Congratulations! Thank you for continuing to be a part of the Cedar Springs Red Hawk Band; one of the largest and most consistently successful organizations at Cedar Springs Public School. We know you may have questions or concerns about band in high school. This page will help put your mind at ease.
Benefits of Band
Everything in band is a microcosm of what the kids will see in the next phases of life. What we do is have an opportunity to partner with you, longer than a semester…we’re going to see your kids for multiple years, and we have the opportunity to teach them critical skills they’re going to need when they move forward.
- Discipline
- Honor
- Intensity
- Integrity
- Hard work
- Dedication
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Social skills
- Problem solving
That’s what we do, because we know you’re not going to work in your own bubble in the future. You are going to work as a part of a team. If the first time you come up with conflict on a team is when you’re fresh out of college and you’ve got your big fancy job and all of a sudden, you’re on a team with someone you don’t agree with. What are you going to do? Now we don’t expect you’re going to remember “my band director taught me…” But, you’ll default back to “where can we find common ground? Have I taken the time to figure out where they’re coming from?” Alternatively, when you’re in your first difficult class in undergrad and while everyone else’s eyes are glazed over, you’re sitting there “I have to read this many pages a night…I learned to memorize stuff in marching band…” and just start putting one foot in front of another.
Michigan Merit Curriculum
What is the Michigan Merit Curriculum? It is the state curriculum that guides what students need to graduate from high school. Here what you need to know regarding band.
- One successful year (full year) of band satisfies the required VPA (Visual, Performing Arts) credit.
- An additional successful year can satisfy a student’s second year of a foreign language (required to graduate).
- An additional successful semester of Marching Band will satisfy the required PE credit.
This means that three years of band in HS can satisfy several graduation requirements.
Band and…
Can my student participate in band and athletics? Can my student participate in band and EMC? Can my student participate in KCTC? What about student council, national honor society, theatre productions and more? What about when they get a job?
The answer is yes! Our band students can lead very busy lives. We have current band students in all of these classes, sports, and activities. We have students who are state level performers in athletics, are taking multiple AP classes and EMC courses, AND are a top performer in our Wind Ensemble. To help make this work, we have provided sample schedules below for students. We are fortunate to have a very supportive counseling team who will make everything happen for your students. The best way to make everything happen is by careful planning and becoming excellent at time management. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the directors or your child’s counselor. We’re all here to help and want what’s best for your child.
Marching Band
Do I have to be in Marching Band? All band students in the fall semester participate in marching band. Everyone is nervous to join marching band, including the two directors when we were both freshmen. If you join marching band, you will
- immediately be surrounded by peers who care about your success and will coach and boost you up.
- make friends with the upperclassmen who will have your back when school starts.
- become a better performer simply through numerous repetitions of the material.
- find that nothing is more rewarding then completing a season at Ford Field and looking back at where you started, to where you ended.
We want everyone to get marching band a fair shot. Most students who have doubts will end up loving it by the end of their first year.
Concert Band
Can I just do Marching Band? Can I just do Concert Band?
While technically you can do just Marching Band or just Concert Band, we strongly encourage students to participate in band all year round. Students who take a semester off from playing usually become overwhelmed when returning as the full year students have been playing all year. The consistency of playing and the increased skill level cannot be replicated outside of band.
Concert band creates strong musicians, which then creates a strong marching band. Strong marching bands create strong performers learning how to balance multiple responsibilities, which in turn, create strong concert bands. The cycle of band feeds each ensemble and continues year round. Students who play all year round, get a richer, and more fullfilling musical experience.
Student involvement in the arts is an important factor for a well-rounded education. We cannot wait for your 8th grader to proudly carry on the traditions of the Cedar Band! Please reach out to Mr. Nabozny or Mr. Weber with any questions or concerns you may have at band@csredhawks.org.
Sample Schedules
Cedar Springs Bands 