Welcome to the 2025 - 2026 South View Bands!

Please take some time to review the following information with your parent/caregiver.  This handbook contains essential information about supplies, performance dates, instrument rentals, and many other topics.

Books & Supplies for Band

Students need the following books for class and sectional purposes.  Local music stores stock these materials (Schmitt Music, Eckroth Music, Groth Music and JW Pepper). 

ALL BAND STUDENTS:

• Black 1” three ring binder with 20 clear plastic document protectors

• Box of Pencils to be left in classroom

• We appreciate facial tissue donations, as we have a high volume of students in the band room each day!

6th Grade ONLY:       Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician (Scott Rush & Jeff Scott) GREEN book

7th Grade ONLY:      GREEN Book from 6th grade AND Standard of Excellence, book 2 (blue book) by Bruce Pearson

8th Grade ONLY:       No other requirements

Practicing

We highly encourage every band student to practice often outside of the school day. It is essential for the physical, intellectual, and emotional development that comes with playing an instrument. Consistent daily practice builds individual musical growth, which allows for a much higher level of contribution to the full band! Any amount of practice is beneficial, but we recommend that students practice for 15 minutes, 3 days a week minimum. The payoff is incredible! Our music suite is open before school for student use, and there will be opportunities for students to use flex time for additional practice should they wish.

School Rental Instruments

The annual rental fee covers the costs for repairing and maintaining the instruments rented to students among other incidental costs. Edina Public School Instrument Rental Contract will be provided to students renting a school-owned instrument, and rental fees will be collected in class. 

Tuba/Baritone/French Horn (FH gr. 6-8 only) -  $100 Students will have one instrument at home and share an instrument at school. Students purchasing their own instrument may chose to bring to school, or rent a school instrument for $50.

Oboe/Bassoon/Bass Clarinet - $50  Students will have one instrument use between home and school. 

Baritone Sax - $50  Students will have one instrument to be used at school and shared with other students.

Percussionists - $50 instrument fee for use of school equipment during rehearsals and performances.

Care of School Provided Instruments

Any student using a school provided instrument is responsible for its continued care and proper maintenance.  This will include any repairs needed due to negligence or abuse. All students sharing the same instrument during the school day will be held equally responsible. This also includes percussion equipment.

Instrument Supplies and Accessories

Students are responsible for providing their own instrumental supplies and accessories as needed for band class during the year. This includes reeds for woodwind players, valve oil and slide grease for brass players, and a stick bag for percussionists. Percussionists must possess a pair of snare drum sticks, a pair of yarn mallets, and a pair of plastic or rubber mallets.

Flute: cleaning rod, Bo Pep thumb guide, Silk Flute Swab

Clarinet: Mouthpiece cap, Rovner Dark Ligature, 4-#2.5 Rico Royal reeds, Plastic Reed Guard for 4 reeds, silk or microfiber swab, and cork grease

Saxophone: Mouthpiece cap, Rovner Dark Ligature, 4-#3 Rico Royal reeds, plastic reed guard for 4 reeds, cork grease, silk or microfiber swab, neck strap

Trumpet: Valve oil, Tuning slide grease. 

French Horn: Rotor Oil, Tuning slide grease (Horn materials can be kept at home)

Trombone: Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant, Tuning slide grease

Baritone: Valve Oil, Tuning slide grease (Baritone materials can be kept at home)

Tuba: Valve Oil, Tuning Slide (Tuba materials can be kept at home)

Percussion: Stick Bag, Hard Mallets (Vic Firth M6), Yarn Mallets (Vic Firth M3), Vic Firth SD1 sticks, timpani mallets (Vic Firth T3).  Mallets and sticks in parentheses are a suggestion.  

Concert Dates (required)

All South View band students are required to attend concerts as part of the class curriculum.  If a student cannot attend a concert, the director must be notified at least one (1) month in advance, in writing, though further notice is appreciated. Reminders regarding upcoming concerts will be posted on teachers’ websites and /or be sent out via email.

Students who miss a performance will make it up during Flex time for 80% credit. 

Please see the 2025-2026  Performances page on the website, or your grade-specific curriculum page, for all performances required of you! 

If you are participating in jazz band, please also be aware of those dates (listed separately)!

Concert Materials

Students are responsible for bringing the following materials to each concert:

• Instrument and appropriate accessories (mutes, reeds, etc.) 

• Black band 3-ring binder with concert music

• Proper concert attire 

Concert Attire 

The following clothing is required for concert performance:

6th Grade ONLY:

Band shirt (will be given to you before the first concert of the year), dress slacks or dress skirt, nice shoes (no open toes).

7th & 8th Grade:

7th & 8th grade band students wear concert black for concerts. Students may choose either a long-sleeved dress shirt (with a collar) or a blouse for their top, and may choose either black dress slacks or a dress skirt for their bottom. Students should wear black dress shoes with black socks (if your shoes would need them). EXAMPLES HERE

Jazz Band 

Jazz bands will begin in late September. 7th & 8th graders do not have to audition, just show up!!

Jazz 6 is open to any student, on any instrument, who can complete the audition sheet. 

Jazz bands rehearse once a week before school, from 8:15 - 9:00. If school is in session, we will rehearse!

• Jazz 6 - Friday morning

• Jazz 7 - Thursday morning

• Jazz 8 - Tuesday morning 

Orthodontics

Many middle school students will have orthodontic work done during their time at South View Middle School. Parents are urged to schedule appointments for installation and adjustments of braces during open spaces in our performance calendar. Performing in a concert with new or newly adjusted braces can be uncomfortable and even painful for students. Please reference our concert calendar when you are scheduling appointments with your orthodontist. We promise, playing in a concert with new braces is no fun! 

For students with braces, we recommend checking out brace guards (such as wax or Morgan Bumpers) if you experience discomfort playing with braces. 

Grading

Assessments will include: playing assignments, music theory/rhythm worksheets, concerts and performances, and formal assessments such as in-class quizzes and tests. 

Assignments will be categorized as either formative or summative. Formative work makes up 10% of a student's final grade, and is meant to teach concepts, reinforce them, and give students opportunities to practice skills. Summative work makes up 90% of a student's grade, and is meant to assess and evaluate mastery over standards.  

We understand that late work happens and students can turn in late work for full credit;  once the unit is over they may not turn it in (the end of the unit is usually a concert).

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about our grading procedures!

Private Teachers

Edina is fortunate to have many highly talented musicians in the area who are excellent private lesson instructors.  We highly recommend that every student take private lessons during the year.  Make sure that the private instructor you choose is a master on the particular instrument your child studies.  We find that the student benefits most from this type of private lesson experience. Please note that tuition for private lessons (fee paid to instructors) are tax deductible. Email your band teacher for private teacher suggestions for your instrument.

Honor Bands

Throughout the year, honor band opportunities may become available to South View students. Honor bands are enrichment opportunities intended for advanced students who seek a challenging and rewarding musical experience. Admittance to honor bands may be by audition or by nomination. Auditions will require students to make recordings to be submitted. Nominations will be made by the South View directors, and are based upon playing ability, classroom attitude and behavior, and timely completion of assignments. Admittance to an honor band is never a guarantee. We highly encourage any interested student to pursue these opportunities as they become available!

Instrument Identification

Please make sure that your instrument is clearly identifiable. We encourage students to use a luggage tag, or a similar label, that attaches to the case handle. Additionally, we highly recommend that parents keep a record of the instrument's make, model, and serial number. This information is helpful in the unfortunately and unlikely event that an instrument goes missing. 

Lockers

We will do our best to provide a locker space for all students in the band room. As locker space has become limited, this is not a guarantee. For security, we encourage students to take their instrument home every day, especially over weekends and long vacations. We also encourage students to purchase a lock for their instrument lockers. 

National Standards

Our goal in the Edina Band Program is to meet the National Standards for Music Education.  Below is a list of the National Standards.

Students will be able to:

1.              Perform on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

2.              Read and notate music.

3.              Improvise melodies.

4.              Listen to, analyze and describe music.

5.              Evaluate music and music performances.

6.              Understand relationships between music, other arts, & disciplines outside the arts.

7.              Understand music in relation to history and culture.

8.              Compose within specific guidelines.

In Conclusion

We are so excited to be working with the band students at South View Middle School, and cannot wait to make music together. Please reach out if you have any questions about the program, and thank you so much for your support!

Best,

Nicholas Ellison & Marya Haugland 

Before submitting the Handbook Form, please see our 2025-26 Performance Calendar and add them to your household calendar. Performances are required and the best way to celebrate the hard work our bandies have put into their music education!

To receive credit for reading through the South View Band Handbook, please complete the survey by following the link below: 

Student Handbook Form