Scheduling and Grouping of Elementary Instrumental Music Classes

I cannot exactly speak from personal experience since I was not involved in beginning instrumental music when I was in middle school, (I was involved in choir, but we did not have any type of special schedule as instrumental music did) but I did observe many of my classmates who were in band at the time and can vaguely remember what their experience was like at the time.

Over all, I think the most effective way to schedule any instrumental music program is completely dependent on the individual school district and situation. Ideally, private lessons should be implemented from the beginning and continued on until high school, though not all students will want to continue on. In conjunction with this, I think homogeneous classes in the very beginning (first year or half-year) are most helpful for students to learn balance and blend when they are only focusing on one specific timbre - that of their own instrument. Once they are more experienced playing within their section, they can then learn to listen and blend their sound within the context of other timbres and instrument colors within heterogeneous classes, or full ensemble rehearsal.

Also, while many classes utilize "pull-out" programs, instrumental music, from the beginning, should be treated like a regular class with a regularly scheduled time, such as like the situation at my middle school. If student's first impression is that instrumental music is an "extra-curricular" class, the motivation to stay participated can be negatively effected in the long-term. However, this may be the only option for many schools with limited scheduling options. I can remember my classmates always being confused as to what time their lesson was since the times were different every week, which resulted in people forgetting to bring their instrument to school when they needed it or always leaving it at school and never practicing. Ideally, administrators and music educators should sit down and make these scheduling decisions together after taking into account their specific situation and program, the teacher's individual goals, the support from the community, and the needs of the individual students.