To: The Michigan State House, The Michigan State Senate, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Save the H.R. Middle School Pattengill Band and Orchestra Program
Here are the facts-
... The H. R. Pattengill Band and Orchestra Program on a daily basis serves more than 350 students a year. That makes it one of the largest performance based music programs in the Midwest. Students that have completed the three year program have gone on to achieve accolades in music and other professional careers.
Twelve years ago, there were 120 students in the Pattengill Band. Five years ago, there were 160. Two years ago, there were 180. This year, over 200 Band students AND 150 Orchestra students will walk through the band hall doors. There have been a total of eight ensembles: The Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Cadet Band, Drumline, Percussion Ensemble, Beginner Orchestra and Jazz Band.
Over the last thirteen years, the Pattengill Bands have performed over 22 times at local band and orchestra festivals where they consistently earn top ratings. More than a dozen of those times, they’ve earned “ones”, the highest scores a band can earn. They perform class A and AA music (the equivalent of high school class D, C, and B), two levels above their classification.
The Pattengill Band has competed nationally eleven times. Nine of those years, they’ve earned first place in their division. Eight of those years, they’ve earned first place overall. Five of those years, they’ve outscored every ensemble type competing at that event, including high schools.
Hundreds of students have earned the highest accolades achievable in the solo and ensemble and honors band at the local and state levels. Former Pattengill Band students have gone on to earn places in prestigious orchestras, bands, and professional and college ensembles, as well as perform and record with internationally renowned artists and produce their own recordings. They are top of their academic classes, actively supporting and encouraging each other as a team.
To put together performances, students individually prepare over an hour a day during school and put in over three hours or more of personal preparation per week. They put in almost five thousand hours of work to produce an hour long performance with two ensembles. The Symphonic Band does this for eleven performances a year! At almost every event they have attended, they have received recognition for being the most discipline, well-behaved ensemble at the event.
They take pride in their community by taking ownership of their equipment and facilities. With the help of the Band Boosters, they are almost completely self-sustainable while still assisting other programs, sorting and organizing their own music, cleaning and repairing the inventory of instruments, collecting wayward instruments from other Lansing schools to return to playing shape and get where they are needed at other schools.
They have amassed an inventory of instruments, equipment and uniforms at a value of more than $250,000 through donations, volunteer work and elbow grease. The students and Band Boosters also currently use and care for a recycled set of high school uniforms to perform with. This instrument, uniform and instrment inventory is maintained with a budget of less than .02% of its value a year.
This exceptional program also brings in over sixty five school of choice students to the Lansing School District every year, and keeps countless others in the district.
In the last thirteen years alone, the program has successfully performed over 140 formal performances, with an average live audience of 600-1,000. The program has attracted over 100,000 spectators in the last thirteen years. Seven years ago, concerts became televised, which now reach a greater Lansing area of 180,000 a year. The band and orchestra students at Pattengill are the most visible ambassadors of the Pattengill community. It’s more important than EVER to continue our successful path; to continue to attend cross-district music adjudications, attend national music festivals, earn placements in local and state honors bands, and set the standard of academic achievement for all students at not only Pattengill but the entire district and other communities. Every single year, the band students represent their school with the utmost excellence, discipline and pride. These “at-risk”, “behaviorally challenged”, “unteachable and failing” kids year after year continues to surpass my expectations and achieve incredible honors that even I never thought were possible at their age.
What better education can you get that costs the taxpayers $21.71 per student a year?
This is what they’ve deemed as unsuccessful and chosen to destroy.
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... The H. R. Pattengill Band and Orchestra Program on a daily basis serves more than 350 students a year. That makes it one of the largest performance based music programs in the Midwest. Students that have completed the three year program have gone on to achieve accolades in music and other professional careers.
Twelve years ago, there were 120 students in the Pattengill Band. Five years ago, there were 160. Two years ago, there were 180. This year, over 200 Band students AND 150 Orchestra students will walk through the band hall doors. There have been a total of eight ensembles: The Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Cadet Band, Drumline, Percussion Ensemble, Beginner Orchestra and Jazz Band.
Over the last thirteen years, the Pattengill Bands have performed over 22 times at local band and orchestra festivals where they consistently earn top ratings. More than a dozen of those times, they’ve earned “ones”, the highest scores a band can earn. They perform class A and AA music (the equivalent of high school class D, C, and B), two levels above their classification.
The Pattengill Band has competed nationally eleven times. Nine of those years, they’ve earned first place in their division. Eight of those years, they’ve earned first place overall. Five of those years, they’ve outscored every ensemble type competing at that event, including high schools.
Hundreds of students have earned the highest accolades achievable in the solo and ensemble and honors band at the local and state levels. Former Pattengill Band students have gone on to earn places in prestigious orchestras, bands, and professional and college ensembles, as well as perform and record with internationally renowned artists and produce their own recordings. They are top of their academic classes, actively supporting and encouraging each other as a team.
To put together performances, students individually prepare over an hour a day during school and put in over three hours or more of personal preparation per week. They put in almost five thousand hours of work to produce an hour long performance with two ensembles. The Symphonic Band does this for eleven performances a year! At almost every event they have attended, they have received recognition for being the most discipline, well-behaved ensemble at the event.
They take pride in their community by taking ownership of their equipment and facilities. With the help of the Band Boosters, they are almost completely self-sustainable while still assisting other programs, sorting and organizing their own music, cleaning and repairing the inventory of instruments, collecting wayward instruments from other Lansing schools to return to playing shape and get where they are needed at other schools.
They have amassed an inventory of instruments, equipment and uniforms at a value of more than $250,000 through donations, volunteer work and elbow grease. The students and Band Boosters also currently use and care for a recycled set of high school uniforms to perform with. This instrument, uniform and instrment inventory is maintained with a budget of less than .02% of its value a year.
This exceptional program also brings in over sixty five school of choice students to the Lansing School District every year, and keeps countless others in the district.
In the last thirteen years alone, the program has successfully performed over 140 formal performances, with an average live audience of 600-1,000. The program has attracted over 100,000 spectators in the last thirteen years. Seven years ago, concerts became televised, which now reach a greater Lansing area of 180,000 a year. The band and orchestra students at Pattengill are the most visible ambassadors of the Pattengill community. It’s more important than EVER to continue our successful path; to continue to attend cross-district music adjudications, attend national music festivals, earn placements in local and state honors bands, and set the standard of academic achievement for all students at not only Pattengill but the entire district and other communities. Every single year, the band students represent their school with the utmost excellence, discipline and pride. These “at-risk”, “behaviorally challenged”, “unteachable and failing” kids year after year continues to surpass my expectations and achieve incredible honors that even I never thought were possible at their age.
What better education can you get that costs the taxpayers $21.71 per student a year?
This is what they’ve deemed as unsuccessful and chosen to destroy.
Like ·
Why is this important?
DISCLAIMER: This is an UNOFFICIAL page, petition, cause. No one associated with the band program has solicited our support in any way. However, we, as parents, as teachers, and artists, as citizens, recognize this program for the success it is and want it to continue. So, if you share our opinion, share our page and boost the signal.
SAVE PATTENGILL BAND!https://www.facebook.com/SavePattengillBand?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite
SAVE PATTENGILL BAND!https://www.facebook.com/SavePattengillBand?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite