Elementary, my dear trustee... Elementary

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.... so here's my question to you - If you were a music student in a BAND program would you want to have that program changed to recorders and ukuleles after you've already done that for 6 years in elementary school? I'm guessing your answer would be "not so much" among some other choice words.

So the question then becomes, would you be willing to continue to pay for your own instrument rental even though the law now states that schools would be required to provide them for you? And if so - would you feel it to be unfair that some students would be allowed to be in the same program you are in but be able to demand that the school provide them with an instrument and then have it happen? In other words, Billy says he'll pay for his own instrument but Johnny refuses. So Johnny now gets an instrument from the school. But that instrument is only a recorder or a ukulele because that's all the school can afford. But Billy wants to be a band, and so does Johnny. Billy isn't going to get a 'band' experience' because Johnny refuses to pay for an instrument rental because under the law, schools can make him do that (not that they ever did but... whatever) so they have to provide him with something and recorders and ukes is all they've got. Is that a quality music experience? Maybe not but the learning outcomes can be met so that's a plus. Maintenance is financially possible so that's good too. What about expansion of musical experiences? Skill development? Exposure to new things?

mmmmmmm.... all points we pondered yesterday and will continue to ponder for the next while. But I'm not freaking out yet and I think my superiors think I am because one hugged me today and the other keeps stopping by to see how I'm doing. I'm a tough cookie - soft inside but you gotta get past the burnt edges first.