1. Get Active

Weather permitting, kids who participate in marching band will spend at least 8 hours a week outdoors, during marching season. Studies have shown that kids who spend time outdoors are smarter, happier, and more attentive than kids who spend time indoors. Spending time outdoors activates more senses – students see, hear, smell, and touch outdoor environments, expanding the richness of the human experience. Getting kids off screens and outdoors gets their blood pumping. Even mild exercise can help kids focus and relieve stress.

2. Brain Boost

Students who regularly participate in music-rich experiences receive benefits beyond the ability to play a musical instrument. Students involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. Playing an instrument requires using more of your brain. One specific benefit research has found involves spatial intelligence, which translates into improved skills in solving multistep problems. In addition, recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language. Therefore, musical experience strengthens language competence, which in turn can strengthen social competence.

3. Time Management

Without a doubt, marching band involves a large time commitment. As a result, students must learn the skills to plan and use their time wisely in order to accomplish their personal and academic goals. Over 27% of our Marching Band students are Magnet students! It can be done!

4. Teamwork

Students learn the value of working together and come to understand how their individual effort impacts the group as a whole.

5. Friendship

Ask almost any student in band what they like best about band, and inevitably they will tell you it’s their friends. Starting with band camp in the summer, students begin to make new friends before school even starts. By the time the first day of school rolls around, students already feel at home on the Wheeler campus, and probably will even have a few familiar band faces in some of their classes. Not only will they make friends within their own grade, having friendships with older students can help make the transition from middle school to high school a little smoother.

6. Leadership

Band provides leadership training to all interested students, with opportunities for more in-depth training for selected students. Opportunities for leadership include Drum Majors, Brass/Woodwind/Percussion Captains, Section Leaders, Field Commander, Band Captain.

7. Quality Musical Instruction

Wheeler Band strives to provide a high-quality, rigorous musical instruction experience for all of its students. In addition to two full time directors, Wheeler Band includes instrument specific adjunct instructors and staff.

8. Esprit de Corp

Students who join the band form a special bond with one another. Among band members there is a common spirit of pride, enthusiasm and devotion to the band that extends far beyond their four years of high school.

9. Competition

The Wheeler Band program seeks to encourage habits and choices that move students towards excellence. This progress allows students to see a continuous improvement in their own personal performance. By providing a rich and diverse range of opportunities in and out of the classroom, the goal is for each student to strive in each performance to be the best version of themselves.

10. Opportunity to Serve

Wheeler Band is a large organization with many outstanding and dedicated parent volunteers. Not only do parents volunteer, but students are also given on occasion opportunities to serve.

11. Confidence

With each new skill or habit that is mastered, students gain increased confidence. In addition, numerous
opportunities to perform on the field and on stage, showcasing their ever-improving performance, gives
students a sense of pride and self-confidence – a quality so important to one’s success.

12. FUN!!

The Wheeler Band is far from all work and no play! During band camp, students get to break up the rehearsals with activities such a bowling, a pool party, and a Talent Show. Band members also get to enjoy themselves in the stands during football games, playing their instruments with their friends, right next to the student section. Not only do students have fun locally, occasionally students travel either for competitions or to march in parades.