Ok...gotta odd question. My son started 6th grade this year and signed up for band and will be in percussion. We received instructions today on who we needed to contact and what all he needed to rent/buy for the year which totals up to about $1,000 a year. When I was in Junior High and High School, I played football and track and everything we needed was provided by the school and I never really thought much of it. Thinking about kids today playing football each one is likely issued well over $1,000 worth of equipment and clothing. My question is how do schools provide uniforms and equipment for sports teams but do not provide anything for students participating in band? Are there HS sports teams that are not provided uniforms/equipment? Looking for some wisdom out there in the THF universe.

A. God bless you son for being the parent of a "percussionist". I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, but...'have threatened to encourage a few of my grandkids to study drums.
B. You can't over think this. This is Texas, and football is King. Buy him a set, try to get him lessons, and if the band director asks you to buy anything else, tell him to pound sand.

My son plays the trumpet. He was in band until this year. 6th grade to 11th grade. He quit this year.

We paid around $75 for UIL fees and around $400 from band fees. Add in trips and tutoring, that is another $1500 to $2000.

His school did not start tutoring or trips until High School.

Appreciate the advice. The odd thing is the paper we got was the same that all parents got and for percussion it says all students need to rent a xylophone...I guess for each student to have at home... seems like a lot of xylophones! I totally get "B." I was fortunate and blessed in HS to win the last game of the year once and came one game away from winning it again the next year so I totally get that. Just never thought about all they guys and gals in band back then having to rent/buy all their own instruments and uniforms. While we got so much provided by the school. and what we got then isn't half what they get now...we had one helmet and 2 uniforms..home/away. Now they have 3 or 4 helmets and 3 or 4 uniforms not to mentions all the clothing we were issued.

It’s unreal the money that schools want for every little thing. What the hell am I paying taxes for?

Debate team can't cost very much.

Well, the xylophone thing baffles me. He'd be better off taking piano. People tolerate a, short, drum solo. Nobody listens to a xylophone. Harsh, but true.

Keep an eye out on Facebook marketplace. A lot of parents selling the kids instruments for much less than they paid.

Bless you sir, we put 3 kids thru band. Thankfully one played Tuba, his twin brother Baritone but our daughter played the clarinet. All we had to purchase was mouthpieces for the boys and a used clarinet and had the corks and key pads replaced.
The three of them practicing different music at the same time made for some weird noises in the house.
Took a weeks vacation every year to volunteer at summer band camp and worked the concession stand for every home and JV game and chaperoned on a band buss for away games and contests. Lots of time put in, but wouldn't miss the time with my kids for anything.
Good luck with your drummer. Good earplugs are a must.

Comparing sports to band is like comparing an apple to an orange. One is a revenue generating machine for the school, district and UIL; the other is a cost cow. That's exactly where the lines of demarcation start and stop...If it were reversed, it would be the sports players paying for their uniforms, etc.

Tell him to learn the guitar. Wish I could have had that skill in college. Girls love guitar pickers.

That certainly justifies where our tax dollars are spent within the education system. How much revenue does English and math generate the school?

I never had to deal with it, all we ever bought was a cup for my son during baseball, and a long sleeve garment for the cold weather that went under the shoulder pads. I have heard tell our school covers the cost for the band members, for a small town, our band kids are quite the eccentric crowd.

Very true. One of my regrets. But, as far as a good group of kids, you can't beat the band.

I hear ya… I’ve made the same argument my self about the money football generates but after stepping back and looking at it I’m sure the top schools in every district do make money but I’d be willing to bet as a whole, state wide HS football is break even at best and I’d bet loses money on a state wide basis. Found an old article that said of the teams in the Beaumont area two made money the rest lost money on the year. Believe the same article quoted one of the schools who made money’s supers and he said football was a huge revenue generator for the school. It was disclosed in the same article the school made $69,000 off football but that didn’t take into account the AD’s salary on the year.

Not knocking football or any other sport. I’ve been on that side and wouldn’t trade it. Just getting a different perspective.

Drummers do fine in college bands. You don't have to be good lookin', but being the least ugly out of the guys in the group helps. Went from not being able to talk to girls to not needing that skill anyway. For legal reasons, that is all that I am permitted to say.

Shortly after school start, you might find a school equipment setup on Craigslist when some other kid decides music is more difficult than cool.

But I agree- public school percussion can be pricey if you buy/rent from where they tell you. In 6th grade I had a snare/case/stand, xylophone thing/case, a dozen different sticks, stick bag, and books- all I really needed was a practice pad and some time in a school practice room. We had to learn music theory- notes and chords on chimes and xylophone, as well as drumming on snares, timpani, bass, and toms.

It all depends where you are though. My HS kid plays drumline on snare at football games as well as in rock bands pregame/halftime, and only had to buy sticks since we had the drum kit at home and the rest is a school setup.

Funny, I broke some school run/jump records in Junior High and the coaches tried hard to recruit me to football, but I was worried the cost and time expense would be more than my family could swing and never went for it. Then, got booted from percussion so that $ was kind of a waste.

Yep !!

Drummer here too. Started in Junior High (8th grade), Highschool, then at Tyler Junior College. Home of the famous Apache Bell's. Don't think my Dad ever had to pay for anything.

YES, APACHE was okay back in those days, as was Tyler's Robert E. Lee Rebels till they had to give in to special interests.

Don't bet on that I played the Trombone in HS band. The trombone and Tuba players were a bunch of drunks. I remember being hung over and throwing up into my trombone during morning marching practice.

I also recall that we had to purchase our own instruments. They weren't cheap.

This post is not about me but rather my experience as am example.

Graduated high school in 1983 and never had to pay anything through the band whole program. French Horns were too expensive for the average Arkansas family anyway. Dropped out of band in my senor year during the last semester. Graduated high school with a 2.9 and barely made it into college in a technical program. Playing French Horn was the last thing on my mind. It was just something to do. Fast forward to my first semester in college, I commented to the band director one day as we met while passing that I enjoyed the half-time show. Conversation ensued. He asked about and knew of my former band director. "What chair did you play?" 2nd. "Would you like a scholarship?". Never even had to try out.

He was demanding. He demanded you work hard for quality but not an ugly person. He could spot you slacking in a second, letting down your other team mates. But he was the best life coach teacher I ever had way beyond the college hours. Ended up graduating with honors and received a fellowship in a major university's masters degree program.

Athletics, band, chess team or whatever doesn't matter, We all want our kids to be successful. Important life skills may be learned from the most unusual places. Best wishes to your child.

I hate that the Tyler schools caved in to the limp-wristed liberals. I have a great niece that just graduated from Tyler Legacy and is now an Apache Bell. It's a shame that the history of the US is being erased, good or bad it is still history.

When my brother got to middle school my parents had to buy his snare drum, it was cheaper to outright buy it. So he used it all the way through high school. This was back in the late 90's and early 2000's. So to me to rent/buy the instrument has always been common place to me.

First off, Football is WAY more important than band

My boys played the stand-up bass in middle school, we paid monthly rent for several years. Football, we always bought our own helmets.

Charlie

Instruments are way more expensive from an individual stand point. My violin was $2500 in the 90’s(NOTE I was not in the band.) Also add in the liability of instrument damage or loss. Almost every sports team has a booster club also doing fund raising on the side, that football stadium has heavy advertisements, etc.

To answer your question traditionally boosters are more apt to advertise for football team then band or drill. Some schools are the opposite and have powerhouse bands that have mega funds from boosters. Normally the teams that compete state and National stage year in year out have huge fundraising dollars.

Football I paid for cleats, under pads /slides, warm ups, and braces. Booster club paid for uniforms, school paid shoulder pads and helmet.

"One time at band camp"...I'm surprised no one has quoted this yet.

I am shocked at how many people on the forum was in the band