Resources

READING MUSIC

Study & Practice reading music: http://www.musictheory.net/

BUYING AN INSTRUMENT

If you choose to purchase an instrument, please be sure it is a recommended brand name and "try it before you buy it"! If your student doesn't like the sound of the instrument, then they will not enjoy playing it and will eventually quit. On terms of instrument brands, there are many out there that are basically better used as wall decorations than actual performance. Also, a general rule of thumb - if the instrument is not a normal color (ex. blue, purple, red, pink, green, white, etc.) it is a waste of your money! Here is a list of some recommendations:

Orchestra (Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass): Franz Hoffmann, Knilling, Eastman, Hofner, Scott Cao, Stentor II, Conservatoire ***DO NOT buy a Cecilio Instrument EVER!!***

Woodwinds (Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Oboe): Yamaha, Selmer, Gemeinhardt (flute specifically), Buffet (clarinet specifically), Bundy (student model)

Brass (Trumpet, F Horn, Trombone, Baritone, Tuba): Blessing, Conn, Yamaha, Bundy, Bach, King

GOOD MUSIC STORES IN THE AREA

Newton Centre Music and Arts http://www.musicarts.com/locations/store.cfm?stId=8607

Johnson Strings- http://www.johnsonstring.com/

Rayburn Music (Boston)- http://www.rayburnmusic.com/

Strike Up The Band (Natick) 508-655-9223 http://strikeuptheband.com/

Music Go Round (Natick) www.musicgoroundboston.com

Please support these local music stores with your business! They support our program and the music programs of other schools in our area.

PLEASE get your instrument checked EVERY YEAR by a good repair shop. The end of the school year is a good time to do this. Keep your valuable instrument in tip-top shape and avoid major expenses.

How to clean a flute: http://www.ehow.com/how_4510_clean-flute.ht ml

How to care for your flute: http://www.banddirec tor.com/productguide/article_display.php?category_id=350&article_id=445

"The Clarinet Pages": http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/

Caring for your saxophone: http://www.saxontheweb.net/Learning/Maintenance.html

Playing and maintaining a snare drum: http://www.vicfirth.com/education/articles/wesselscare.html

How to clean a trumpet (do this once a month): http://www.markflegg.com/instruction/how-to-clean-your-trumpet/

Percussion Resource: https://www.rowloff.com/index.html

Societies for various instruments (check 'em out!)

International Trumpet Guild http://www.t rumpetguild.org/

National Flute Association http://www.nfaonline.org/

Violin Society of America http://www.vsa.to/

International Clarinet Association http://www.clarinet.org/

International Society of Bassists http://www.isbworldoffice.com/

Internet Cello Society http://www.cello.org/

International Saxophone Society http://www.saxophone.org/

International Tuba and Euphonium Soc iety http://www.iteaonline.org /

International Double Reed Society (oboe and bassoon) http://idrs.colorado.edu/

American Viola Society http://www.americanviolasociety.org /

International Trombone Association http://www.ita-web.org/

Percussive Arts Society (drums, etc.) http://www.pas.org/

Piano Society http://pianosociety.com/cms/index.php

Listening Recommendations

It is highly important for student musicians to listen to recordings of professional players. This is how they learn what their instrument is supposed to sound like with beautiful tone and technique. This is a recommended list of performers by instrument (you can find them on youtube):

Violin: Hilary Hahn, Itzhak Perlman, Jascha Heifetz, Rachel Barton Pine, David Garret, Joshua Bell

Viola: William Primrose, Kim Kashkashian (NOT Kardashian), Pinchas Zukerman, Nobuko Imai, Yuri Bashmet

Cello: YoYo Ma, Pablo Casals, Jacqueline du Pre, Julien Lloyd Webber

Bass: Edgar Meyer, Craig Butterfield, Gary Karr, Oscar Zimmerman

Flute: Sir James Galway, Geoffre Gilbert, Lori Bell, Julius Baker

Clarinet: Karl Leister, Dieter Klocker, Harold Wright, Sabine Meyer, Benny Goodman

Saxophone: Kenneth Tse, Otis Murphy, Timothy McAllister, John Coltrane

Trumpet: David Guierrier, Alison Balsom, Tine Helseth, Louis Armstrong, Wynton Marsalis

Trombone: Ian Bousfield, Denis Wick, Chris Houlding, Donal Knaub

Tuba/Baritone: Kenneth Amis, Bob Stewart, Herbie Flowers

Percussion: Chris Lamb, Patricia Dash, Evelyn Glennie, Tom Freer, James Ross