average student.   

3.     Band requires students to participate as a team player, a skill which is supremely important in today’s job market.

 4.     Band requires students to be individually responsible for their own part of a greater organization, thereby learning time management.  Any adult in today’s world knows that juggling responsibilities and time management are essential skills…what better place to learn that than in a positive environment? 

5.     Over 70% of Fortune 500 CEO’s were four year members of their band, choir, or orchestra programs. 

6.     The top 3 countries in Education in the World require music courses, including Band.

 7.     According to the College Board (the company that makes the SAT and the ACT tests) music students and musicians score higher on the SAT than other non-music students.

 8.     According to recent surveys among high school students, band students have a lower incidence of smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use.

 9.     When asked what qualities and characteristics admissions counselors at universities look for in a potential student, among the top 5 answers was participation in band activities.

10.  A majority of successful students at institutions of higher education have participated in a music activity while in middle or high school at an above average level.

11.  Four year members are proven to be 23% smarter than their non-musical colleagues.