Julian Arredondo is one of 55 sixth graders enrolled in band this year.
He thinks the band is bigger because of other kids like him who want to join the class with their friends. Band director Damian Johnson is also a reason students like the class, he said.
“He’s a very good teacher,” Arredondo said. “He’s nice. He expects things out of you, but not too many things.”
Johnson said this year’s class is the highest number of students he’s seen other than during the pandemic.
He isn’t quite sure the reasons for the increase. Most students from the fifth grade band carry over into sixth grade, but last year there were only about 25 students. When Johnson looked at enrollment over the summer, he saw a significant increase rather than the five or six person increase he was expecting.
The only thing he did differently this year was he and choir director Allison Enneking went into the fifth grade music classes to tell students about electives and other middle school details.
“I think that might have contributed to the influx of kids, just because they were able to kind of talk to us, and we just went down there and talked to them about what middle school music would be like, not just band, but music in general,” he said.
He also attributes these higher numbers to the overall support of the arts throughout the district. Once he stepped into his role as band teacher in 2014, he advocated for students to be able to have band every day rather than every other day. District administration was supportive of these changes that have helped grow all the music programs, Johnson said.
Teaching a class of sixth graders that large does come with the need to always have a bag of tricks to keep the kids going, he said. Always keeping them doing new things and allowing students to volunteer to play by themselves, and taking them to see band festivals are things that help keep the class moving, he said.
“It’s a very high energy class,” Johnson said. “The class that I have is actually a really good working class. They work really hard and the kids are actually progressing really well, too.”
He hopes he can keep these higher numbers up by continuing to recruit the way they did this year, but he’s not sure if this year is just an anomaly.
Arredondo said one reason he joined the band this year is because it’s a good way for him to talk with his friends and get to play an instrument he likes.
The trombone was his pick because other members of his family have played it, and it seemed like a more challenging choice.
It taught him he has to constantly practice, which has made him more responsible and able to closely pay attention to the music, he said.
Havanna Simpson wanted to be in band to try something new, and had no experience going into this year. She sees herself continuing on past this year, she said.
She said she thinks the number is higher this year because “a lot of the kids in there like to do fun things.” Which is exactly what Johnson’s class has been, she said.
She’s enjoyed getting to learn “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Aria Sobba has been playing the trumpet since the summer before fifth grade, and she decided she wanted to take band since both her parents did throughout college. She sees herself continuing on throughout her life, she said.
Sobba said she thinks music is supported well throughout the district.
“A bunch of people want to start learning about band and want to take up music a little bit more,” she said.
Reigha Atherton plays alto saxophone. She transitioned to that after playing the trombone in fifth grade. She wanted to get more into the jazz sound which led her to switch, she said.
She hopes to continue playing for the rest of her life, and wants to be in the orchestra one day.
Atherton said she’s enjoyed getting to learn the new instrument and found that music is a good way to get therapy.
Josh van Foeken is following in his brother’s footsteps by joining a band. He’s playing percussion because he doesn’t have to worry about sliding or holding out notes, he said.
He got into music when his dad got him a ukulele and clarinet. He thought band would be a good way to expand his knowledge, he said. He’s learned a lot so far, he said.
“At the beginning, I didn’t know any of the notes because I’ve never done anything, and that was really fun to do,” he said.
He agreed music and the arts are important to the school, and Johnson is always able to help students when they are confused or need extra help.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].
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