For Parents

Helping your child choose what instrument is right for them can be really confusing! There are so many factors: are there instruments that your family already has at home that are ready for your child to play? Will they like the instrument that they choose? How expensive will it be to rent/buy? How many hours a week will they need to practice?

The first thing to remember is how AMAZING music is for your child's brain! Even if they only play for a few years, music has been proven to help with their Social/Emotional Learning just as much as their Academic learning. Attributes like teamwork, pride in work, and hard work are all developed in music classrooms alongside eighth notes and rests.

Check out the video below to hear more about how you can best support your child through the process of instrument selection:

Your child's physical characteristics

Sometimes children of this age are not physically capable of manipulating their oral cavity to create a sound on an instrument. This is why we try out different instruments, so your child can be successful with what they choose!

If your child wants to play flute or trombone, their arm should be at least 19 inches (from armpit to first knuckle). If their arm is not yet 19 inches long, they can still play the instrument! They might just need a special attachment to help them play the instrument while they are growing.

Your child's pitch sensitivity

Pitch sensitivity refers to the ability to hear different pitches (notes) and how they relate to one another. For example, imagine hearing one note, and then hearing another, different note. Having a high pitch sensitivity means that it's easier for you to tell if the second note was higher or lower than the first note. Sounds easy, but it can get pretty hard!

There are also some instruments that children with a higher degree of pitch sensitivity have an easier time starting and are more successful earlier (including french horn, trombone, and tuba). If your child does NOT have a high degree of pitch sensitivity, it doesn't mean that they won't be successful; they will just have to work a bit harder to develop their ears!

School-owned instruments

The larger instruments of the Band are available to rent through the school district because rental companies do not provide them. These instruments include French horn, Baritone, and Tuba. Since the district owns a limited supply of these instruments, we unfortunately need to limit the number students in these sections through an audition process (see below). French Horn and Tuba students will keep one school instrument at home, and use a different one at school because their size makes them difficult to carry on a bus.

Instrument "auditions"

Due to a limited supply of school instruments, some sections require auditions (French horn, Baritone, Tuba, and Percussion). The brass instrument audition (French horn, Baritone, Tuba) includes a mouthpiece try out and a pitch sensitivity test. The Percussion audition includes a rhythm imitation and steady beat test. The Band directors will also seek out teacher recommendations for any students that are auditioning for one of these sections. We are looking for students that are responsible, reliable, and are willing to work hard through the entire year.

5th Grade Band schedule

Students receive one period of Band instruction every day during the school day, where they learn ensemble-based skills and work together as a team. In addition to Band rehearsal, each band student has one small-group lesson during the school day once a week to work on instrument specific skills and receive more individualized instruction. These lessons happen during their other classes on a rotating basis so they aren't missing the same class each week. Students make up the classwork they missed either when they get back to the classroom or at the end of the day.