Incoming 6th Grade

WELCOME FUTURE 6TH GRADERS!

We are excited to be making music with you next year!

Contact Information

Jenna Larios-Garcia

MS Band Director

jlariosgarcia@eastland.esc14.net

(254)-631-5040 x2115

Dr. Cody Knott

Director of Bands

cknott@astland.esc14.net

(254-631-5000 x3027

Mario Larios-Garcia

Assistant Band Director

mlariosgarcia@eastland.esc14.net

6th grade band is mandatory. Everyone will learn a wind instrument. Percussion will be through auditions in the Spring Semester.

Please join us for our annual Instrument Petting Zoo!

What is a Instrument Petting Zoo?

Band Directors will test your student for their future instrument. Students will try to buzz/play on ALL of mouthpieces and have a chance to be able to make a sound on the instrument itself.

When:

Where:

Eastland Band Hall (on the hill next to the middle school office)

Available instruments to try out:

Flute
Clarinet
Alto Saxophone (will need to rent if selected by director)
Horn
Trumpet
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba

Students MUST try every instrument/mouthpiece, even if it is not your top 3 choices.

Please do research on which instrument your student would like to play so they can make an educated decision.

Please bring the "Instrument Try Out Form" with you to the petting zoo.

If you cannot attend, please return the form to Mrs. Harris.

Instrument Petting Zoo FAQs

What will happen if my student cannot make it to the Instrument Petting Zoo days?

Mrs. LG will come down to Seibert Elementary to test any students who did not have a chance to come the zoo. Students will be tested on the mouthpieces.

If my student is selected to play the alto saxophone, why do I need to rent?

We do not have enough quality Alto saxophones to provide to all of out students 6-12 grades. We are working on obtaining quality instruments, but it takes time. In the meantime we are asking parents to rent to instrument so your students are learning on quality instruments.

Why can't my student try out for percussion?

ALL 6th grade students will learn a wind instrument in the fall and perform at the Christmas concert on their wind instrument. Percussion will be audtioned after the Christmas concert. Percussion requires self control and patience. We want to learn our students and see if they would be a good fit for percussion. For percussion, it can be difficult to learn this with one meeting.

Do the mouthpieces and reeds get cleaned between students?

Yes, mouthpieces are cleaned between every student.

How are students determined for their future instrument?

There are several factors that go in to being tested for an instrument.
- 1. The band program needs to maintain a certain number of each instruments to create a balanced ensemble. If we went based on everybody's 1st choice, we would have a lot of flutes, trumpets, and percussion players.
  2. Our inventory. Students cannot play an instrument that we do not have in our inventory.
  3. Your student's top 3 choices. Your student should pick 3 instruments they would be happy with learning. If unsure of what the instruments are or what they sound like, you can view the video below that talks about each instrument.
  4. Your student's scores. We want to find the best fit for your child. If they really want to play the trumpet, but cannot create a decent buzz, it will be difficult to be successful on that instrument. If they really want to play the flute but cannot make a sound on the head joint, they would most likely not be successful on that instrument.

If my child plays the Piano or the Guitar, can they play that?

Unfortunatly, we do not offer piano or guitar in beginning band. There are opportunities to play those instruments in high school where they can join the Jazz Band.

https://www.bepartofthemusic.org/group/index.php?id=9343

More Instrument Testing Information

Important Considerations

We want to help match your child with an instrument that he/she will enjoy playing and will be successful playing. In order to do this, we consider many factors. We also encourage you to consider these factors so you can be an informed participant in this important process. Below is a partial list of considerations.

We want to consider your child’s interest in certain instruments after seeing, hearing, and reading about all the available instrument choices. We encourage each child to come to the interview with the idea of trying all of the instruments rather than having his/her heart set on just one.
Your child’s unique physical characteristics should be considered. Teeth, lips, jaw, facial muscles, fingers, hands, and coordination are often good indicators in helping us match children with particular instruments.
There are also NO gender specific instruments. Anyone can learn to play any instrument!
We want to avoid making decisions based on factors that do not have the child’s best interest in mind. For example, a family member’s experience with a certain instrument often has no bearing on a child’s unique abilities or interests. Many older family instruments end up requiring expensive reconditioning and still prove far more challenging for young players to play than one of the recommended models. We recommend models and brands of instruments, mouthpieces, and equipment that beginners are likely to have the most success on.

The EMS 6th Grade Band in a Nutshell:

Beginner Band meets as a regular class every day. It is graded as an academic class with written tests, playing tests, and homework.
NO musical background is necessary for playing in band. We teach the fundamentals of music, musical notation, and the techniques unique to the individual instruments.
There is NO conflict between sports and band scheduling. Most band students are concurrently involved in sports. (Your kids can do sports & band together)
Beginner band classes are set up in groups of like instruments.
For normal progress, a minimum of 15 minutes home practice is highly encouraged each day.
We perform at the Christmas Concert in December and perform at the Spring Concert in May. We also will go on a Spring Trip!

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