Misc. Info

We believe that all of our performances begin the moment that students arrive at the site of the performance, whether at Excelsior or another facility.  Good performances begin with good preparation prior to the event as well as on the day of the event.  Students will be expected to be on their best behavior at every performance activity.  School rules apply at all events.

Students will frequently be members of an audience as part of our performances or at other events throughout the year.  It is very important that respect is shown to performing students or visiting performers.  It is not appropriate to talk during a performance.  All cell phones should be turned off and left in the student’s instrument case or with his or her parent/guardian.  Students should treat others’ performances with as much respect as they wish to have others treat theirs.  Audience members should not stand, enter, or leave the performance area until a piece has ended and applause has begun.

Students who use a school-owned instrument for band must pay a yearly fee to the Linn-Mar Community School District.  The fee should be paid through PowerSchool as soon as possible. If you have already paid the fee for the year and picked up an instrument, nothing more needs to be done for the school year.

It is a priority for the band directors at Linn-Mar that all students who wish to be in band are able to do so.  Because of this, Linn-Mar has a small number of instruments available to students who qualify through the MusicConnects program.  Please contact your child’s director if you have any questions.

Excelsior provides storage space and lockers for most instruments.  All students will have specific lockers or areas for them to use as storage.  Students who do not put away instrument properly or who mistreat their locker will lose points and the privilege of keeping their instrument in a band locker/cubby.  These rules are in place to avoid lost, damaged, or stolen instruments.  Linn-Mar and the directors will not be responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen instruments.

The parent/guardian should contact the child’s director to discuss concerns and possible problem-solving solutions.  If there is still a desire to drop the course, schedule changes will be made at the end of the quarter.

Throughout the school year we will begin balancing the instrumentation of each concert band. Many times beginning students start on one of the smaller and more common instruments.  As students progress, we begin to expand the instrumentation to fit the group’s needs and the future needs of the band program.  In most cases switches are made from large sections, where students are one of many, into sections that are smaller and more unique.  Examples include oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, baritone, and tuba. In almost every situation, the suggestion to make a switch results in a higher degree of success for the student and for the entire band.  It is very important that parents do not allow their child to switch instruments without first communicating with his or her band director or lesson teacher to ensure that the switch would benefit the student. 

The ideal number of percussionists in a “typical” 4A intermediate or middle school band is eight.  For this reason, we are not able to add to the percussion section until the number of students who play percussion in the grade drops below eight.   Students wishing to switch to percussion will be put on a waiting list and will continue playing their current instrument.   They will need to take lessons for at least one quarter to learn to play the many different percussion instruments before playing on percussion in band.

Band supplies such as reeds, cork grease, and valve oil should be purchased from West Music.  A list of supplies recommended by Linn-Mar band staff can be found here.