To the parents. You have to constantly display your students' progress to them. Otherwise, they get kinda stingy at tax levy time.

To the kids, well, there's a huge difference between a junior high student and a high school student. Both sides still like to have some space of their own.

I agree that younger and weaker players benefit from being tossed into the mix with better ones. But there's more to it than that in a school setting.

and high school bands. (I'm sorry for the lack of clarity.) I mean having separate bands in middle school, having both a "concert band" and a "symphonic band", when most of the music for middle schoolers is rated about the same level in difficulty.

Same answer?

And it doesn't matter if they are 7th or 8th graders.

So, middle school would have a 6th grade beginning band, a concert band with 7th and some 8th graders, and a symphonic band with some 7th and mostly 8th graders.

My question is why do 7th & 8th graders have to be split into two groups?

. . .it was obvious. One niece played sax in the marching band but bass clarinet in the orchestra band, so that made sense.

The other niece played viola and now plays string bass in HS. It made sense that she wasn't going to be in a marching band with a stringed instrument.

I'd have to ask them if they saw what you're describing. Not saying it didn't. Just that when they were slotted, it made complete sense.

Brass, woodwinds, percussion, learning to play all kinds of music.

Wasn't disagreeing. Just commenting.