Frequently Asked Questions

Rent or purchase an instrument from one of these stores.

No. All music will be provided by Dr. Wolfe.

Bannockburn: Advanced Band and Advanced Orchestra starts Wednesday, September 13.
Beginner Band and Beginner Orchestra starts Wednesday, September 27.

Burning Tree: Advanced Band and Advanced Orchestra starts Thursday, September 14.
Beginner Band and Beginner Orchestra starts Thursday, September 28.

Oakland Terrace: Advanced Band and Advanced Orchestra starts Friday, September 15.
Beginner Band and Beginner Orchestra starts Friday, September 29 and Monday, October 2.

Wood Acres: Advanced Band and Advanced Orchestra starts Tuesday, September 19.
Beginner Band and Beginner Orchestra starts Monday, October 2 and Tuesday, October 3.

Yes, all Instrumental Music students will receive grades (A, B, C, or D).

Grading Rubric

A - The student consistently demonstrates mastery of the grade-level standards taught this marking period.

B - The student frequently demonstrates mastery of the grade-level standards taught this marking period.

C - The student periodically demonstrates mastery of the grade-level standards taught this marking period.

D - The student rarely demonstrates mastery of the grade-level standards taught this marking period.

Here’s a simple example:

We learn the song Hot Cross Buns in class. The students’ assignment is to practice Hot Cross Buns. They should be able to clap and count the rhythm, sing / speak the letters, and play it on their instrument. 

In next week’s class, a student receiving an A grade would be able to do all of those things consistently. It will likely be pretty easy for them because they have practiced all of those things throughout the week. If they make a rare mistake, they are able to identify it and fix it on their own with little to no help from the teacher.

A student receiving a B grade would show evidence that they have practiced the song and they frequently are able to perform it correctly. They may need some assistance from the teacher here and there to identify and correct an issue or two with their performance. They are able to make those adjustments fairly quickly and apply them to their performance.

A student receiving a C grade would likely show that they have retained much of the knowledge from the previous class, but their performance is inconsistent and needs regular assistance from the teacher. This student either did not practice enough or did not practice effectively and they were not well prepared for class.

A student receiving a D grade would likely show that they have not retained the information from the previous class. They either did not practice or did not practice effectively and they need to be retaught the material by the teacher. They would likely perform incorrectly more than they perform correctly and they may not be aware that they are performing incorrectly at all or they may not know how to fix the issues.

Yes, but the student may be required to study with a private lesson teacher to at least get caught up with the rest of the class.

Yes, a student may withdraw from Instrumental Music at any time. To withdraw your student, please email Dr. Wolfe.

Percussionists may leave their snare drum at school to help reduce the weight of their case.  They can use their practice pad at home to practice their snare drum music. They will need to bring the glockenspiel and the instrument stands to and from school every week.

All other instruments must take their instrument to and from school on the day of their Instrumental Music class unless they have a second instrument at home with which they can practice.

If a student is leaving their instrument at school, make sure it is clearly labeled with their name, grade, and homeroom teacher name.

Yes, they are still expected to participate that day.

No, students are expected to bring their instrument to school each week. Sending students to make phone calls during the day disrupts learning and unreasonably burdens the front office.

No, the music stand is for the student to use at home for practice. If you already have a good quality music stand at home, then no need to purchase another one. Stay away from cheap folding metal music stands - they are terrible!

I would highly recommend shopping around the various local music stores. Some stores offer rental instruments for as low as $25 per month, others charge a little over $100 to rent for the school year. If you absolutely can't afford any of these options, please email Dr. Wolfe to see if we can get a school-owned instrument for you to borrow.  This instrument would need to be returned to the school at the end of the school-year. You would also need to sign a contract that you would pay to repair or replace the instrument if it was damaged while your student was borrowing it. The instrument that your student would receive would depend on the instruments available at the school. Your student may not get their first-choice instrument, but at least they would be able to participate.