Reply #13: My experience in the arts in high school tells me that there are "closer" relationships... [View All]

[KansDem]

...between student and music teacher/drama teacher/art teacher (and "closer" does not always mean "positive"). I think this is due to the extra hours students and arts teachers spend together.

For example, I remember, in addition to the regularly-scheduled class time, having before-school rehearsals, after-school rehearsals, night rehearsals, weekend rehearsals, etc. Much more time spent together than, say, math, English, or history teachers.

However, my relationship with the band teacher eroded so much that we grew to detest each other. As a result, I spent only two years in the band program. I was rather bummed-out because of this and the newly-arrived* orchestra director told me if I wanted to play in the orchestra my last year in high school, he would give me free lessons between my junior and senior year. Since he was a double bassist, I jumped at the chance and spent the summer having a weekly lesson on double bass (I borrowed one from the high school) and come my senior year, I played in the orchestra!

Now, I forgot all about the band director (the horror stories I could tell you!:grr:), however a friendship developed between the orchestra director and me that has lasted some 40 years. In fact, I spent a few days visiting him in California last December! :D
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*The new music teacher was brought in to take over the orchestra from the teacher who taught both band and orchestra (poorly). It turned out his teaching had gotten so bad the district decided to "relieve" him of his orchestra duties, give him a couple of remedial math classes (his minor in college) much to the dismay of the math department who wanted to hire someone fresh to join the department, and turn the orchestra over to the new music teacher.