FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Instrumental Music (Band or Orchestra)

Who can be in Instrumental Music Class?

- Instrumental Music is open to any student in 4^th or 5^th grade. It is an elective class (meaning that participation is optional). Any 4^th or 5^th grader who wants to be in the class, and who can get an instrument, can be in the class.

What materials do you need to participate in Instrumental Music?

- Students will require an instrument to participate. A sheet music book may also be required. A music stand is also a very helpful thing to have.

How do I get an instrument?

- Instruments are available for rental or purchase from several local music stores. A LIMITED number of instruments are available for loan from the school. (Availability of school instruments is NOT guaranteed). School owned instruments are reserved first for families with financial need.

Should I rent or buy an instrument?

- We recommend that beginners rent an instrument for at least the first year of classes. Rentals give students and families more options at the end of the year. Most music stores offer “rent to own” programs, so rental can be a good practical and financial option.

Does the school provide instruments?

- The school owns a LIMITED number of instruments to loan to students. School owned instruments are reserved first for students who are unable to rent or buy instruments. Availability of school instruments is NOT guaranteed. Choice of which instrument you can play is also not guaranteed if you borrow a school instrument.

What is the difference between Band & Orchestra?

- There are two separate Instrumental Music groups at Woodmore Elementary School. “Band” is for students who play Woodwind, Brass & Percussion instruments, and “Orchestra” is for students who play String instruments. The two groups use different music and are taught a little bit differently to accommodate the different instruments, but otherwise, both classes work exactly the same way.

What instruments can students play in Band or Orchestra?

- Instruments in the “Band” include:

- Woodwinds (Flutes, Clarinets, Saxophones, and sometimes Oboe and Bassoon)

- Brass (Trumpets, Trombones, Baritone Horns/Euphoniums, Tubas, and sometimes French Horns)

- Percussion (Percussionists will focus on SEVERAL INSTRUMENTS, including mallet percussion (bells/xylophone), snare drum, and some auxiliary percussion instruments. We want our percussionists to be well rounded, not just focused on one instrument).

- Instruments in the Orchestra include:

- Orchestral Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass)

- (The following instruments are NOT AVAILABLE in our Instrumental Classes. They are NOT part of PGCPS Elementary Instrumental Music Curriculum):

(NO guitars, NO pianos, NO Recorders, NO Banjos, NO Bagpipes, NO Harmonicas, NO Accordions, NO Ukuleles, NO Kazoos. Sorry!! While these can all be cool instruments (maybe not the kazoo), they do not fit into our band and orchestra curriculum. If you want to play any of these you will have to learn them somewhere else).

Do I need to know how to play an instrument before I join band?

- No! Beginning Instrumental Music classes are for students who have no experience playing, we will teach you everything you need to know. Students who do know how to play will be placed in an advanced group.

Do I need to know how to read music?

- No, beginning instrumental music students will be taught to read music.

When do we meet for classes?

- Classes meet once or twice every week during the school day.

Do we meet after school?

- All classes meet during the school day, there are no after school classes. The group will have two concerts during the year which will be after school in the evening. Students are required to attend the after school concerts, but those are the only times we need students there after school.

Does Instrumental Music meet during lunch or recess?

- No. Lunch and recess are important for 4^th and 5^th graders, and classes are never scheduled during those times.

Is Instrumental Music a class?

- Instrumental Music is a class! It is an elective (optional) class, but Instrumental Music is a graded class that is supported by PGCPS curriculum.

Do you get a grade?

- Yes, because this is a curricular class, students will receive a grade (A-E) on their report card for their performance and participation in this class. Grading is explained more on our syllabus page.

Do I have to go to all the instrumental music classes?

- Yes! If you sign up for the class you are expected to attend ALL of the lessons! Missing lessons will slow down your progress learning your instrument and will slow down the rest of the class when we have to do review for absent students.

Do we have independent practice/homework for the class?

- Yes, students are expected to practice their instruments at home! This is their only homework for the class, but it is critically important. Students who do not practice at home will not progress as quickly (or at all) compared to those who do practice. This is not a just a class rule, it is a fundamental truth of being a musician, and there is nothing anyone can do to change it. (I'm not just saying this to be strict or anything, it really is just the way things are with learning music! If I knew a way to get good without practicing I would tell you, and I would do it myself!)

How do “pull out” classes work?

- Instrumental music in PGCPS Elementary Schools is done as a pull out class, meaning that classes meet during other scheduled classes. This does mean that students miss a little bit of instruction from other classes, however the instrumental music schedule is rotated every day so we do not have instrumental class at the same time, so the same class is not missed every time. Generally students only miss each other class about once a month or less.

How do other teachers handle classwork during the pull out instrumental class?

- As per PGCPS guidelines, other teacher in the building will allow students to go to instrumental classes during their lessons, but we still expect students to make up work they miss. Other teachers will allow students to make up work, but it is up to the student to take care of this. It is some added responsibility for the student, but most 4^th and 5^th graders are ready to handle this.

Will being in band hurt my other classes?

- I general the answer is NO. We take great pains to make sure that students do not miss the same class too often, and the amount of class missed is not very great. Scientific studies on the subject have shown that Instrumental Music actually helps most students do better in other classes. The small amount of time missed is usually more than made up for by the benefits of the class.

Which instrument should I play?

- The most important thing to think about is what instrument the student likes the best. Instrument choice is very personal, and studies have shown that students are almost always more successful on an instrument when they like the sound of it…Having said that, we need a well-balanced Band & Orchestra (we can’t have 48 flutes in a 50 person band!) so students should consider several instruments they might like in case their first choice is too popular. Please ask Mr. FitzGerald if you have any specific questions about this issue.

Which instrument is Hardest?

- All instruments are different, all have things that are easy and hard about them. None of the instruments are significantly harder or easier than the others. All instruments require hard work and dedication to master, but none are impossible. Having said that, some instruments can be more difficult to start on. Success rates are often low for students starting on Oboe, Bassoon, and French Horn, and it is not recommended that students start on these instruments. Students wishing to play these instruments should either switch to them after a year or two on another instrument or seek private lessons outside of school in addition to school instruction.

Which instrument is Easiest?

- None of them are easy! Certainly none are impossible to play, but none are easy. While a few instruments (see above) are more difficult to start on, none of our instruments are significantly easier than any others in the long run. If you want easy music I recommend buying a radio or downloading Spotify. :)

I have Asthma, can I still play a wind instrument?

- If you have Asthma you should consult your doctor about your specific case, but know that many people with Asthma are still able to play wind instruments without any problem. Playing a wind instrument can even be good therapy for people with Asthma, as it teaches controlled breathing techniques. Mr. FitzGerald suffers from Asthma and is still able to play the tuba. Please listen to your doctor if this is a concern for you, but Asthma is often not a serious problem for wind players.

Can I quit in the middle of the year?

- It is not recommended that students quit in the middle of the school year. It is possible in extreme cases, but students will lose much of the educational benefit of participating in the class if they quit early. This is a good opportunity to teach students to stick to a commitment, even if just for one school year.

How big are the classes?

- At Woodmore, we usually have between 60-90 students participating in instrumental music ever year, but most classes are much smaller. Typical class size for each lesson is between 5-15 students. We try to keep class sizes as low as possible (schedule permitting) to give students as much individual attention as possible. Sometimes several lessons groups will combine for larger rehearsals, but that is usually done close to concert times.

Will I have class with my friend(s)?

- That depends on a couple of things. Classes are grouped by instrument at the beginning of the year, (clarinets have a separate class from trombones for example), but those groups often change in the middle of the year to mixed groups. If you and your friend play a band instrument (woodwind, brass or percussion), odds are good that you will have class together at some point, maybe not the beginning of the year, but likely later in the year, and almost certainly in years to come. The same is true for strings, however band instruments and string (orchestra) instruments will almost never have class together, even though middle and high school. Bands and orchestras are usually friendly groups, and people often make new friends among other musicians, so if you do not have a friend in the band at first you probably will later!

How often is Mr. FitzGerald (the instrumental music teacher) at Woodmore?

- Mr. FitzGerald is a full time employee of Prince George's County Public Schools, but splits his time between Woodmore and Tulip Grove Elementary Schools, so he is not always at Woodmore during the school day. If you need to meet with Mr. FitzGerald, please email him to ask about his schedule. Generally, Mr. FitzGerald will be at Tulip Grove on Mondays & Thursdays all day, and on Wednesday afternoons, but this can change sometimes.

Is instrumental music worth doing?

- Only you can decide this for yourself, but you should know a few things. There are hundreds of thousands of people all over the world who play band and orchestra instruments. The Maryland/DC area alone has at least 5 professional orchestras, 6 professional concert bands, and dozens of amateur adult orchestras and bands. People pay money to hear these groups play! Prince George’s County has at least 4 adult amateur concert bands and an orchestra (Mr. FitzGerald plays in 3 of these groups). Hundreds of Colleges and Universities in the United States have music programs, often with hundreds of students each, participating in Marching Bands, Concert Bands, Jazz Bands and Orchestras. There are at least 20 high schools, 24 middle schools, and over 100 elementary school in Prince George's County alone that have instrumental music programs, and thousands of student choose to be in these groups. All those people think it’s worth doing…