If your questions is not answered below or you would like more information, please contact Mr. Stetson at rstetson@pdsd.org and he will be happy to help!
Q: What if I cannot afford to rent or purchase an instrument?
Contact Mr. Stetson at rstetson@pdsd.org, and he will find your student an instrument. Monetary concerns will not be a barrier to participating in band.
Q: What if my student wants to switch instruments?
Students switching instruments will be determined on a case to case basis by Mr. Stetson. Students who switch instruments at the end of the first year will be placed back in the B Band as they will need to learn an entirely new instrument. Knowledge does not transfer from one instrument to the next, students who switch will have to start completely over. I generally discourage switching instruments but there are times when it is appropriate or necessary.
Q: My student is involved in numerous after school activities such as sports, dance, or karate. Do they have time to participate in band?
Yes, they absolutely have time to participate in band! Band mostly happens during the school day. We do have morning band rehearsals once a week at 8am but those typically do not interfere with other activities. There are only 3 performances outside of the school day for the A Band and 1 performance outside of the school day for the B Band. It really does not take up a lot of time outside the normal school day.
Q: What does my student need to have to participate in band?
Students who play a wind instrument will need to have their chosen instrument and the Essential Elements for Band Book 1 for their corresponding instrument. Drummers will need to have a pair of sticks, a stick bag, a drum pad, and the Alfred's Drum Method Book 1. Bell players will need to have a bell set, a pair of mallets, a stick bag, and the Essential Elements for Band Book 1 Percussion/Keyboard Percussion. More information on each instrument and direct links to these products can be found under the "Instruments" tab at the top of the page.
Q: What to do if my student's instrument is broken?
Don't Panic! Broken instruments happen all the time. These are elementary school students and stuff happens. The first step is to notify Mr. Stetson and he will examine the extent of the damage and see if he can fix it himself. If not, then it may need to go to the shop for repairs. If you took advantage of Music and Arts rent to own program then you likely also purchased the repair package. They will take care of the repairs or completely replace the instrument for free. If you did not go through Music and Arts, you could take the instrument to a local music shop or I can have our Music and Arts representative take it to their shop.
Q: What do students need to wear for concerts?
For the Spring Concert and the Blue Rocks Game, students should wear their Penn-Delco Music T-Shirts. (We do a Penn-Delco music apparel sale every winter)
For the Winter Concert (A Band Only) there is no specific dress requirements, but we would like students to dress decently. (No Jeans or Sweats) An example for boys would be a polo shirt or button down and khakis. An example for girls would be a dress, or nice pants and a blouse.