Any student who wants to sing can join choir! They don't need any prior vocal training or any particular level of ability - our job in choir is to teach them how to use their voice well, and help them grow in their musical knowledge and singing capability. All they need is a desire to learn!
1. They learn to read music notation.
2. They learn a new form of communication and expression.
3. They can develop an appreciation of music that lasts throughout life.
4. They learn a team attitude (rather than a "by myself attitude") by working together toward common goals.
5. They can improve their self images by mastering a new skill.
6. They can form lasting friendships with other members as a part of our music "family."
7. They can improve their reading skills.
8. Research shows that the longer a student is a member of a music ensemble, the better grades they earn in other classes.
9. Choir, band, and orchestra help develop self-discipline and confidence.
10. Playing an instrument helps develop eye-hand coordination and finger dexterity.
11. Playing an instrument or singing helps students develop good posture and breathing habits.
12. Most importantly...making music is fun and rewarding!
Start by checking out the recommendation that was written on the yellow form they brought home from school. Things we usually look at with students include their teeth, lips, length of arms and fingers, their musical strengths, and of course, what instrument they WANT to play! This is where watching the instrument videos on this site can help. We can talk to you to help with a recommendation, but that is not absolute. Our hope is to find the instrument your child has the most natural ability to play, because that often results in the most successful experience. We encourage students to have an open mind - sometimes the instrument they were thinking of is not as good of a fit as another one might be. Whatever they end up playing, they will be part of a wonderful group by playing in band or orchestra!
All instruments have their own particular challenges, but certain instruments require a very good sense of pitch, a great sense of rhythm, the ability buzz on brass instruments, etc. We encourage you to think about these things and ask us questions as your student considers their instrument choice. Your child’s elementary music teacher would be another good person to talk to, since they are familiar with what your student has done in school music so far. As school starts, we will watch for any particular difficulties and work carefully with students to help make sure they’ve found the best instrumental “fit”.
To have the proper sound balance among the different instruments, the proper ratio of instruments is vital. We try very hard to create this balance, even in the first year. While keeping the physical characteristics of each student in mind, we try to fill quotas in all areas. As we all know, our football team can’t have all quarterbacks! The same is true in band and orchestra. Some instruments can be very popular, like saxophone, or percussion, or cello, but for everyone to have a great experience, we need to have team members covering all the positions. That’s why it’s a great idea to decide on both a first and a second choice instrument. Most of the time, all students get to play their first choice instrument, but once in a while, we might ask a student if they would be willing to play their second choice instrument so we can have better balance. This usually works out great!
The answer depends on many factors. First of all, can the child physically play the trumpet? Or if you own a flute, does their lip shape allow them to produce a good tone? Or do they like the way it feels to hold up the viola you have in the closet? These are the things we help families figure out when students start to learn an instrument. Another factor to consider: when an instrument has not been used for several years, the valves and slides can be frozen on brass instruments, the pads will often need to be replaced on woodwind instruments, and an orchestra instrument could have cracked wood or damaged strings. If the instrument you own ends up being the instrument your child selects, you will want to bring it to a local music shop to get it repaired and in good playing condition.
The vast majority of students will stick with the instrument they start with. But as we progress through the year, we will be on the lookout for any student who may be struggling. If we as directors, along with you as parents, determine that a different instrument may work better for your child than the one they initially select, we will work with you to help find an instrument that will be a better fit. But please know, EVERYONE can find SOME instrument that will work for them! If a student is willing to put in good effort in class and practice as we ask them to, they will find success!
In band, we also do some instrument switches later in the first year to fill out our instrumentation. This usually happens in March, around the beginning of third trimester. The instruments we add are oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, tenor sax, bari sax, French horn, and tuba. Students interested in oboe or bassoon usually start on flute or clarinet, while those interested in bass clarinet start on clarinet. Those interested in tenor or bari sax start on alto sax. Students who want to play French horn will start on trumpet, and those wanting to play tuba usually start on trombone or baritone, or sometimes on trumpet. Most of these “color” instruments are available to borrow inexpensively from the school. For oboe and bassoon, we require private lessons, and we will help you find a private teacher. For other instruments, lessons are not required, but are always encouraged! One-on-one lessons are a great way to supplement the large group instruction we provide. We can assist with finding private music instructors for all instruments.
~ Regular Practice: Learning an instrument is something that requires commitment. 10 to 20 minutes should be set aside for practice each day. This might mean giving up a little screen time! Obviously, the more students practice, the more successful they will become.
~ Evening Performances: In the first year, Band and Choir each have three evening performances - one in November, one in February, and one in May; Orchestra has 4 evening performances, one each in October, December, April, and May.
~ Financial Commitments (aside from getting an instrument): There are a few limited financial commitments associated with participation in orchestra or band, depending on your child’s instrument choice. Clarinets and saxophones must purchase reeds (usually a couple each month), which we sell for $2-3 apiece. Brass players will need to purchase oil and grease to keep their instrument working well. Percussionists will sometimes need new sticks or mallets. Orchestra students will occasionally need to purchase rosin or replacement strings. The cost of these items is not high, but they are important purchases. Most music stores provide the music book we use in class for free with the rental of an instrument, but if you do not rent, you’ll need to buy the book for about $10. We also have band and orchestra t-shirts for each student, which are $10. Private lessons are highly encouraged for music students at every level of the program, but are not required. PLEASE CONTACT THE DIRECTORS if finances will present an obstacle for your student being in band or orchestra! We have many ways we can help. Our goal is for ALL students to be able to participate, no matter what your family financial situation is!
Option 1. We recommend the Rental/Purchase Plan that is offered by local music stores. These stores have reps who visit our school weekly to save you from making trips to their store. They offer repair services which are free while you rent. You can select a new or like-new instrument, and all your payments go towards the purchase of the instrument. The first monthly payment will be due when signing up so that an instrument is reserved for your student. After that payments will begin in October. We will provide a list of preferred instrument brands and ask that you please stick to this list when renting.
Instrument(s) Monthly Payment (approx.)
Flute/ Trumpet/ Trombone/Percussion Kit/Plastic Clarinet $42.00
Open-Hole Flute/Wood Clarinet $59.00
Alto Sax/Euphonium (Baritone) $79.00
Violin $25.00
Viola $25.00
Cello $50.00
Bass $75.00
*Closed-hole flutes and plastic clarinets are available to rent for $42 a month if the $59 rental is not possible for your family at this time. Many students eventually upgrade to the higher quality open-hole flute or wooden clarinet.
*There are some band instruments, such as the oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, bari sax, French horn, baritone, and tuba, that can be provided by the school for a small $50 yearly fee. This is due to the higher cost of these particular instruments. Please contact us if finances may stand in the way of your child participating in band or orchestra. We have instruments that have been donated to us that are available for students to use, and may be able to come up with other options as well.
Option 2. You may purchase a new instrument outright. If you choose this route, PLEASE work with one of our local music stores. DO NOT shop online or go to a “Big Box” store - most instruments you find this way are off-brand instruments, which quickly break and are difficult or impossible to repair due to lack of replacement parts. Due to poor construction, they do not produce high quality sound and will make it harder for your child to learn to play. Good students can grow easily frustrated because of instrument failure. PLEASE stick to the list of preferred instrument brands that you will receive from the teachers. Contact the teachers if you have further questions - we want to help you avoid throwing your money away!
Option 3. You may purchase a used instrument or use an older family instrument, but please have a qualified repair person check it out to see that it is in good playing condition. It might be a great instrument, but if it’s not working correctly, your student will grow frustrated thinking they’re not a good player when it’s really not them!
Sports do NOT pose a conflict with choir, band or orchestra, and the overwhelming majority of our music students are involved in athletics! We want to see well-rounded individuals graduating from Lowell. Every effort is made to avoid conflicts with other school activities, although with the many options students have, we inevitably run into a few. We find that if a conflict arises, we are able to work it out quite easily with good communication. We have student musicians involved in every middle school and high school sport. Even varsity football players and cheerleaders can participate in band at the high school level if they choose! We find that many music students are also involved in other activities such as 4H, church groups, community theater, travel sports teams, and much more. They learn to budget their time well as a member of multiple groups.
Verbal encouragement is very important. Take time to listen to your child practice and encourage your child with positive statements as much as possible. The following things are easy to check and correct:
1. Make sure they have a desk type chair (with no arms) to promote good posture while playing or singing.
2. Make sure that they have a music stand. (Usually free with instrument rentals, or can be purchased inexpensively.)
3. Make sure that they hold their instrument properly and tap their foot as they play.
One of the worst things a parent can say to a young musician is, "I never sang in choir/played an instrument in school, so you are on your own". Even if you have not had musical training, the beginning book is very easy to understand. You may see helpful hints in the book that your child overlooked in their eagerness to begin playing. You can easily learn the basic concepts and help your student just by following the book.
Usually, if someone enters an activity with an "I'll just try it and see" attitude, they will want to quit the first time they encounter difficulty. Yes, there will be some challenging times. Playing an instrument or using your voice are skills that takes time to develop, and once in a while every student will probably feel that it is too hard, too frustrating, or too much work. If a student can get through this stage, they will usually become a music student for the long haul. This is why taking choir, band, or orchestra is a full year commitment. It will sometimes take a child the whole year to fully understand and feel comfortable with the concepts that we teach in sixth grade. Persevering through challenges is a great life lesson for our kids!
Orchestra, choir, and band classes happen every day as a part of your student’s regular class schedule. At LMS, students have four core classes (math, science, ELA, and social studies), and two exploratory classes each day. Their music class will be one of their exploratory classes, and will last the entire year. Our music students then have one hour where they will have a different exploratory class, which changes each trimester. This is great because it means they still have the opportunity to be placed in PE, art, computers, and many other choices. Exploratory classes other than music are assigned by the office. Feel free to talk to your child’s counselor at Smart Start if you have questions about other exploratory classes.
Each year we have a very small number of students who opt to take two music classes. This can be great for a student who really has a true passion for music, but it is difficult to do. Taking both band and orchestra involves renting or purchasing two instruments, and practicing both of them every day. It is a little easier if you choose choir along with either band or orchestra, but taking two music classes also means that the student gets no other non-music exploratory classes. For these reasons, we recommend that students pick either band, choir, or orchestra and stick with it. Please talk to the directors for more details if your student is thinking of taking two music classes.
In Lowell we have a very strong music program that is always improving. Our middle school and high school bands and orchestras receive superior ratings at festivals every year and are invited to play at conferences throughout our state. In January 2020, the Lowell 8th Grade Orchestra was featured at the Michigan Music Conference. The Red Arrow Marching Band is highly respected in our community and travels around the state to support our football team in the postseason. We are proud to have our groups travel and represent our school and community. Individual students who learn an instrument in our program also take part in state-wide, national, and international music camps and performances, as soloists and ensemble members. Our teachers are widely respected music educators who strive for excellence at all levels. They often judge for district and state level festivals, and work with students from other schools and programs as guest clinicians. Your student will find that being a part of an outstanding orchestra, band, or choir can be a very rewarding experience.
If you would like your child to be part of our music program, you need to let us know. Please fill out this LMS 6th Grade Music Registration Form so that we can plan for class scheduling and getting started this fall. You will have the opportunity to visit us at Smart Start at the middle school in August to adjust your selection if needed. If you have more questions please email Mrs. Bredwell at kbredwell@lowellschools.com, Mr. Oprea at joprea@lowellschools.com, or Mr. Masterson at nmasterson@lowellschools.com.