FAQ'S

Band consists of a wide variety of wind and percussion instruments. Most students in beginning band start on either flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, or percussion (drums and pitched percussion instruments such as xylophone or bells), once we have a foundation some students switch to a variety of instruments to fill out the ensemble. A full band consists of: flutes, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto, tenor, and bari saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and percussion.

HOW DO I CHOOSE WHAT INSTRUMENT TO PLAY?

The best way to choose an instrument is by what you like the sound of best. I will demonstrate all of the instruments in class during the first days of school. Listen carefully to what you enjoy the sound of. You can also browse youtube for examples of professionals playing the various instruments of our band or orchestra. Students who choose an instruments by whether they enjoy the sound are more likely to be successful because they will play it more to hear the sound that they enjoy. No one ought to play an instrument if they find the sound of that instrument repulsive. If you're steering your child toward a certain instrument because that's what you played as a child, or because you've got one sitting in the attic, think again. Your child will be much more successful on an instrument they choose for the right reasons. Remember it is also important to choose by what is best for the band to maintain a balanced instrumentation. No one would want to hear, and few would want to play in a band that had 20 percussionists, 10 saxophones, a flute, 2 clarinets, and a trumpet.

WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND?

Changing instruments mid year can be difficult and should only be done with consultation with your music teacher. Some switches are fairly straightforward: clarinet to bass clarinet, saxophone, or oboe; trumpet to french horn or euphonium. Others are much more challenging. It is important that if you do choose to switch you do it for the right reasons. Students who switch because they think their first instrument is too hard, and the other instrument will be easier are rarely successful on the new instrument.

WHAT DOES IT COST TO JOIN BAND OR ORCHESTRA?

The classes themselves are free. There are some expenses you can expect however. Renting an instrument can range from $25-$50 per month from a music store, or from $0-$25 per semester if renting from the school (depending on need). Students will need to buy a copy of the book we use in beginning class. These cost about $9 from the music store, however, the school does have some books for loan. Students will also be expected to provide clothing they can wear for performances. Orchestra students wear plain black clothing from head to toe, band students need to provide black pants and shoes, and must purchase a band shirt for about $17. In the past we have been able to provide shirts to students who could not afford them through donations. Bottom line: lack of money should not stop you from joining band or orchestra.

WHAT TIME COMMITMENT CAN I EXPECT?

In middle school, aside from participation in class, you can expect students to spend about 15 minutes per day practicing on their own at home as well as 3 or 4 performances each year that take place in the evenings. (please see this year's syllabus for performance dates). As your child progresses into high school you can expect longer practice sessions, as well as more after school commitments.

HOW DO I GO ABOUT ACQUIRING AN INSTRUMENT FOR MY CHILD TO PLAY?

I recommend renting an instrument from a reputable music store. We partner with Ted Brown Music Co. to provide a rental program tailored to our school's needs. The school also has instruments that can be rented at a reduced (or free) rate. Be sure to read the article on my website about how to go about renting instruments in the links to the left. There is an article about band instruments and a separate article on stringed instruments.

WHEN SHOULD I GO OUT AND GET AN INSTRUMENT FOR MY CHILD?

I recommend waiting until after we have discussed instrument choices in class. Some students may think they know what they want to play, but then discover they really like the sound of something completely different when instruments are introduced the first week of class. We partner with Ted Brown Music Co. to provide a rental program for MVMS students. They will come out and do a rental night at our school sometime during the first 2 weeks of school. Please check the calendar for this year's date. Of course, you are also welcome to rent from their store (or any other store) in person.

WHAT COLOR INSTRUMENT SHOULD I GET?

You should select an instrument that comes in it's traditional color. Many instruments that come in various bright colors are gimicky and not always of the highest quality. Brightly colored instruments also distract from a uniform look when we are on stage. Flute should be silver; clarinets should be black plastic or wood; saxophones should be gold brass; trumpets should be brass or silver; trombones should be gold brass; stringed instruments should be a natural wood color (reddish brown) with the wood grain visible through the varnish.

MY FAMILY CAN'T AFFORD TO RENT OR BUY A QUALITY INSTRUMENT, WHAT CAN I DO?

The school has an inventory of instruments available for free, Borrowing a school instrument for free is probably a better idea than buying a very inexpensive instrument.

WHAT SIZE INSTRUMENT SHOULD I GET?

Band instruments only come in one size (with the exception of some more exotic brass instruments in alternate keys or some gimicky "pocked sized" instruments). Orchestral instruments come in different sizes for different sized people. I will measure everyone in class before students go out and rent/buy instruments to make sure they know what size to rent. The music store should also be able to assist you in choosing the correct size.

MY CHILD PLAYS CELLO/BASS/TUBA/EUPHONIUM/OR ANOTHER LARGE INSTRUMENT. HOW CAN I TRANSPORT THAT INSTRUMENT BACK AND FORTH?

Students who play large instruments will, whenever possible, will be provided an instrument to use at school so that their own instrument can be kept at home. In some cases that means renting an instrument for home, while using a school instrument at school. Sometimes it means being issued 2 school instruments: one for school and one for home.

MY CHILD PLAYS PERCUSSION, WHAT DO I NEED TO BUY/RENT?

Students who take beginning percussion will need to acquire a percussion kit which includes a snare drum, practice pad, and bell set. These instruments can be checked out from the school, or rented from the music store. It is a good idea for percussionists to also purchase a stick bag to keep their mallets and sticks in. Percussionists should have a substantial collection of mallets by the end of 8th grade.

I FOUND A GREAT DEAL ON AN INSTRUMENT ON (INSERT NAME OF WEBSITE HERE), SHOULD I RETURN MY RENTAL AND BUY THIS ONE INSTEAD?

Short answer: NO. Long answer: it depends. Often times those "great deals" fall under "too good to be true." However, there are good deals to be had out there if you find someone who is wiling to part with a quality used instrument. I would be highly suspect of any "brand new" instrument that is being sold for under $400. Before you buy anything please read my articles on buying/renting instruments: There is an article about band instruments and a separate article on stringed instruments. If in doubt, please forward the listing to me and I'd be happy to share my opinion.

MY INSTRUMENT IS BROKEN, WHAT DO I DO?

The first step is to bring the instrument to the band or orchestra director. There are many minor things that can wind up out of adjustment that can be fixed at school such as springs that have come out of place, stuck mouthpieces, misaligned valves, or a broken strings. Your instructor can let you know if it requires a trip to the shop. When a trip to the shop in necessary you can either bring it to the shop directly, or call Ted Brown Music and they will send someone to pick it up on their next scheduled visit. Ted Brown tries their best to provide loaner instruments, or simply exchange instruments so that you don't have to be without one for long.

SHOULD I RETURN MY INSTRUMENT TO THE STORE OVER THE SUMMER TO SAVE MONEY?

NO! First of all, I hope that your child will continue to play their instrument at least occasionally over the summer. There is bound to be some slide in skill level over the summer in any class, but in music, their are muscles that we've spent all year building up to properly produce a sound on our instruments that will atrophy if we don't use them for 2 and half months.

As to the "save money" part of the question: Most music stores offer some sort of incentive for continuously renting an instrument such as rental fees going toward the eventual purchase of an instrument (rent-to-own) or earning discounts toward the eventual purchase of the instrument (check with the store you are renting from to understand their policy) If you return the instrument over the summer, you will start over from the beginning when you re-rent in September.

MY CHILD PREVIOUSLY TOOK BAND IN FIFTH GRADE, AND IS NOW ATTENDING MVMS FOR 6TH GRADE, DO THEY NEED TO TAKE BEGINNING BAND AGAIN?

It depends on how far they got in fifth grade band. Some elementary school programs only have the students for a very short period of time each day, or only for a very few days each week. We move so much quicker in middle school that by October we are further along that those fifth grade bands were at the end of the year. Other fifth grade bands make enough progress that they are already in a comparable place to our middle school 6th graders at the end of the year. Be prepared to play something for me that you did last year to demonstrate the progress you made and I will help decide whether beginning band or concert band is the right fit.

WHERE DOES THE BAND/ORCHESTRA PERFORM?

Most of our concerts take place at the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center in Bremerton. We are very fortunate to have a professional stage on which to perform.

I HAVE AN OLD INSTRUMENT LYING AROUND MY HOUSE, CAN I DONATE IT TO YOUR PROGRAM?

I would be proud to have your instrument in our collection to loan to students who may need it. Bremerton School District partners with Music4Life to accept and refurbish donated instruments. If you would like to donate your instrument to Muisc4Life, fill out this form and then drop your instrument off at MVMS, or at Ted Brown Music in Silverdale. Be sure to note on the form that you would like your donation to go to Mountain View Middle School. For more information about music4life, please visit their website: www.music4life.org

I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVEN'T ANSWERED HERE, HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

You can always e-mail me at allan.anderson@bremertonschools.org. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.