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Well it would appear that my campus of PSU has decided it would be best not to have a band class at all for the foreseeable future. They already cut Jazz last semester before I went there, now there will be no concert band. This was told to me by my professor and when I checked for the class in the schedule builder for next semester it was not there. I want to continue playing in a group setting and was wondering what would be the best solution for this. Its been real hard adjusting to college and online school at the same time, but band class was one of the things helping me get through it. Are any of the local concert bands operating in the Philadelphia region in some form? If not I guess I will be playing quintet stuff with myself until I can transfer to PSU main campus.

If this happened to me when I was in school I'd demand a refund and get a job until they decide to do theirs.

I really don't know what happened but I think it had to do with the professors contract with the university. I am really not looking to insert myself into department politics especially as a 1st semester Freshman. They consolidated the whole program under her so she is will run 2 choirs and other smaller instrument teaching classes next semesters. It used to be 4 profs now its down to her. Apparently other stuff was cut well before I got there but the Band program is now the unfortunate victim of the axe. They wonder why people transfer out of there asap. There is nothing to do and when something does happen it gets axed.

I don't know if you enjoy marching band or not, but my son is a senior in the Blue Band at PSU, and he is one of twelve graduating seniors from the Sousaphone section this year. They'll need to build up the section big time next fall!

12?! I thought it would be about 6-7 people! That really helps my chances next year for when I audition. Anyways it is still going to be very competitive and I should be practicing instead of scrolling on here.

Three Valves wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:16 am If this happened to me when I was in school I'd demand a refund and get a job until they decide to do theirs.

Amen.

Three Valves wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:16 am If this happened to me when I was in school I'd demand a refund and get a job until they decide to do theirs.

YEP!!! I'm not paying a mortgage-sized sum for people to sit on their @sses just to give me an experience that is already overvalued and overrated during a regular school year. But they expect you to pay full price for a non-experience?

The privilege of sitting in your living room on the computer and paying for tons LESS services/access/learning is surely worth it, yes? I'd rather buy a new living room for the same money.

I can't imagine that any university has had an operating concert band during the past 6+ months. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that just going to be the reality for a while.

^
This

Has the class been done away with or merely canceled due to the virus? Your post makes it sound as though the school has decided to do away with much of the music program permanently. Is this the case, or is this a temporary thing? This is an important distinction.

the elephant wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 3:18 pm Has the class been done away with or merely canceled due to the virus? Your post makes it sound as though the school has decided to do away with much of the music program permanently. Is this the case, or is this a temporary thing? This is an important distinction.

I agree that it is an important distinction. Hopefully, it's just Coronacaution, and everything will resume soon.

But my separate-but-related point...
In either case, no student should be charged for services not rendered or be charged full price for limited services. And I hope that's not going on with our dear forum member (what he's paying/receiving is not my business, and I ain't asking; just making a general point).

the elephant wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 3:18 pm Has the class been done away with or merely canceled due to the virus? Your post makes it sound as though the school has decided to do away with much of the music program permanently. Is this the case, or is this a temporary thing? This is an important distinction.

It will finish out the semester and will not return. The class is cut and the music and performance arts program there has been chipped away semester by semester for the past few years. My last band class until I can transfer is on Dec 14. After Dec 14, I have no organized music and will be lost at what to do. The class may return in the future but it is in serious doubt for now. For now my prof said we should treat it as if it will not come back while we are there as students. Real unfortunate. To my knowledge it is not happening at other campuses just ours for some reason.

That is disconcerting, to say the least. This document has a list of community bands in PA. Maybe you can find one that needs a tubist. https://www.pmea.net/wp-content/uploads ... 1117-1.pdf I also discovered that while this list may be incomplete, many of those local bands have a website with links to other local bands.

Any other students there interested in putting together a quintet? Dixieland band? Something like that?

Personally, if I were a college student and my school cut the instrumental music program, I'd be transferring somewhere else. Even if I wasn't a music major.

I might put something together with my high school buddies but there doesn't seem to be an overwhelming interest in my current classmates doing much else. I'm just using this as motivation to make PSU Blue Band so I can early transfer out of this campus. They are so intent about maximizing your college experience here that they took all the good activities away. A whole bunch of stuff has closed up recently or been severely downsized. Its been a real disappointing experience so far and each day seems like something else has disappeared. Only reason I haven't thought about transferring to a whole new school is the scholarship. It will transfer to main campus so that's why I am still here.

Three Valves wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:16 am If this happened to me when I was in school I'd demand a refund and get a job until they decide to do theirs.

'fessers gettin' pay-cheques?