I got the eye roll last night

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
I got the eye roll last night
5
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 1:33pm

She wanted to go to the Middle School spring band concert. She will be in band next year and is very excited about it so I thought we'd go. (As an aside, the admission was $2 each and I had spent my last $10. Thankfully by scraping through my change purse I came up with exactly $4. That would have been embarrassing. LOL)


Inbetween groups they announced that they are forming a parent committee to help out the band program. Sort of like parent council but only for band. They have one band teacher who has 300 kids in two grades and 5 different bands he manages which include practices at 7:45 AM and after schools so the guy is overwhelmed to say the least. They are looking for parents who could do some administrative stuff or fundraising or whatever he needs done. Oversee setting up the gym for concerts, you name it. So I went to the back to give my name as I am interested in staying involved in band because I LOVED it in school. Of course Kristen who is deadly embarrassed by anything I do near her (okay for other Mom's just not her's) gave me the ultimate eye-roll when I gave my name and info. LOL But she didn't actually say anything and to be honest I don't care if she did. So we'll see. I said I'm not getting involved in Parent Council next year. After three years I'm kind of burned out but I figure this is a bit more focussed and has more of a personal interest for me. So hope its interesting but of all the parents there for Grade 7 & 8, only 2 other people gave their names. Hmmmmm.


Now can I say something embarrassing? Our current Parent Council President is great. In the sense that she's super efficient, does most of the work like pizza days, running around getting quotes for stuff, she's nice enough, never tries to run things, let people have an opinion, the ideal President. Now she's also involved at the Middle School, last night was selling chocolate bars for fund raising, was noted as one of the parents who went on the band trip to Toronto as a chaperone, again, really inolved. Okay, she's great right? Well, she intimidates me. ACK! In the sense that I feel completely inadequate beside her. She's ALWAYS in there. Of course she's a SAHM so can do this stuff but it just makes me envious maybe? I don't know. I thought it was rather nasty but I noted that her DD is graduating from Grade 8 and her other will only be in Grade

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-28-2004
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 3:44pm
Tam I agree with you, I feel intimated also when it comes to trying to volunteer at jackies school because they always want the stay at home moms because they can do more.... yada yada yada. But you want to help out and get involved but its hard. In our school its hard because they do not call you or tell you they want help they just expect the stay at home moms to do it anyway. I hate that. Then I feel left out when I can not help. So either way.. And I work alot of hours. But one day our dd will thank us for what we do for them.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2007
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 4:33pm

First off parents like that really intimate me also. Down in Fl those parents were always there, knew all the teachers & their kids got breaks other kids didn't get. They were at school every single day. Yuk!! Not fair at all. My biggest question is what will this woman do when her kids are grown & out of school? Lord help them if she stays in the middle of their lives. She definitely needs some activities of her own.

Great that Kristen wants to be in the band. Seems lkike our 2 daughters are almost on the same page. Nik asked the music teacher today about playing the flute in the school band next yr. He said that would be just fine.

dee

Dee  

Mom to Nik

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2007
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 7:45pm

Tam, I played clarinet in high school. I don't know if you know oboe is a hard instrument to start on, IMO. The ombrochure (sp?) for oboe is hard because it has to be so tight, and the reeds are double reeds. I love the oboe sound, BTW. I know, sometimes you have to let them try it out and see. My middle DD thought she wanted to play guitar, then quit. She plays flute now. My older DD plays violin. Does her grade school have band? My kids started in 4th grade.
I know what you mean about that mom. When my older DD started Kindergarten, there was a mom who wanted to do it all, and she annoyed me because she was so outspoken and wanted to be in the limelight! I helped some, but she bugged me. Just do what you can to help out, and don't worry about it. Schools need all the help they can get! That band teacher sounds way too busy! Our schools tried to cut out music all together, but the parents raised money to keep it going. One idea that I like in middle school is when a family donates $50 or more to the band, they get a reserved seat for concerts! That makes it so much easier...I was in the front row when a lot of other people had to stand in the back.

Good luck

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 8:25pm
I played clarinet from Grade 7 - 12. She did NOT want to play clarinet, mostly because I did and she wants to blaze her own path. LOL She actually got the chance to try every instrument at the orientation. She did really great on the oboe getting a sound and the bassoon and tuba. Couldn't get a peep out of the clarinet or trumpet. It was pretty funny actually. :-) He did say that oboe requires more practice than some and I reminded her of that. She really wants to do it so at this point I'm hoping it will inspire her. I got a 3 week trip to Europe after Grade 10 with my marching band, the trip of a lifetime so I have fond feelings towards band programs. The only music we have in elementary is recorder in Grade 3 and 4. Nothing really starts until Grade 7.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2007
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 11:54pm
I played clarinet from 4-12 grade and some college. I have mixed feelings about band. We were like a cult! It was a good experience musically, but socially it was a disaster in some ways. My kids didn't want to play clarinet like me, either. I'm glad they chose different instruments than clarinet or trumpet, which their dad plays.
Sounds like she'll do well with oboe. I love the oboe!
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