Elementary Band Registration
How to Register for 5th Grade Band
Please print and return the form below. The deadlines have been extended, but band begins the week of September 9th; so please submit registration as soon as possible so your student can start on time.
If your student is attending CUMBERLAND ELEMENTARY, you can download the registration form here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18gZkdGR632qZVwYlJPxYOo2dpbrXsSwFrrGaMeLs2AU/edit?usp=sharing
If your student is attending RICHARDS ELEMENTARY, you can download the registration form here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ikgSPZv_ffGT9DpD0KVQLBpyVlOSM1FYk3Gxd9nk7Ok/edit?usp=sharing
How to Rent an Instrument
Instruments should be rented through a reputable music store. You can visit stores in person if you have questions, or you are welcome to rent online through these provided links. You are also 100% welcome to rent through any music store not listed, as this is just a listing of the vendors who visit Whitefish Bay schools weekly. Due to counterfeit and poor quality instruments floating around the internet, I will not recommend or endorse any websites for vendors that are not primarily for musical instruments.
Brass Bell Music (Glendale): https://www.brassbellmusic.com/aeRntSchoolSelect.aspxÂ
White House of Music (multiple locations): https://www.whmintune.com/ajaxrental/leasetolearn.aspx
Music & Arts (Muskego):
If your student attends Cumberland, please use this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9w8E6kQkFEOY1VzQV9NZFRHVmU0WmIzRGtfRVZxUHVWaXdz/view?usp=sharing
If your student attends Richards, please use this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9w8E6kQkFEOOU43aGRYeF9wSVRlZWl4cjlFRjZnMG1wWUxB/view?usp=sharing
Cascio Interstate Music (New Berlin): https://www.interstatemusic.com/Rentals.aspx
Note: Cascio does not typically come out to Whitefish Bay High School but can upon request. They don't offer online rentals, so you would need to rent in person. However, they are one of the largest music stores in the greater Milwaukee area and are very well staffed with knowledgeable employees and have a strong reputation.
If the biggest obstacle to participating in band is financial, please reach out to your band director directly. Whitefish Bay elementary schools have a limited number of school instruments available for use in cases of financial hardship. We don't have every instrument in stock, but we will get you playing music if you want to be a part of the band!
Required Supplies
All students will need their own copy of "Essential Elements for Band, Vol. 1" for their particular instrument. This is the workbook that we use for lessons and some performances.
All students will need a portable, folding music stand. Percussionists will need to purchase one as well. These are used for home practice as well as some performances.
All students except percussion should consider a care kit, which has the necessary supplies to clean and maintain the instrument. Many of these kits will include necessary greases and oils, but you may want to double check with your music store to be sure.
Any student playing a reed instrument (clarinet, saxophone, oboe) will need to have at least two reeds in good condition at all times. They will break -especially as we get used to handling them at the beginning- so it may be wise to stock up a bit. Clarinets and saxes should use either Vandoren or Rico Royal brand reeds, size 3. Oboes should use Lesher brand reeds, size medium soft. All reed instruments should also have cork grease.
All valved brass instruments (trumpet, French horn, baritone) should have a bottle of valve oil. My recommended brand is Al Cass valve oil.
Trombones should avoid slide oil. I recommend slide cream such as Superslick and a slide sprayer (tiny spritzing water bottle). If you get Yamaha slide lubricant, that is also fine.
Percussionists should rent a bells kit that comes with a set of bells, a practice pad, a pair of mallets, and a pair of sticks. You don't have to rent a kit that comes with a full-sized snare drum unless you want to. If you do, the drum can stay at home for practice and the pad/bells will be sufficient for lessons at school. This will also make it more lightweight for your student.
Class Schedule
Band lessons will take place once per week during Multidisciplinary Period. If your 5th grader is in orchestra, we will make sure that your student's schedule is adjusted so band and orchestra don't overlap of conflict. These groups will be large and contain all students on similar instruments. As the year progresses and the students become more capable, band lessons will be supplemented with additional full band rehearsals. Here is an outline of how the year looks (subject to change based on instrumentation enrollment):
First Quarter: Lesson groups, part 1. First public performance is mid-November.
Flute/Oboe Day
Clarinet/Saxophone Day
High Brass Day (Trumpets and French horns)
Low Brass Day (Trombones and Baritones/Tuba)
Percussion Day (mallet percussion)
Second Quarter: Lesson groups, part 2.
Flute/Oboe Day
Clarinet/Saxophone Day
High Brass Day (Trumpets and French horns)
Low Brass Day (Trombones and Baritones/Tuba)
Percussion Day (mallet and drum percussion)
Third Quarter: Sectional lesson groups, plus full band rehearsals begin. Note: Full Band may be offered once or twice a week, depending on enrollment. Last year, Cumberland was too large to fit in one space, so the students were split into two equal bands that met Monday or Friday. Richards' band fit in one room, so they had rehearsal both Monday and Friday each week. Second public performance is late February/early March.
Monday Full Band
Woodwind Day
Brass Day
Percussion Day
Friday Full Band
Fourth Quarter: Sectional lesson groups, full band rehearsals. Final public performance is BandORama, mid-May, held in the high school field house and combines all bands from grades 5-12 in one massive concert!
Important Rules, Procedures, and Tips for Band
First rule: BAND IS FUN! There's nothing else like it, where you're all starters on the same team! We get to play all sorts of music, from classical to rock to movie music! The next several points in this list are kind of dry, so I want to make sure that I reinforce the biggest point right away :)
5th Grade Band is a graded class, not an extracurricular activity. Band receives its own grade on the report card.
Once a student is registered for the class, they are making a year-long commitment. Learning an instrument takes patience and determination. When the initial novelty wears off, students may become frustrated or bored. THIS IS NORMAL AND EXPECTED, I PROMISE! I also promise that it gets really good when they push through this temporary phase! These are the moments that allow the long-term achievement by the end of the year to be so rewarding! Make sure that you and your student understand that they cannot quit band mid-year. Any exceptions will require a meeting with the building principal.
BAND IS FUN! These are our first steps, but when you get to middle school, you get to expand and play in jazz bands, play for seniors in retirement homes, play at the high school Homecoming game on the track with the big kids, occasionally dress up in costume for concerts...
Instrument switches may be recommended by the band teacher if there are physical limitations that are insurmountable. This will not take place until after the first concert in November. Some kids take longer to develop the ability to play the instrument well (brass players have to develop lip muscles through practicing, for example), and so it's important we give adequate time. However, some difficulties such as finger/hand size or arm length can severely impede a student's ability to play. In that case, the student/teacher/guardian should communicate about the best way to proceed with a switch.
Students need to make home practice a habit. The earlier, the better. Aim for a minimum of three practices per week, and limit these sessions to 10-20 minutes at first. Expand to 30+ minutes only after several weeks of playing. Most students will get tired at the beginning pretty quickly.
BAND IS FUN! When you get to high school, you get to play at Fiserv Forum at a Milwaukee Bucks basketball game, you get to play in pep band for assemblies and high school sporting events, you can travel (last year was Orlando, FL at Disney World, this upcoming year will be Los Angeles to play in Hollywood!)
Concerts are required as a part of the grade. When you receive your calendar for the year, please mark concerts on your family calendars and avoid conflicts as soon as possible. There are only three concerts in 5th grade, and they're a showcase for what we've been spending months working on together.
Braces. If your student plays a woodwind or brass instrument, braces will make things a challenge. Mr. Gard had braces a year ago, so he knows from experience the challenges that come with them. The good news is, there are a number of products out there designed to help young musicians play with braces. This should not stop you from learning a band instrument!
Lesson attendance is important. Since we only meet once a week, a missed lesson is equal to losing an entire week of instruction. If students accidentally forget their instrument at home on lesson day, they still need to attend their band lesson so they can listen and watch.
Last rule: BAND IS FUN! Students who join band and stay in band have significant advantages when choosing colleges because their transcript shows a student who understands dedication, leadership, service, sacrifice, patience, and long-term success. Those habits are HUGE indicators to post-secondary institutions that the student is going to be an asset to their program. Also, student musicians on average score significantly higher than non-musicians on standardized tests, which is another path to success past high school. And, musicians tend to have improved mental health due to inherent stress relief that comes with playing an instrument as well as being an important part of a community.