The sound of the clarinet filled Maci Tadrick’s, sophomore, room as she practiced her pieces for her upcoming concert. Tadrick has been playing the clarinet at school since 6th grade, however last year, she started taking private clarinet lessons as well.
“It really helped me improve,” Tadrick said. “It focuses more on how you play and the techniques, rather than playing your part and figuring out how it will combine with other people.”
Tadrick is a part of the band program, one of the three music programs offered at MHS. Many students in MHS’ programs also learn the same instruments outside of school, to further their skills and become better musicians.
She said that band class is more structured than her private lessons, as her teachers choose the pieces and decide how class will be taught. With private lessons, Tadrick often gets to choose her pieces and spends more time focusing on areas she needs to improve.
“Inside of school, it’s just more of to be there, to help the team and to help others fit in,” Tadrick said.
Jason Winter, choir director, encourages students to participate in outside music education as well as in school programs.
“Private lessons are important for the individual performer, but it also helps them speak for the larger community ensemble at school because it helps them to be a stronger member and leader within their program,” Winter said.
However, Winter said ensembles in schools can provide other benefits that can’t be found in private lessons.
“I feel like the in-class ensemble, whether it’s choir, band or orchestra, is all about learning how to be a musician in a group of other people,” Winter said. “A lot of the time, it’s learning how to use your instrument and working together to compliment each other for a larger, bigger sound together.”
Public school programs, he said, are specifically set up for students to come in at the level they are and work towards improvement, potentially moving into higher level ensembles through their commitment.
However, he said this can also become a challenge, as having so many students at different skill levels can make it difficult to bring everyone together.
“The hardest part is evaluating all of the individual things that they’re doing, and trying to quickly move them into the same type of quality song when they’re all doing something slightly different,” Winter said.
Overall, Winter encourages students to be involved in many activities along with music education, as it helps create well-rounded musicians who are understanding of many different subject areas.
“I think music education as a whole helps them be human,” Winter said. “It helps them communicate in an ever-changing society and world. It helps them to learn about different cultures, societies, and languages and understand that even though there might be differences in the way that people sing or talk, they still have a lot of similarities between them.”
Bryce Kaiser-Medley, freshman, plays the upright bass both inside and outside of school. Kaiser-Medley’s lessons are at Lafayette High School through a private teacher, whom he started with in 6th grade.
Kaiser-Medley said having a private teacher allows him to play more difficult pieces, as well as make him feel more confident in class and during concerts.
“I feel like you have more creativity with what you can do with it outside of school,” Kaiser-Medley.
