Beginning Band

Welcome to Band!

My child has signed up for band, now what?

Congratulations! This is a start of an exciting journey for your young musician! Much consideration has been put into their assignment, with their desires, natural ability and the necessity of a balanced instrumentation taken into account. Our goal is to place your child onto an instrument on which they can find success and enjoyment. We will ensure your child is guided toward success in whatever instrument they choose! Please contact Ms. Howard if you have any questions or concerns about any of the information in this letter!

One of the best things you can do to set your child up for success in band class is to provide them with a quality, fully functioning instrument. An instrument of poor quality is similar to trying to play basketball with a flat ball. It won’t matter how good they are or how hard they work if their instrument is working against them. It can be very frustrating and lead them to become discouraged or quit. If you want to purchase an instrument, but you are unsure of the brand, please email Ms. Howard.

Flute

Trusted Brands: Yamaha, Bundy, Gemeinhardt, Jupiter, Armstrong

Cleaning Supplies: Cleaning Road, Cleaning Cloth

Oboe

Oboes typically cost around $4,000. Because of this, Woodmont offers oboes to be rented through the school. A rental form can be found here.

Supplies: Reeds, Reed Case, Cork Grease, Cleaning Swab

Some links to quality reeds and cases are listed below.

Clarinet

Trusted Brands: Vito, Buffet, Yamaha, Selmer, Jupiter

Supplies: Cleaning Swab, Cork Grease. Rico and Vandoren Reeds are trusted brands. Students should start on Strength 2.5 reeds. Students should also purchase a reed case to ensure these reeds last a while.

Saxophone

Trusted Brands: Yamaha, Conn-Selmer, Vito, Jupiter

Supplies:  Rico Reed Guard, Cleaning Swab, Cork Grease. Rico and Vandoren Reeds are trusted brands. Students should start on Strength 2.5 reeds. Students should also purchase a reed case to ensure these reeds last a while.

Trumpet

Trusted Brands: Bach, Yamaha, Conn-Selmer, Jupiter, Getzen, King

Supplies: A cleaning kit for the trumpet can be found here.

Recommended Mouthpiece: Bach 5C

Horn

A new horn typically costs around $5,000-$8,000. Because of this, these instruments are owned by the school and are rented for a yearly fee that will cover maintenance and basic wear and tear on the instrument. In order to rent a horn, the rental form can be found here.

Supplies: A cleaning kit for horn can be found here.

Recommended Mouthpiece: Holton Farkas MDC

Trombone

Trusted Brands: Yamaha, Bach, Conn, Selmer, Jupiter, Getzen, King

Supplies: A cleaning kit for trombone can be found here.

Recommended Mouthpiece: Bach 6 1/2 AL (Small Shank)

Euphonium

A new baritone can cost $3,000-$5,000. Because of this, these instruments are owned by the school and are rented for a yearly fee that will cover maintenance and basic wear and tear on the instrument. In order to rent a baritone, the rental form can be found here.

Supplies: A cleaning kit for baritone can be found here.

Recommended Mouthpiece: Bach 6 1/2 AL (Small Shank)

Tuba

A new tuba can cost $5,000-$6,000. Because of this, these instruments are owned by the school and are rented for a yearly fee that will cover maintenance and basic wear and tear on the instrument. In order to rent a tuba, the rental form can be found here.

Supplies: A cleaning kit for tuba can be found here.

Recommended Mouthpiece: Bach 18

Percussion

Percussionists learn several instruments and will need multiple mallets in order to play all of them. Students will use school owned instruments every day in class.

Trusted Brands: Vic Firth, Pearl, Yamaha, Ludwig, Mapex, Tama, Innovative Percussion, Promark, Liberty One

Supplies: A stick bag that includes every mallet and stick they need can be found here.

Stick Bag

Practice Pad

Vic Firth SD1 General (Snare Sticks)

Yamaha ME102 (Hard Xylophone Mallets)

Vic Firth M3 (Yarn Marimba Mallets)

Local Music Store to Purchase from:

Musical Innovations

  Woody's Music

Music & Arts

Pecknel Music

Roper Music

What does a normal year of beginning band look like?

At the beginning of the school year, students will learn many of the basic fundamentals that come with playing an instrument (music theory, history, instrument information, etc.) Students learn to identify notes on the treble and bass clef staff, how to write and count basic rhythms, demonstrate proper playing posture and breathing techniques, as well as understanding the band room expectations and procedures.

In addition to this, students receive an overview of the instruments in band that they can start on (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, baritone, tuba, percussion) and are tested to determine which one is the best fit for them. This process ensures each child will be set up for success on the instrument they are assigned.

Once students have tried each instrument, they fill out a form with their preference of choice. Every effort is made to pair each student with an instrument they both prefer and on which they tested well. Many times this aligns as it is a more enjoyable experience when producing a sound comes naturally to the student. The following instruments are prohibitively expensive and are owned by the school: oboe, bassoon, horn, baritone, tuba. Students who are assigned to these rent their instrument through the school at the cost of $100 for the year. Additional instruments are available for student rental from Woodmont Middle School.

Approximately one to two weeks after instruments have been assigned and all students have obtained their instrument, instruction begins on how to assemble, care for and play. This time is integral to their success as we set up the absolute best habits and beginning sounds. After initial sounds, hand positions and playing positions have been established, we work our way through our method book and eventually move toward more independent playing. The year culminates in a performance for parents in which students perform full band pieces. The progress students make in just one year is amazing!