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Music at Union School:
It's time to get the band back together! We are looking forward to getting started with our band program some time in the coming months.
Weekly Schedule:
Weekly Schedule:
Monday: Full Band
Thursday: Lesson Groups
-If the date is odd, we'll have clarinet lessons.
-If the date is even, we'll have trumpet lessons.
Band will take up the last 15 - 25 minutes of each music period on Mondays and Thursdays.
On Mondays, we will have full band, so everybody will need their trumpets and clarinets every Monday.
On Thursdays, we will have lesson groups. To make it easy, we will stick to an odd-or-even system. If we miss a week for any reason (snow, holidays, etc.), the schedule does not shift; we will always stick with the odd-or-even system.
If the date is odd, then we'll have clarinet lessons.
If the date is even, then we'll have trumpet lessons.
To Practice Or Not To Practice, That Is The Question:
To Practice Or Not To Practice, That Is The Question:
A note to parents/guardians about practicing:
Here are my expectations for practicing at home:
The instrument always comes back for the next class.
End of list!
Practicing can be very valuable - but it can also create and perpetuate bad habits, so I never require any amount of practicing.
Pressuring students into "time-based practicing" (requiring students to log a specific number of minutes per day or week) is usually counter-productive. Please refrain from any comments, positive or negative, about how long your child(ren) practice(s) for.
Instead, focus on asking our budding musicians what they heard, what they accomplished, or what they're going to try to change next time. These are based on how engaged our musicians are. Five minutes of active engagements beats a half-hour of mindless noodling any day!
Positive Reinforcement and Gratitude:
Positive Reinforcement and Gratitude:
We talk a lot about Gratitude here at Union School. Our definition of Gratitude is "Choosing to Find the Good." Gratitude is a choice, and action, and an attitude. One easy way for us to help our budding musicians is to be role models for this whenever we talk to them about band. By focusing on asking our musicians for specific good things about their practice sessions or their work in school, we will help them develop a positive outlook on their own musicianship.
Permission Form:
Permission Form:
Instrument Offerings & Borrowing From School:
Instrument Offerings & Borrowing From School:
I am going to be offering trumpet and clarinet as our two instrument choices.
Students already perform on bucket drums, Afro-Cuban drums, and boomwhackers in class. Students learning trumpet or clarinet in band will also have the opportunity to play percussion in band when opportunities arise, as a supplement to their trumpet or clarinet playing.
Families who don't own a trumpet or clarinet will be able to borrow an instrument. Between the school instruments, some recently donated instruments, and my personal inventory of spare instruments, I should have enough for every child. In addition, we are currently planning on providing excellent reeds for our clarinetists!
Why just trumpet and clarinet?
The most important skills that young musicians have to learn are reading music, connecting notes, and blending in a section. In a school of our size, the only way we can develop that critical skill of blending is to offer fewer instruments.
Trumpet and clarinet read the same notes and transpose in the same way. Both instruments are "Bb Instruments," meaning that when they play a Written C, we hear a Sounding Bb. (Flute, Bassoon, Trombone, Euphonium, and Tuba are C Instruments; Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Soprano/Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet/Cornet, and Baritone T.C. are Bb Instruments; French horn and English horn are F instruments; and Alto/Bari Saxophone are Eb Instruments.)
Trumpet and clarinet learn similar notes in the first few months of playing. This makes instruction more cohesive for everybody. When more musicians learn together, they learn faster. (Plus, I can teach beginning clarinet fingerings with my left hand and beginning trumpet fingerings with my right hand. Dual learning!)
Trumpet and clarinet are the easiest instruments to switch away from in high school. If you can play clarinet or trumpet, you can effectively switch to any band instrument. Switching back from "auxiliary instruments" (bass clarinet, tenor/bari saxophone, euphonium, etc.) is much harder than going the other way. Starting with just trumpet and clarinet gives our students the most opportunities moving forward.
Trumpet and clarinet are two of the three most competitive band instruments for college auditions. Should any of our students decide to pursue music in their future, giving them a leg up on the most competitive instruments will help them succeed.
In short, offering just trumpet and clarinet helps our students learn more efficiently and effectively, and gives them the most options as they move forward.
COVID-19: Bell Covers & Distancing, But No Masks
COVID-19: Bell Covers & Distancing, But No Masks
The best way to make music-making safer is to sit further apart. On Mondays, when we're in the gym for full band, we'll have plenty of room to spread everybody out. On Thursdays, when we're in the library for lesson groups (just trumpet or just clarinet), our smaller groups will allow us to stay safely distanced.
We will be providing bell covers for all students, even if they are using a family-owned instrument. These must be on the instrument correctly at all times when being played at school.
We will not be using any type of slitted playing mask. Students will continue to wear their mask over their mouth and nose, and will lower their mask when playing their instruments.
Any COVID-19 concerns? Please feel welcome to reach out.
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