Mrs. Muller

Grades 5 and 6 Band

Amuller@rhnet.org

Hi, I'm Mrs. Muller

l am very excited to be teaching Grades 5 and 6 Band this year. This is my 26th year of teaching. Because of Covid, the large before-school ensembles will not be able to meet. I will be teaching lessons virtually, and I think this will be a great opportunity to collaborate with students and hone their skills. When the pandemic restrictions are lifted, we will look forward to playing as a large group again! Meanwhile, we are going to try to put a piece together using a computer program!

I feel lucky to be able to do this! I will be creating a lesson schedule for all band members to follow. Every child will be scheduled for one lesson per week on a day when he/she is learning at home.

These are my children: Gillian, Buster and Tigger (from Left to Right!)

How Do I Sign Up?

All students who are doing blended learning this year and who were in the Vollmer band program last year have automatically been enrolled for Band again. I will create a lesson schedule for all band members to follow.

If you would like to join band for the first time, please contact me at:

Amuller@rhnet.org

If you are a Remote Only student, I will be happy to give you lessons! Please email me!!

When Do Lessons Begin?

All lessons begin the week of 10/5/2020.

Please click on "Lesson Groups" (below) to find a student's name. The bold print above the student's name shows the Lesson Group's name and color.

Then, click on the document "Mrs. Muller's Lesson Schedule for Semester 1, 2020" (to the right) to match the Lesson Group name and color. This will tell you what day and time the lesson is.

Lesson Groups

Mrs. Muller's Lesson Schedule for Semester 1, 2020 Group Names

Both of these stores have people who make deliveries to Vollmer once a week. We can also give them instrument repairs. Need a lesson book, instrument, reeds, etc.? Is your child at Vollmer twice a week? Feel free to call a store, pay over the phone, and have the items delivered to me! I will take it to your child on a day he/she is at Vollmer.

What Music Stores ARE USED ?

Music & Arts Atlas MUSIC

Located in Pittsford Plaza 1764 Empire Blvd.

https://stores.musicarts.com/pittsford https://atlasmusic.net

585-586-2766 585-671-2020

What SUPPLIES ARE NEEDED With THE INSTRUMENT?

SUPPLY LIST FOR BAND STUDENTS

Items for Flutes: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for Flute; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) A small bandana or man’s cotton handkerchief for cleaning the inside of the flute (not a polishing cloth); (4) If your child is playing an "open-hole" or "French" style flute, please be sure that the small circular holes in the middle of 5 of the keys are plugged by “flute corks” or plastic “flute plugs”.

Items for Oboes: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for Oboe; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) Cork grease; (4) At least 2 Lesher Medium Soft reeds (or a comparable brand). Your child should always keep 2 working reeds in the oboe case. Chipped or cracked reeds should be thrown out and replaced immediately.

Items for Clarinets: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for Clarinet; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) Cork grease; (4) At least 4 “Rico 2 1/2 strength” clarinet reeds. A box of 10 reeds (Rico 2.5 strength) is even better! Your child should always keep 3 working reeds in the clarinet case. Chipped or cracked reeds should be thrown out and replaced immediately.

Items for Alto Saxophones: (1)Breeze Easy Method 1 for Saxophone; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) Cork grease; (4) At least 4 “Rico 2 1/2 strength” alto saxophone reeds. A box of 10 reeds (Rico 2.5 strength) is even better! Your child should always keep 3 working reeds in the saxophone case. Chipped or cracked reeds should be thrown out and replaced immediately.

Items for Trumpets: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for Trumpet; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) A bottle of valve oil; (4) A trumpet mouthpiece cleaning brush.

Items for French Horns: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for French Horn; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) A French Horn mouthpiece cleaning brush.

Items for Trombones: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for Trombone; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) A low brass mouthpiece cleaning brush; (4) A small, empty spray bottle often found in the cosmetics section of any drugstore. This should be filled with water and remain at home to spray the slide when it becomes sluggish.

Items for Baritones: (1)Breeze Easy Method 1 for Trombone. There is no separate baritone book, and the trombone version works beautifully. (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) A bottle of valve oil; (4) A low brass mouthpiece cleaning brush.

Items for Tubas: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for BB Tuba; (2) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts); (3) A bottle of valve oil; (4) A low brass mouthpiece cleaning brush.

Items for Percussion: (1) Breeze Easy Method 1 for Drums; (2) Simple Steps to Keyboard Percussion by Anthony Cirone; (3) A wire music stand (for home practice and the District Festival concerts).

HOW DO I TAKE CARE OF MY INSTRUMENT?

I've listed below, the way you should treat your instrument after you have played it to keep your instrument in good condition. Please contact your teacher if there is a problem with your instrument. Never use home tools!

Flute - swab instrument out to remove moisture each time you play.
- A common problem for flutes is the joints not working easily. Just wipe off the joints with a moist rag/cloth. This will remove the build up that is causing the joints to not fit easily. Do NOT put on vaseline, cork grease or any other product to make the parts work better. This is only a temporary fix and will eventually create worse build up that will be harder to remove.

Clarinet and Oboe - swab instrument out to remove moisture each time you play. Keep cork joints greased - dry cork will eventually tear when you put the parts together or will cause the instrument parts to stick together. Be careful to not bend the bridge key when you take your instrument apart.

Saxophone - swab instrument out to remove moisture each time you play. Keep the neck cork greased - dry cork will eventually tear when you put the parts together. Be careful to not bend the octave key (on the neck of the sax) when you take your instrument apart. Keep your mouthpiece clean by washing it with a Q-tip or mouthpiece brush under a stream of water. You can use gentle dish detergent on the mouthpiece, too!

Trumpet, Baritone, Tuba - Oil valves as needed. Do NOT oil valves too often - it attracts dust to the valves which will make the valves harder to move. Keep your mouthpiece clean by washing the narrow neck with a Q-tip or mouthpiece brush under a stream of water. You can use dish detergent on the mouthpiece, too!

Trombone - Always keep a spray bottle with water to spray your slide. Keep your mouthpiece clean by washing the narrow neck with a Q-tip or mouthpiece brush under a stream of water. You can use dish detergent on the mouthpiece, too!
Bell Kits (Percussion) - Always be careful of the keys on the bells (called "ties") to keep the screws from loosening up and the frame from breaking. Hold the bells by the plastic or wooden frame and not by the silver ties.

Frequently Asked Questions/Answers

When are lessons? Small group lessons are once a week on the same day, for 30 minutes. Mrs. Muller’s lessons start on October 5, 2020. A lesson schedule will be on this Vollmer Music Webpage by October 2. I will also post it in my Google Classroom Pages and ClassDojo.

What do I do if I need to Rent an Instrument Outside of School? See my information on Music Stores and my Supply List above.

What do I do if I need Supplies like a lesson book and reeds? See my information on Music Stores and my Supply List above.

What is expected in Band?

Set a reminder/alarm on your chromebook to attend your lesson!

Be prepared! Have your instrument already assembled, your lesson book with you, and anything else you need for your lesson in the room with you.

Stay in contact with Mrs. Muller! If you miss a lesson, contact Mrs. Muller THAT DAY to get your assignment, or schedule a make-up if possible. I do keep track of attendance.

Commitment! Plan to play your instrument for the whole school year. Practice your instrument often.

How do I reach Mrs. Muller? The best way for a student to reach me is through email amuller@rhnet.org and your parent/guardian may message me through ClassDojo. Parents may also email me. I use Google Meet or Emails to contact students. I use ClassDojo, Email, or SchoolTool to contact parents/guardians.

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