Central Kitsap High School offers a wide variety of programs for students that can pique their interest and help them find passion and community. One of these programs that is offered to Central Kitsap students is the music program, which provides activities like orchestra, band, and choir.
Band has the opportunity to perform in front of crowds, not only here at CKHS, but also on international field trips in places like Victoria, Canada. Field trips like this give students the chance to bond with each other while being able to see new places that most students may not have seen before.
“We have an upcoming Victoria trip to Canada and I’m really excited about it because field trips are a good way to connect with the people around you,” said senior band student Kymora Getachew.
Not only does being in a band improve a student’s sense of community, but it also increases a student’s motor skills and memory. According to StamfordSchools.org, listening and playing music is shown to stimulate your brain and increase memory capacity.
Music can also increase a student’s confidence overall. Performing in front of crowds can make someone nervous but because band students do so often, confidence among students can increase the length of time they participate in the band.
“I think being in a band has built my confidence a lot more, especially doing things like solos,” said senior band student Robin Gitch. “In the past, I never wanted to do a solo because I got nervous but as I got more experienced my confidence got better.”
It is also important to have confidence while performing because the CKHS band plays in a variety of settings. This large array of settings means that there’s a variety of different crowds that band students need to play for.
“We perform in concerts, parades, pep assemblies, and other schools,” said CKHS Orchestra and Band Director Michael Woods. “We also play during home basketball and football games so I think the extra things outside of school are the most challenging.”
Music students also have the increased opportunity for things like college scholarships. Some colleges like to see the fact that a student plays an instrument because it shows a college that a student has the persistence to learn an instrument and the work ethic to learn a new piece of music.
Students in the CKHS Music program receive a lot of benefits not only to the opportunities and improved mental aspects, but the sense of community as well. The sense of community is really important because it could make students feel like they have a place to belong. Students in a community have the chance to connect with more of their peers on a daily basis.
“Band has given me the chance to connect with a lot of people that I may not have connected with otherwise,” said senior band student Robin Gitch. “We are all working together towards a common goal and I think that’s not something that you can get with other classes.”
