Why is attendance so important in band?
Band is a cumulative and interactive discipline. The skills and techniques from one day are built upon for the next. When a student misses a rehearsal, they will miss a key concept in what will follow. Excessive absences will result in necessary remediation. More importantly, in marching band, the students rely on each other in terms of field location, drill moves and spacing. When one student is absent they affect a minimum of three other people visually, and their entire section in terms of musical performance. The number one significant reason that good attendance is important is to preserve the success of the remaining members of the band. Should appointments be made during band camp and rehearsals? An absence is an absence and there is no way to truly make up the loss of a student in a rehearsal. We certainly understand that there are unavoidable circumstances, however, we ask that every effort be made to avoid scheduling appointments during rehearsal time.
