Lessons are scheduled during the day, so when your child comes to a band lesson at the SGC, they do not miss any other class. Check PowerSchool to make sure your child has band on their schedule. If not, contact the school office to give permission to make the change so that band is added to your child's schedule.

Drummers and bell/mallet players learn to play all percussion instruments at the SGC in percussion lessons and are taught using the "whole-percussionist" method. In other words, drummers will learn how to play the bell and mallet instruments, and bell and mallet players will learn how to play drums. The nature of the percussion family of musicians is that at any time, the conductor might ask a percussionist to play any percussion instrument (whether it's their specialty instrument or not).

At the SGC, percussionists are responsible for practicing bells one night then drums the next alternating back and forth each night. They will need to play their bell set AND snare drum for their SGC Band playing assessments that happen each marking period. 

Drummers and bell players will need a percussion kit for their at-home practice.  Some families have a drum kit or a bell kit containing only those instruments. This will need to be exchanged for a percussion kit or the other instrument will need to be obtained for at-home practice. Contact your rental store for help with this switch. At the SGC, we use the Essential Elements Percussion Book 1. 

For a successful start to the school year contact your music instrument rental store for information on how to get a 

1. percussion kit that includes both a bell set and a drum 

2. the Essential Elements Percussion Book 1

3. music stand for at-home practice

Visit our website's STORES AND SUPPLIES page to learn more about the percussion kit and lesson book.

• Performance at concerts is mandatory and a graded homework assignment.  Students are excused for emergencies, vacations, or sickness. 

  • Be sure to follow all band communication to plan for these two events. 

• The SGC Band performs at the SGC Winter Concert in December and Spring Concert in May.
  Please visit our  QCSD Music Department website CALENDAR page for concert dates, times and locations.

• Concert attire is the free, blue music program t-shirt your child received in elementary school, nice pants/skirt, and nice shoes.

  • If this is the first year your child is in band, complete our online, free t-shirt ordering form linked here by the due date.

All SGC Concert Band students receive numerical and letter grades each marking period instead of a 1, 2, 3, or 4 like in our elementary instrumental music program. Student SGC Band work is categorized as either Homework or Evidence.  

• CONCERT PERFORMANCE

Performance at the winter and spring concerts is mandatory and a graded homework assignment. 
Students are excused with a written parent note for emergencies, vacations, or sickness. Be sure to follow all band communication to plan for these two events. 

• HOMEWORK GRADE, which is 10% of the marking period average

Homework grades come from video recording assessments students make and submit on Canvas, our SGC learning management system. 

• Videos submitted on Canvas are visible only by the student, teacher and parent.

• Students can use the Canvas app on their mobile devices to submit their work. 

• If there is no Internet access at home, students can record the video offline on their Chromebook or device then use the school Internet access to upload their submission before the due date. 

• Students are encouraged to RE-record their performance assessment evidence recordings as many times as they feel they need to for the best performance (record unlimited times, and submit the very best once). 

• Student recordings are graded in Canvas with teacher feedback. 

• Canvas Band Class grades are synchronized with PowerSchool. 

• Students who do not turn in their assessments by the due date initially earn a zero grade for the missing work; however, they have until the final due date of the marking period to submit their missing performance assessment evidence recording. 

• Student performances are assessed on sound production, notes/terms/music symbols, rhythm, and posture/instrument grip. This rubric along with exemplary performance videos from past band students are available in every assignment for students to see.

• Students can submit their video assessments at any time during the marking period and are DISCOURAGED from procrastinating and waiting until the end of the marking period. 

• EVIDENCE GRADE, which is 90% of the marking period average. 

Evidence comes from the successful completion of learning modules and their respective module quizzes in Canvas. 

• Students study one unit per marking period.
    - Unit 1 (Marking Period 1): Music Basics (Dynamics, Articulations, Staff and Notes)
    - Unit 2 (Marking Period 2): Treble Clef Basics
    - Unit 3 (Marking Period 3): Bass Clef Basics
    - Unit 4 (Marking Period 4): Rhythm Basics 

• Each unit is divided up into 4-5 learning modules. Each learning module contains an
    - Overview page
    - Definition and Vocabulary page
    - Learn page where video and text instruction is shared.
    - Quizlet practice page where AFTER quiz questions and answers are used for fun, non-graded challenges.
    - GAME ON! page where AFTER quiz questions and answers are used for fun, non-graded interactive games.
    - AFTER quiz page which is graded using questions and answers from the Quizlet and Game On pages.

• "AFTER" quizzes are placed at the end of each module.  at the end of each module as well as "MASTER" quizzes at the end of each unit are counted as Evidence.
    - AFTER and MASTER quizzes are all set for unlimited redos.
    - Students are encouraged to retry the quizzes to earn better grades for their band class grade.
    - Students who do not turn in their AFTER and MASTER quizzes by the due date initially earn a zero grade for the missing work; however, they have until the final due list for the marking period to submit their missing AFTER or MASTER quiz in Canvas. 

• Students are given time during their lesson to work on their modules; however, if students need more time, the module needs to be completed outside of band class. 

• Students can use their Chromebook or the Canvas Student mobile app on a mobile device to take and retake the quizzes.

• All quizzes have the following supports available to ALL students
    - no time limit
    - pause and continue where you left off auto-save features enabled
    - unlimited attempts enabled
    - saves highest-earned grade enabled
    - text translation features enabled using Immersive Reader feature
    - text read-aloud feature enabled for all text, quiz questions, and quiz answer selections
    - Canvas grades auto-sync at midnight with PowerSchool each night so Canvas and PowerSchool grades match
    - early submission options mean that students can work ahead at their own pace to finish every module early to avoid procrastination or students can keep pace with the teacher's instruction during class.
    -  due date extensions with zero point deductions for late submissions.
    - an additional week of due date extension BEYOND the last marking period assignment's due date for ANY and ALL missing and/or redo work. 

"Must band students practice each day?"

Yes. This includes weekends. Every once in a while there will be times when your nights are just really busy and you will not have time to practice. That's OK! Just make up the time by practicing a little more the night before and after.  The time of day that practice happens can change if some days morning work better than evenings, but it is essential that musicians practice every day to succeed.

"Do I need to bring my instrument home each night?"

You need to have your instrument home each night for daily, at-home practice. It is important to practice at home what you learned/played through in band class during school so that you train your muscle memory and remember how the music should be played.

"How long must I practice?" 

Follow a 5-10-15 minute practice routine. Use a timer and the online resources like audio practice files in Canvas and your MakeMusicCloud account for more help. Families are asked to help their children find the time needed to practice their musical instrument. 

• 5 minutes = scales and arpeggios (and rudiments for snare drum)

• 10 minutes = lesson book exercises

• 15 minutes = music for the upcoming band concert

"Why do band students need to practice each day?"

Students practice each night to work on what they learned in lessons from their teacher. Practice not reinforces mentally/cognitively what the student learned from their teacher, but it also trains, develops and strengthens all of the muscle memory a musician needs to perform correctly. For example, a clarinet student needs to coordinate the following skills while they perform:

• lip formation and strength

• tongue movement to start and finish every note correctly

• diaphragmatic breathing for musical phrasing

• toe tapping for keeping the beat

• monitoring the metronome or conductor which guides the toe tapping

• left hand finger placement 

• right hand finger placement 

• coordination of left and right hand finger placement 

• music pitch reading fluency,

• rhythm reading fluency

• loud/soft reading fluency

At band rehearsals there are even more skills that are required for student musician success:

• self aural monitoring for playing accuracy

• section aural  monitoring for section intonation and staying together

• cross-band aural monitoring for playing together with another section sharing the same music 

• whole-band aural monitoring for staying together with the large group

When the student returns to the next lesson and demonstrates to their teacher that they learned the skill, the teacher can assign new skills that help the musician play even better. Without practice, students forget WHAT is taught and HOW it is to be played.  These students need to be re-taught and review the same lesson. This holds back not only the individual student, but also the other students in the lesson group who did practice and come prepared to learn new music skills to move forward during the lesson time. Their time is being taken up because the teacher now needs to work with the students who did not come prepared after practicing.

"How does practice help me in band?"

To do well at anything in life, everyone needs to practice. 

• Dancers need to dance in and out of the studio to stay flexible.

• Batters need to practice their swing for fast, curve, and slow pitches. 

• Quarterbacks need to practice their spirals and aim on their throws.

• Illustrators sketch regularly to draw shadows on their illustrations just the right way. 

• Programmers need to code regularly to stay on top of ever-changing needs of mobile apps.

• Race car drivers go to the track with their crew trying to shave even more time off of pit stops for the upcoming race.

• Wrestlers practice new moves on the mat with their teammates so they can use these moves automatically in the next match.

Band musicians are no different. Band students are expected to practice each and every night to improve on their music instrument. Without practicing what your band teacher teaches you in lessons, the skill goes undeveloped. Others will advance in their music instrument skills while you continue to review basic skills that are necessary to move forward. Students practice to improve because they want to learn how to play music instruments better tomorrow than they can today.

"Our family does not have a music background. As a parents, what can I do to help my band student?"

Parents/Guardians arguably, have the most challenging job of all: making sure that your child practices each night.  There are a lot of student musicians who do not need help to practice each night. They know what they need to work on, they find the time to work on it at home, and each night they complete their daily, at-home practicing having made it part of what they just naturally do each night.

Other students need more support. Parents/Guardians know their children the best. This is why it is up to the parent/guardian to find the way to help their child practice each night. 

• Some families "anchor" daily at-home practice time to an existing daily event such as "practicing always happens immediately after dinner" or " before your nighttime bath, it's time to practice."

• Some families with different activities at different times each night, created a schedule showing when practice time is on Monday night and how it changes on Tuesday night because of scouts, and then when it is time to practice on Wednesday because of a weekly after-school club, and so on.

Some families put all of the responsibility to practice on their child. If you see this approach works for your child, that is great. However, if they are consistently not practicing each night, or maybe they are skipping too many nights due to being busy, please step in and support your child's music education by helping them find success. Consider one of options listed above to help motivate your child to fulfil their responsibility. 

Being a member in the band is absolutely a team effort. Just like any team it is important for your child to practice and come prepared to learn new skills to be successful on their instrument and to help their teammates in performance. 

"My child practices, but they do not stay on task. As a parent, is there anything I can do to help?"

Many students need reminders to stay on-task while they practice. It is very common for a student to think they are practicing correctly but they might not be. Reminding your child to time themselves playing 30 minutes of "sound" or of "playing songs" on their instrument is important to helping them monitor their time-on-task. Here are some ways to help your child stay on task with their at-home practice.

• Remind them to practice first what their teacher assigned them to practice. Typically this is scales, arpeggios, (rudiments for drums), and lesson book exercises. As students approach concert season, this will also include concert music. 

• Students should use a timer to practice and stay vigilant.  Although some teachers will require different amounts of time, below is an example of daily practice expectations for band musicians. Timers will help students stay on task and change practice areas accordingly.

  • 5 minutes of scales+arpeggios (or rudiments for drums), 

  • 15 minutes of lesson book songs. 

  • 10 minutes of concert music

• Some families ask their child to teach to them what they are learning in band lessons. This not only helps the parent understand music instruction, it helps the student retrace their own learning steps when they teach what they know to someone else.

• Some families ask their child to perform for them after their practice is done. This "mini concert" approach helps the student prepare and set goals while also familiarizes the student with playing in front of an audience. 

• Some families find it useful for leveraging screen time.  "Before Nintendo Switch, you need to practice."

Whatever the situation is for your family, it is important that your child practices what and how their teacher taught them in lessons so that they can improve and move forward at the next lesson. 

The SGC band teacher can be contacted at any time during the school year. You can expect the fastest response by emailing him using the information found in the CONTACT page of this web site. Like much of the SGC communication, all band class communication occurs in Canvas. Parents with existing Canvas Observer Accounts are all set to go; your existing Canvas Observer account will do the trick!  Thank you for joining our online community! My communication will come to you according to your Canvas Notification preferences. 

Parents without a Canvas Observer account are encouraged to create their Canvas Observer Account with these directions here and adjust their Notifications to their personal preferences. Please refrain from using your own child’s Canvas account to access information. Student notification settings are adjusted for their needs as students. As parents, your settings might need to be different. Also, using your child’s Canvas account instead of your own logs your activity inside of Canvas making it appear to be the activity of your child. This can create false reports for teachers which can inadvertently make it appear as if you child is not doing what s/he is supposed to be doing in the system. Your Canvas Observer account provides you with:

• upcoming assignment due date notifications so you can follow-up with your child at home to complete them

• access to the full due dates calendar so you can see when upcoming marking period assessments are due

• full access to the Band Canvas Class content with resources for helping your child practice, contact information for area music stores, and more

• notifications when your child submits their performance assessment evidence recordings

• notifications when I leave text feedback on your child’s performance assessment evidence recordings

• notifications when I grade your child’s performance assessment evidence recordings according

• full access to the performance assessment evidence recording your child submitted so you can hear and see the quality, quantity and timeliness of your child’s efforts in band. 

• full access to the performance rubrics so you can see where any point deductions occurred as you play back your child’s recordings.

Very little communication beyond first-week papers and upcoming concert reminders are sent home in paper format. All SGC Concert Band information is communicated through Canvas. If you have never created an account, please use the following steps to create one linked here.

Many music instrument cases look the same. In a rush, your child might know what their instrument case looks like, but another student might not and grab-and-go mistakenly taken your child's materials. Taking proactive steps like putting your child's name on their materials help make their materials easily-recognized not only for your child but so others don't accidentally mistake your child's instrument for their own.

Look at the examples in the above picture and the descriptions below to help you.

1. Inside of case with masking tape and sharpie

2. On clarinet ligature 

3. On my trumpet mouthpiece in an area where my lips don’t touch

4. On my tuba mouthpiece in an area where my lips don’t touch

5. On my french horn mouthpiece in an area where my lips don’t touch

6. On my baritone horn/trombone mouthpiece in an area where my lips don’t touch

7. On my reed cap

8. On my saxophone drop cloth

9. On my reed protector

10. On my reed (farthest from the end that touches my lips)

11. On my drum sticks 

12. On my bell mallets

13. On my trombone slide water spray bottle

14. On my drum practice pad

15. On my flute cleaning rod

16. A distinct handkerchief tied around my flute case handle so nobody grabs my black flute case thinking it’s theirs.

17. On my flute cleaning cloth

“Can I be in Band AND Chorus at the SGC?”

Yes! Students can be a member of SGC Band and Chorus. In fact, singing in chorus is always recommended for any instrumental music student. 

"Can I be in Band AND Orchestra at the SGC?"

Absolutely!

"I'd like to learn trumpet and drums. Can I be in more than one band lesson in the same year?"

 At the SGC students can participate in only one band instrument lesson. 

“Can students start learning an instrument in sixth grade and be in the band, too?”

Yes! Students who have never played a band instrument in elementary school can start to learn to play an instrument at the SGC. The practice requirements are a bit more demanding because all SGC Concert Band members perform for a Winter and Spring Concert regardless of their experience, but it certainly is possible to do. Everyone willing to put forth the effort they personally need to learn a musical instrument will have a great time in the SGC Concert Band. Grading assessments are differentiated for first-year students in the SGC Concert band.  

Students need to provide their own band instrument, music stand,    Essential Elements Book 1   , and then provide their counselor with a note from their parents allowing them to sign up for band. There are special, beginner-level groups in the Sectional rotation schedule; however, beginners are always encouraged to take private lessons in the summer if they can before starting the school year to get a head start on learning their new instrument in the fall.

"Can I switch instruments?"

At the start of the school year, YES!

Once the school year starts, sorry, no. 

If you are switching instruments in between elementary school and sixth grade, be sure to sign up for lessons on the new instrument over the summer months so that your child is placed in a beginning band class. Without taking these steps your child might be placed in the wrong band section, and a change would mean a different schedule change made by administration. 

“Do students have to play in front of other students for performance tests?”

No. Students do not play their band playing tests in front of other students at the SGC. Band Class is a graded subject at the SGC. Students are graded on their performance of scales and music selections from the   Essential Elements Book 1   lesson book. Instead of playing in front of others, students use Canvas for all of their playing tests. Students have 3-weeks to submit every playing test. Students can record their playing tests at school with or without a friend’s help or at home with or without a family member’s help. The 3-week submission period allows students virtually unlimited DO-OVERs to get their performance just right. All SGC Students receive their own Chromebook to take home and use to access their school work and make their recordings. Recordings can even be made offline without home Internet access and then uploaded at school.

“Are there any pop-quizzes or tests in SGC Band?”

No. There are no surprise assessments. In fact, students will always have a minimum of 3-weeks (sometimes more) to submit all graded performances and homework in Canvas. All graded assessments are what many people would call “take-home tests” because Canvas allows students to complete their work anywhere at any time before its due date. In addition to the daily reminders in band class, reminders in the Canvas band class, and reminders on the band room whiteboard, and periodically, Canvas announcement reminders will be sent out to students and to families using Canvas Observer accounts in the Canvas Band class, too.

“Summer break is approaching, and I want to join SGC Band next school year. What needs to be done now?”

1. Make sure you have parent permission to sign up for SGC Band.

2. Make sure your counselor knows you want to sign up for SGC Band.

3. Be sure to practice over the summer so you can start strong in the fall.

4. Make sure you have the   Essential Elements Book 1   lesson book, a band instrument, and a music stand. You do not want to start the school year without the correct materials.

“I love PhysEd! Can I have PhysEd class if I sign up for SGC Band?”

Yes you can!

“What can I practice over the summer to get a head-start?”

• Scales are a great place to start for mallet, brass and woodwind instruments. Use the four scales in the back of the   Essential Elements Book 1    lesson book to help you.

• Rudiments are a great place to start for drums. In the SGC drummers perform 4 rudiments each marking period. Start with Flams, Flam-taps, paradiddles, multiple bounce rolls, drags, and 5-stroke rolls.

• If you want to audition for the SGC Jazz Band, you can start working on the Concert B-flat chromatic scale. SGC Jazz Drummers can practice basic rock and swing patterns with fills on the drum set for drum set auditions.

• Ask your teacher for a list of private teachers in the area to keep practicing over the summer.

“At this point I’m interested in joining band. How can I make up my mind?”

Take a look at this information below.

There’s still time. Take these directions home to your family today.

1. TODAY: Think about what instrument YOU want to learn how to play. Don’t play a musical instrument just because your friend wants you to. Play because YOU want to learn.

2. TONIGHT: Let your parents know you want to join the band. Ask them if they can help you find daily, at-home practice time in your schedule for at least (this means it could be more time each night especially if you’re a beginner) 20 minutes every day. Also talk with your family about if you will be renting a musical instrument or using your own.

3. NEXT SCHOOL DAY: Stop into the band room. Introduce yourself to Mr. Silvius and talk with him about what happens next. If you’re reading this over the summer, continue to the next step. 

4. NEXT STEPS FOR PARENTS:

   • Contact any music instrument rental store that you feel comfortable with such as Zeswitz music store to rent a musical instrument  OR have your own instrument prepared in working condition with cleaning supplies for your use, purchase a folding music stand, and purchase the  Essential Elements Book 1  lesson book.

   • Email Mr. Silvius tsilvius@qcsd.org giving permission for your child to join band.

   • Email your child’s SGC school counselor with permission to add band class into their SGC schedule.

     • Mrs. Lefevre = llefevre@qcsd.org

"What types of learning accommodations are available for my child with different learning needs?"

• Performance assessments.
  Although informal, formative assessments, peer assessments, and self assessments are shared throughout the marking period, all band students are graded on their instrument performance. 

  • Performance assessments can be played in person during lessons or recorded and submitted in Canvas. Students who play in person will not be given restarts and will be treated like any live performance. Students who submit a recording will be able to submit their best performance out of unlimited retakes. 

  • The only time in-person assessments are not permitted is for marking period 3 as all 3rd marking period performance assessment recordings are used for placement in the Strayer Band program.

  • Students have the entire marking period to submit or perform in person their performance assessments. 

  • Student must tell the teacher at the start of the lesson that they would like to perform in person so the teacher can save enough time during the lesson for the student performance to take place before the end of class.

  • If the due date is missed, students are given an additional bonus week of time at the end of the marking period beyond their last marking period assignment due date to turn in any late or missing performance assessments. 

  • There are no late points deducted for late performance assessment submissions. 

  • Students are encouraged to submit their work before the due date and take advantage of the flexible early-submission options available to them for their performance assessments. 

• Canvas quiz assessments.
  Canvas modules and the quiz assessments contained in those modules teach students about reading music notation. Students use the information in the Canvas learning modules to reinforce what they are learning on their instruments and vice versa. Not every teacher has their Canvas quizzes set up the same way. The following accommodations apply to quizzes in the Canvas Band Class.

  • Students can use the Immersive Reader function in Canvas to read the page text aloud to them. 

  • Students can use an additional read-aloud audio file at the end of each section of text to read sections of text to them if they need.

  • Students can use a read-aloud audio file embedded in each quiz question, correct answer, and distractor answer.

  • Students who miss a Canvas quiz due date are given a zero but can earn a higher grade by completing the missing work before the marking period final due date.

  • Students can follow the suggested pacing on the Canvas get started page, or they can work ahead to submit their work in advance.

  • Canvas Band Class quizzes are set for mastery grading allowing students to retake any Canvas Band Class quiz to earn a higher grade. 

  • Only the highest grade earned will be saved in Canvas; quiz attempt grades are not averaged together.

  • There are no late points deducted for late assignment quiz submissions. 

  • ELL students can use the global Canvas language selection to display Canvas in the language of their choice. 

  • ELL students can use the Immersive Reader function in Canvas to translate read the text aloud to them in the language of their choice. 

Todd Silvius. I've been teaching since 1998 both in school districts and private lessons. My previous districts include teaching 

• general music at Moravian Academy Lower School

• grades 6-8 general music and instrumental music at Northwestern Lehigh School District, 

• grades K-5 general music and instrumental music at Southern Lehigh School District

• high school marching band assistant director at Easton Area School District

My undergraduate degree is in music education at Moravian College as a trumpet player and was also college music department piano accompanist. My Masters of Science in Education is in Classroom Technology, and I've taken post-graduate courses in both music education and technology to learn more about both of these worlds. Since 2003 I've been the organist and choir director for St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Applebachsville out in Haycock Township, Quakertown, PA. When I'm not teaching or playing music I'm either loving life being a husband and daddy secretly planning our next family trip to Disney World. My wife, Lisa, and I live in Bethlehem Township and love spending time together with our daughter, Andie, and two sons, Zane and Leo. 

In order to participate in the SGC band students must provide 

• a music instrument
  Drummers and Bell players will learn each others instruments using a Percussionists Kit. 

• Essential Elements for Band Book 1 lesson book

• folding music stand

• cleaning and maintenance supplies

Switching band instruments after the school year begins is not permitted unless it is a recommendation by the band teacher (such as switching from clarinet to bass clarinet OR flute to piccolo flute, etc). If a student no longer wishes to continue playing their current instrument 

If your child is making a change to their band participation next school year either by changing their band instrument, adding an additional band instrument, or ending their participation in the band altogether, this information is designed to help you understand what options are available to you depending on different circumstances. If you ever have any questions about this information, please contact your child's band teacher before the summer break begins for help. 

Adding a Second Instrument Next School Year

If your child is continuing on their current instrument and is adding a second musical instrument next year in a Beginning Band class, take a look over the options below.

Musical Instrument

• If you are borrowing a QCSD-owned instrument: (baritone horns, french horns, tubas, etc.)
  Check with your band teacher to make arrangements to use a QCSD-owned musical instrument for next school year.  

• If you are renting an instrument:
  Contact a music store on the STORES and SUPPLIES page at qcsd.org/music to make arrangements to rent this instrument.

• If you are using a family-owned instrument:
  Bring in your family-owned instrument for your child’s band teacher to look at a play-test to make sure it is in playable condition for next year.

Lesson Book

• Contact a music store on the STORES and SUPPLIES page at qcsd.org/music to find the correct lessons book needed for your child for next school year. 

Music Stand

• Your child will not need an additional music stand even though they are learning a second instrument. Please purchase a folding music stand for your child if they lost their stand or if one was never purchased for them. 

Changing Instruments

If your child is stopping lessons on their current band instrument and switching to a new musical instrument in the band (or orchestra), follow these directions below.

Musical Instrument

• If you are borrowing a QCSD-owned instrument: (baritone horns, french horns, tubas, etc.)
  Check with your band teacher if you are borrowing a QCSD-owned instrument to make arrangements for next school year. 

• If you are renting an instrument:
  Contact a music store on the STORES and SUPPLIES page at qcsd.org/music to make arrangements to rent this new instrument. Before you terminate the contract on your child’s first instrument, ask the music store if they are able to transfer existing funds accrued towards your child's first musical instrument ownership to the new music instrument. This is not a policy that every store does, but families who currently rent from Zeswitz music store should ask about this money-saving transfer benefit. 

• If you are using a family-owned instrument:
  Bring in your family-owned instrument for your child’s band teacher to look at a play-test to make sure it is in playable condition for next year.

Lesson Book

• Contact a music store on the STORES and SUPPLIES page at qcsd.org/music to find the correct lessons book needed for your child for next school year. 

Music Stand

• Your child will not need a new music. Their current music stand will work just fine. Please purchase a folding music stand for your child if they lost their stand or if one was never purchased for them. 

Leaving the Band Program

If your child is no longer continuing to participate in the band program at QCSD, please use the information to help you with this process.

Musical Instrument

• If you are borrowing a QCSD-owned instrument: (baritone horns, french horns, tubas, etc.)
  Return this instrument to your band teacher after the spring concert or any additional in-class performance needs pass before the summer break begins so it can be cleaned and prepared for another student’s use next school year. 

• If you are renting an instrument:
  Contact the music store and notify them that you wish to end the renting contract and ask them about the best way for you return the music instrument to the store to avoid additional charges. 

• If you are using a family-owned instrument:
  There are times when families no longer have a need for their family-owned instrument. If your family no longer has a need for your child’s family-owned musical instrument kindly consider donating the musical instrument to the music program. Many times students do not qualify for a music instrument scholarship and yet an additional instrument rental charge would indeed be a hardship. QCSD music teachers can help more usage out of your family-owned instrument by making it a QCSD-owned instrument to loan out to students in need in future years. Thank you for considering this donation.

Lesson Book

• If you no longer had a need for your child’s band lesson book, kindly consider donating it to the music program by bringing it in to your child’s band teacher. Many times, there are students who cannot afford a lesson book or they simply need to borrow one for a short term. Your child’s lesson book would be put to good use if you no longer have use for it. Thank you for considering this donation. 

Music Stand

• If you no longer had a need for your child’s band lesson book, kindly consider donating it to the music program by bringing it in to your child’s band teacher. Many times, there are students who cannot afford a lesson book or they simply need to borrow one for a short term. Your child’s lesson book would be put to good use if you no longer have use for it. Thank you for considering this donation.