Band Programs

Background

Thanks to Prof. Newell who volunteers as our band conductor, Harvey Green PTA is proud of re-instating our band program in Fall 2022-23, after it was shut down due to COVID-19 in March 2020. In fact, Harvey Green is the very first elementary school in FUSD to resume the band after the pandemic. We are happy to announce that Prof. Newell will come back to host the beginner & intermediate band in 2023-24, starting in mid September through the end of May.

Overview

• Intermediate Wind Ensemble, Tuesdays at 2:50-4:15pm. Totally 34 sessions. Announcement Flyer. Auditions Required!

• Beginner Band, Thursdays at 2:50-4:15pm. Totally 33 sessions. Announcement Flyer. No auditions required.

• Duration: Both programs runs from mid-September through the end of May. Winter & Spring Concerts will be scheduled. 

• Location: Harvey Green Multi-use Room

• FREE to join. Donations are collected to cover basic equipment, supplies, music, gifts, snacks at the concerts, etc.

Conductor

• Prof. Beth Newell, as a retired professor in Psychology & a volunteer at PTA. prof_newell@yahoo.com 

Who can join? 

• Students: Open to 4th~6th Graders. *Older students would be Green alumni. 

• No experience or auditions required for the Beginner Band. 

• Auditions required for joining the Wind Ensemble.

• We welcome band players in 8th Grade & above to come volunteer, and we can sign Service Hour Forms if needed.

How do I sign up?

• Scan the QR code on the flyers above, or follow registration links in the corresponding sections below

What to prepare before the first session?

• Instruments

  • Students must rent or own their own instruments. Check the section of "Band Instruments" below for more info on rentals.

  • If you have financial difficulties, please contact harveygreenpta@gmail.com to discuss the options.

• Textbooks

  • Beginner Band: Standard of Excellence #1 (Red). Make sure it matches the instrument you chose.

  • Intermediate Wind Ensemble: Standard of Excellence #2 (Blue). We will hand out additional concert music sheets.

• Music Stands

  • Students must have their own stands to practice at home. Music stands will be provided at school rehearsals.

Band Rules

• All students are expected to practice at least 15 minutes per day at home.

• Please arrive on time and help with setup & cleanup benches & instruments.

• Please be respectful to our conductor, coordinators & volunteers.

• Please do NOT leave any trash or personal belongings behind.

• Please be kind to your friends and help each other grow.

• Please make sure to keep your instrument clean & polished. Put it away into the case when it is not in use. 

Setup/Cleanup/Supervisions

• Students & parent volunteers will set up the room and clean up afterwards.

• The band program is sponsored by the PTA and would require two parents to be in attendance plus 1 staff member. Mr. Junichi Kakutani, our Librarian, has agreed to do this.

Beginning Band

• Thursdays at 2:50-4:15pm. Totally 33 sessions. Announcement Flyer. No auditions required.

• Register online by Sep 15th for both new & old students

• First organizational meeting on Sep 21th at 2:50-4:00pm inside the MUR. Parents are welcome to join. More info on this Flyer.

  • If you are new, you don't need to bring your instruments to this meeting. 

  • If you were in last year's beginner band & plan to continue in the beginner band, please bring your instruments. 

  • Prof. Newell will discuss the expectations of the band. PTA will run a basic training on how to setup & cleanup.

• First Rehearsal on Sep 28th. Everyone must bring instruments & textbooks to this session.

• Textbook: Standard of Excellence #1 (Red). Make sure it matches the instrument you chose.

• Google Classroom: We have set up Google classrooms to make it easier for Prof. Newell to send out assignments and music sheets. You may join by yourself if you prefer, or ask your kids to join. Not sure if students' FUSD account would work here, so we suggest using a personal account. Harvey Green Beginning Band:  4v3pqtm 

• Donations: PTA suggests each family to make a $20 donation in cash or check (payable to Harvey Green PTA). Your donations will be used to cover basic expenses of our music programs for the entire school year, such as piano tuning, instrument maintenance (we have big drums!), supplies, music, gifts to our instructors & supporting staff given at the concerts, snacks after the concerts, etc. Please try to bring your donations on 9/21.  

• Volunteering: Each family in this band is expected to volunteer on Thursdays three times in this school year. Sign up online here.

• Photos/Videos

• Checklist (Page 1)

Intermediate Wind Ensemble

• Tuesdays at 2:50-4:00pm. Totally 34 sessions. Announcement Flyer. Auditions Required!

• Register online by Sep 8th for both new & old students. 

• Auditions Required! Choose Tue, Sep 12th or Thu, Sep 14th at 2:50-4:00pm. More info on this Flyer.

• New students or New Instruments? You must join the audition & choose a date on the Google Form.

• Previous Wind Ensemble members playing the same instruments do NOT need auditions, but must submit the Google Form.

• How: Students should demonstrate enough proficiency in playing “Sawmill Creek” (Red Book) while following the conductor. 

• First rehearsal on Sep 19th.Everyone must bring instruments & textbooks to this session.

• Textbook: Standard of Excellence #2 (Blue). We will hand out additional concert music sheets.

• Google Classroom: We have set up Google classrooms to make it easier for Prof. Newell to send out assignments and music sheets. You may join by yourself if you prefer, or ask your kids to join. Not sure if students' FUSD account would work here, so we suggest using a personal account. Harvey Green Wind Ensemble:  5kwieqp  

• Donations: PTA suggests each family to make a $20 donation in cash or check (payable to Harvey Green PTA). Your donations will be used to cover basic expenses of our music programs for the entire school year, such as piano tuning, instrument maintenance (we have big drums!), supplies, music, gifts to our instructors & supporting staff given at the concerts, snacks after the concerts, etc. Please try to bring your donations on 9/19. 

• Volunteering: Each family in this band is expected to volunteer on Tuesdays four times in this school year. Sign up online here.

• Photos/Videos

• Checklist (Page 2)

Band Instruments

• Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, French Horn, Percussion.

• *Notes for Percussion: You must have your own snare drum + bell to practice at home. There are several other items in the storage room to use during our rehearsals, including bass drum, timpani, triangle, wood blocks, etc. 

• The above list includes the common instruments in elementary school bands. You will get exposed to other instruments if you continue to play in middle/high schools, such as Oboe, Bassoon, Euphonium, etc.

Instrument Selection References

• Instrument selection should be an informed decision based on your child's preference, budget, competition levels, resources & opportunities, while it is fine to start with a three-month rental to see how it goes.

• Feel free to check out a set of introductions on band instruments with Pros/Cons put together by Tri City Band Corps (TBC). Some students may switch to a different instrument in middle/high schools based on teachers' recommendations.  

• Sorry we cannot take other instruments. Guitars might get the opportunity to join the Jazz Band in middle/high school. Violins will be able to join the Horner Middle School Band in 7th grade, and the Irvington High School Orchestra later.

Where do I get my instruments?

• Please first RENT your instrument from a local music store. After a few months of renting, the store will give you options of continuing with renting or buying a student grade instrument, new or used.

• DO NOT purchase an instrument online such as from Amazon. There are a lot of scams and low-quality instruments sold online. Most beginning instruments cost between $1000-$1500; so if it's less than that, there is probably something wrong. 

• Local Music Stores in Fremont:

  • C&L Music: 1610 Washington Blvd, (510)252-9768. Please make sure to mention "Harvey Green Band" in order for our PTA to receive rewards donation. See the flyer here. 

  • Allegro Music: 3115 Walnut Ave, (510)793-3500.

  • There are also instrument stores in Pleasanton or South Bay if you couldn't find one.

To be updated. It is up to the PTA & the Principal to decide the date & time, whether it is during the day (two assemblies for students only) or in the evening (one session for families & friends).

• 2023 Winter Concerts (TBD). 

• 2024 Spring Concerts (TBD)

• 2023-24: 

  • Spring Concerts (TBD)

  • 12/19/2023: Winter Concerts - featuring both bands

  • Beginning Band Misc Photos

  • Intermediate Band Misc Photos

• 2022-23: 

  • Beginning Band Misc Photos

  • Intermediate Band Misc Photos

  • Winter Concerts: Videos and photos ~ Intermediate only

  • Spring Concerts: Photos & Videos - Beginner & Intermediate

• Tuner: We suggest you install a free Tuner App on your phone for tuning the instrument at home. 

• Mute: If you find your kids' instrument too loud to practice at home, we suggest you consider getting a MUTE for your instrument (available in music stores or Amazon)

• Radio Channel: We highly recommend that you tune into FM 104.9 KDFC Classical Music Channel while driving so your children will get the immersion. 

• Check out Tri-City Band Corps (TBC) Recorded Video Lessons that cover the same band instrument curriculum in the Red Book and beyond. 

• If your schedule allows, we recommend that you sign up for TBC school year programs & summer programs in order to get more practice and guided rehearsals. More info here.

A personal testimonial from a band parent:

My daughter started beginner band last year in the clarinet section. The first month was very challenging and I won't be lying if I say that she had a couple of meltdowns that made her nearly give up on the band. Yet, she persevered and fell in love with her instrument. She did the Tri-City Band Corps camp in the summer and is now a part of the Wind Ensemble this academic year.

She loves band and Professor Newell! She adores playing the clarinet and helping Professor on a couple of days a month with the beginner band. She talks about clarinet all the time! We have miles to go as she navigates the upcoming school years but right now, she is doing exactly what she loves.

If there are any beginner band parents here whose kids are having a slightly hard time with their instrument, please know that it gets better as they get better!