“My drum is literally being held together by duct tape and plastic twist ties,” says percussion section leader, Dom Romano. Dented tubas, trombones with stuck slides, and broken stands. These are all things the Wantagh High School band program has to deal with every day and there’s nothing to do about it.

The constant fundraising that the band does is supposed to pay for working instruments, new music, working stands, and trips. The sad thing is, that that money barely covers only a small portion of the total costs. But the school will pay for the rest…right? Well not exactly.

Music increases IQ, brain activity, memory, focus, and grades for students. It isn’t just playing notes on a page in the right order. It takes math, language, and muscle skills as well. On average, a pro football player burns roughly 650 calories in just one hour while a marching band performer burns roughly 700 calories in an 11 minute performance. Playing concert music takes focus, stamina, and and just overall dedication to the piece. Music is an important part of kids’ lives and should be recognized.

Head of the music department, Kelly Good, was asked about her thoughts on the subject: Should music and sports have equal budgets?

“Well they at least should be in proportion,” Good said. “It’s not exactly about the exact dollar value but there should be enough for everyone.”
How do you feel about how the school is improving on distributing the budget equally?

“We’re in a growth period right now and the district is really showing commitment to build the music program,” Good said.