FAQ

What are the benefits of studying a Band instrument?

There is a tremendous amount of research showing the benefits of learning an instrument for its own sake, but also for the academic, cognitive, mental, physical/health, and emotional benefits it provides students – now and as they get older. You can read about some of those benefits here.

What are the main expectations of Band students?

Band students are expected to:

Practice at home roughly 5 days per week for roughly 15 minutes per day.
Attend their weekly lessons and weekly Band rehearsals.
Attend the spring concert and other announced performances.
Come prepared with their instrument, music, pencil, all required materials and equipment (i.e., reeds, valve oil, neck strap, etc.).
Have a growth/learning mindset, stay positive, ask questions, work for the good of the whole Band, and be persistent!

When do the lessons and Band rehearsals take place?

Students meet once per week for a 30-minute small-group lesson (with students who have chosen the same instrument). Roughly around February, students will also begin attending a 45-minute rehearsal with the full Band once per week. Small-group lessons and Band rehearsals occur during the school day. If you are concerned about your child missing time in their main classroom, we can assure you that Band students’ overall academic progress is typically improved, enhanced, and enriched by participation in Band!

Is there an opportunity to learn a string instrument?

Bonnie Harlow, a wonderful string teacher, runs a separate private string program that takes place after school. She offers lessons on the violin, viola, and cello for a fee. If your child is interested in one of these string instruments, you may contact her directly at (781) 254-8525 or Bcelliharlow@gmail.com to make arrangements for lessons with her. Please be advised that Bonnie’s string program is not part of our in-school Band program. It is a private lesson program that she offers after school and all communications regarding string lesson sign ups and cost must be coordinated with Bonnie directly.

Why does my child need to list their top two choices on the instrument sign-up form?

We make every effort to accommodate students' first choices, however other factors are also considered when finalizing all students' instrument assignments. By providing two instrument choices, we can help to ensure that lesson groups are equitable in size and that our Band program offers a balance of different instruments which is very important to any Band.

When selecting an instrument, it is helpful to consider the following:

Does the student have an intrinsic desire to play the instrument (not influenced simply by the choices of friends or older siblings)?
Does the student have prior experience on the instrument (or on a similar instrument)?
Does the student have certain physical features that will initially help them play the instrument, or maybe hinder their initial success on that instrument (i.e., hand/finger size, mouth/lip shape, etc.)?

I would rather purchase an instrument. Why should I consider renting instead?

There are many benefits of renting-to-own at the start of your child's instrumental music journey, rather than purchasing an instrument (especially a cheap, "off-brand" instrument online). You can read more about renting versus purchasing on our Rental/Purchase Info Page. If you still would like to purchase an instrument, please have your instrument approved by one of the Elementary Band teachers prior to purchasing to ensure that you are obtaining a quality instrument. You can also view a list of reputable instrument brands to consider on the Rental/Purchase page. If purchasing a used instrument, please have it serviced by a repair technician prior to your child's first lesson.

What if I already own an instrument?

We would recommend that you have the instrument serviced. Depending on the instrument and the length of time it has not been used, the instrument could need a fair amount of work. Goulet & Co. have reputable instrument repair technicians who would be happy to schedule an appointment:

Phone: 781-829-2282

Website: Goulet & Co.

Contact us for further questions?

Here is our music team. Feel free to reach out with any questions:

Mr. Andrew Loretz (Elementary Band Lead Teacher): aloretz@scit.org

Mr. Jim Thomas (Fine Arts Dept. Chair): jthomas@scit.org

Ms. Laura Counter: lcounter@scit.org

Mr. Greg Lessard: glessard@scit.org

Mr. Adam Gruschow : agruschow@scit.org

Mr. Cameron Samuel: csamuel@scit.org

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