FAQ

"How much money does it cost for instruments/materials in Band?"

A:  Not as much as you would think!  Most students will do an instrument rental through Music & Arts where you will pay a monthly fee to rent the instrument.  You can cancel the rental at any time and eventually if you continue to rent you will have paid off the instrument and you will officially own it!  This happens about 2.5 years into renting.  A monthly rental fee costs between $27-$42 depending on the instrument.

DISCLAIMER:  I would highly recommend to NOT PURCHASE an instrument when your child first starts out.  They may end up not continuing in band after a semester or two and I do not want you to have wasted your money!  Rent first and then if you are sure this is the elective for your child you can think about purchasing an instrument!

"What instruments are available for my child to play in Band?"

A:  There are 3 different categories of instruments in the Band world.  Below are those 3 categories plus the instruments that a Beginning Band student could start learning music on.

1. Woodwinds - Flute, Clarinet, Alto Sax

2. Brass - Trumpet, Trombone

3. Percussion - Snare Drum, Mallet Instruments (Xylophone), Auxiliary Percussion (Triangle, Tambourine, etc.).  Percussionists must learn ALL of the Percussion instruments.  Depending on the number of students who are wanting to play Percussion, students may have to learn a Brass or Woodwind instrument FIRST and then can have the opportunity to audition to switch to Percussion at the end of Quarter 1.  This information will be confirmed the first week of school.

Some more complex instruments can be switched to once the basic concepts of playing an instrument and reading music are learned on one of the above instruments.  The other instruments that could possibly be switched to after the first semester are: Oboe, Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, French Horn, Euphonium, and Tuba.

"Can my child do sports, clubs, and/or other extracurricular activities and still be in Band?"

A:  Absolutely!  The only time that students will be expected at school after school hours for Band is when we have concerts.  Those concerts are set well in advanced so you will have PLENTY of time to plan around them. I make sure that my Band students can be involved in as many things as their heart desires!

"Does my child need to know anything about how to read music or play an instrument to start band?"

A:  None at all!  99% of the students that join Band in 6th grade have no prior knowledge or training on how to read music or play an instrument.  I will teach them everything that they need to know!

"When are the Band Concerts?"

A:  They can be found on the Band Website under the "Calendar" tab.  The concert dates are also listed on the school calendar.  All Band Concerts will be at 6:30 pm unless otherwise posted.

"What is the attire for students at the Band Concerts?"

A:  We go for "concert black," meaning students will need:

-a nice black button up/blouse/sweater 

-black dress pants, or black skirt or dress 

-black shoes.

This ensures uniformity among band members and allows everyone to feel like they belong! 

"My child's instrument is broken; where do I take it to get it fixed?"

A:  The first thing you should do is let your child come show me what the problem is.  If it is a small issue there is a good chance that I can fix it myself and then you won't have to spend any money on repairs.  If it is beyond my ability to fix then I will send you in the direction of Music & Arts.  You can bring your instrument to their store in Winston-Salem. Their address is: 949 Hanes Mall Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 Another great place to take your instrument is Shannock's Pawn in King. Their address is: King Shopping Center, 607J S Main St, King, NC 27021 

"My child uses reeds for their instrument (Clarinet/Saxophone).  What type should I get?"

A:  Vandoren or Rico Royal reeds are what I recommend.  Both are very reliable with Vandoren being the better of the two, but also being slightly more expensive.  A box of 10 Vandoren reeds costs somewhere around $30.  A reed, if taken care of properly, should last 2-3 weeks so a box of 10 should last you a couple months.  As for thickness of reeds I suggest 2.5.  I would not recommend going above 2.5 unless I told your child to do so.

"Does my child need their instrument every day?"

A:  YES! We will be using instruments every single day we have band. There are very rare circumstances where they will not need instruments (I am sick, we are doing an activity, etc.) Students are expected to bring their instrument home as well to practice their music at home!