Band Class

Recently, I did one period of emergency subbing in Band class. Now I've subbed in the orchestra room several times, but this was my first exposure to Band. There is no question that band and orchestra kids are not the same kinds of people. Don't get me wrong, both groups of kids are quite wonderful, but there is something very different in the feel of the class and the attitudes of the students.

Having both kinds of kids in class, I've been noticing over the years the differences in these two groups. Orchestra kids are confident, sophisticated, and very well-spoken for their age. They are the kind of people who are always on time, always willing to help, but perhaps with a slight tendency to be humorless.

Bad kids, on the other hand, are cool. They may not always remember their homework, they may be late sometimes, but they have a certain sense of creativity. They often seem wise beyond their years, and they definitely have more street smarts than some of their peers. All this seems doubly true of kids in jazz band.

Am I over-generalizing? Of course. Nevertheless it is kind of fun to notice the different cultures that exist within a given group of people. There is nothing so reassuring (especially to a young person) as feeling that your personal quirks and oddities are simply proof that you belong to your own special club. Young adult literature is full of stories about this effect because it is so enticing to kids of all ages.