6TH GRADE BEGINNING BAND FAQs

How Do You Sign Up For Band?

♪  You sign up for Band class by choosing Band as your 1st or 2nd choice elective on your choice sheet for next year. 

♪  The Band Directors will try each student on different instruments to see which works best for them. Everyone is different and so everyone is good at different instruments.  The best way to do that is to attend our Instrument Selection Nights on Feb 17th OR Feb 19th at JWE between 5:30pm-7:30pm. This is a come and go event where you are not expected to stay 2 hours, but students will be tested as they come in on a first come first serve basis. If you are unable to attend one of the above dates, you may still sign up for Band! You’ll just make an appointment to come test out instruments at a later date. 

♪  We have a limited number of “spots” for each instrument, those attending one of our Selection nights have a higher chance of being assigned their 1st choice instrument. 

What if I don’t play an instrument?

No Problem! The band directors will teach you everything you need to know from the very beginning. There is no requirement to know anything about music before joining Band. Over 95% of our Beginning Band students have no prior experience in music. 

Band Class In Your Schedule

♪  Band class is 50 minutes, every day during the school day, all year long.

♪  Band is not an after-school activity.  Band does not conflict with after-school athletics however, practicing outside of class is required. 

♪  Yes, you can be in both band and choir! 

♪   We strongly encourage students who are interested in learning an instrument to start Band in 6th grade. While many other electives can be added later in 7th or 8th grade, Band builds skills progressively, and it becomes much more challenging to join for the first time after 6th grade.

What Do We Do In Band?

♪  Learn how to read music and how to play a musical instrument.

♪  Perform together in public concerts, and compete at music festivals.

♪  Be part of an award-winning program with our school’s most successful students!

Band Concerts

♪  We perform 2-3 public concerts each year, usually at the Wimberley HS auditorium or the DJH Gym.

♪  Our concerts are required for all band students and are major grades.

♪  Dates will be announced prior to the first day of school so parents can plan accordingly. 

Beginning Band does not have required after school practices that they must attend, aside from 2 or 3 after school rehearsals right before the winter concert and spring concert. 

Where Do You Get Your Band Instrument?

Depending on the instrument your child is assigned, they may rent-to-own, purchase their own instrument, or use a school-owned instrument for a $75 annual fee.

WISD does NOT provide flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, trombones, or percussion instruments (percussion students must have a practice marimba at home). Students assigned one of these instruments must obtain their own. We recommend Strait Music, Music & Arts, or High School Music Service.

WISD DOES provide French horn, euphonium (baritone), and tuba. Students assigned one of these instruments should not purchase their own and should plan to pay the $75 school-owned instrument fee for the year.

What else does my student need for Band?

♪  They need a high-quality instrument to play. 

♪  They need to make sure they practice (study) their instrument every week at home. 

♪  Each instrument requires its own unique set of supplies. A supply list will be shared once your student knows what instrument they are playing. The supply lists are to set your child up for success for years to come, so please do your best to get them everything on the list. 

♪  Each student needs their parents to read my emails and Sportsyou posts so you know what we are doing in Band. The sportsyou code will be shared with parents and students at the start of the year. 

PREGUNTAS FRECUENTES – BANDA PRINCIPIANTE DE 6º GRADO

¿Cómo se inscribe en Banda?

♪ Se inscribe en la clase de Banda eligiendo Banda como su 1ª o 2ª opción de materia optativa en la hoja de selección para el próximo año.
♪ Los directores de Banda probarán a cada estudiante en diferentes instrumentos para ver cuál funciona mejor para ellos. Todos son diferentes y cada persona tiene habilidades para distintos instrumentos. La mejor manera de hacerlo es asistir a nuestras Noches de Selección de Instrumentos el 17 DE FEBRERO O el 19 DE FEBRERO en Jacob's Well Elementary de 5:30 pm a 7:30 pm. Este es un evento de llegada y salida flexible; no se espera que se queden las 2 horas completas. Los estudiantes serán evaluados conforme lleguen, por orden de llegada. Si no puede asistir en esas fechas, ¡aún puede inscribirse en Banda! Solo tendrá que hacer una cita para probar instrumentos en otra fecha.
♪ Tenemos un número limitado de “lugares” para cada instrumento. Quienes asistan a una de las Noches de Selección tienen mayor probabilidad de recibir su instrumento de primera opción.

¿Qué pasa si no toco un instrumento?

¡No hay problema! Los directores de Banda enseñarán todo desde el principio. No se requiere ningún conocimiento musical previo para unirse a Banda. Más del 95% de nuestros estudiantes de Banda Principiante no tienen experiencia musical previa.

La clase de Banda en tu horario

♪ La clase de Banda dura 50 minutos, todos los días durante el horario escolar, todo el año.
♪ Banda no es una actividad extracurricular. No entra en conflicto con deportes después de clases; sin embargo, sí se requiere practicar fuera del horario de clase.
♪ ¡Sí, puedes estar en Banda y Coro al mismo tiempo!
♪ Recomendamos firmemente que los estudiantes interesados en aprender un instrumento comiencen en 6º grado. Muchas otras optativas pueden iniciarse en 7º u 8º grado, pero Banda desarrolla habilidades de manera progresiva y es mucho más difícil comenzar por primera vez después de 6º grado.

¿Qué hacemos en Banda?

♪ Aprender a leer música y a tocar un instrumento musical.
♪ Presentarnos juntos en conciertos públicos y participar en festivales de música.
♪ ¡Ser parte de un programa galardonado con algunos de los estudiantes más exitosos de la escuela!

Conciertos de Banda

♪ Realizamos de 2 a 3 conciertos públicos cada año, generalmente en el auditorio de Wimberley High School o en el gimnasio de Danforth Junior High Gym.
♪ Nuestros conciertos son obligatorios para todos los estudiantes de banda y cuentan como calificaciones importantes.
♪ Las fechas se anunciarán antes del primer día de clases para que los padres puedan planificar con tiempo.
La Banda Principiante no tiene ensayos obligatorios después de clases, excepto 2 o 3 ensayos después de la escuela justo antes del concierto de invierno y del concierto de primavera.

¿Dónde se obtiene el instrumento de banda?

Dependiendo del instrumento asignado a su hijo/a, podrán rentar con opción a compra, comprar su propio instrumento o usar un instrumento de la escuela por una cuota anual de $75.

 Wimberley Independent School District NO proporciona flautas, clarinetes, saxofones, trompetas, trombones ni instrumentos de percusión (los estudiantes de percusión deben tener una marimba de práctica en casa). Los estudiantes asignados a estos instrumentos deben conseguir el suyo. Recomendamos Strait Music, Music & Arts o High School Music Service.
 

WISD SÍ proporciona corno francés, eufonio (barítono) y tuba. Los estudiantes asignados a estos instrumentos no deben comprar uno propio y deben planear pagar la cuota anual de $75 por instrumento escolar.

¿Qué más necesita mi estudiante para Banda?

♪ Necesita un instrumento de buena calidad.
♪ Debe practicar (estudiar) su instrumento cada semana en casa.
♪ Cada instrumento requiere su propio conjunto de materiales. Se compartirá una lista de útiles una vez que su estudiante sepa qué instrumento tocará. Estas listas ayudan a preparar a su hijo/a para el éxito durante varios años, así que por favor hagan lo posible por conseguir todo lo necesario.
♪ Cada estudiante necesita que sus padres lean los correos electrónicos y las publicaciones en SportsYou para mantenerse informados sobre lo que estamos haciendo en Banda. El código de SportsYou se compartirá con padres y estudiantes al inicio del año.

Beginning Band: Cost Overview

We want families to feel informed and prepared when joining Band. Below is a simple overview of the typical costs associated with Beginning Band so there are no surprises along the way.

🎺 Instrument Costs 

Most beginning students rent- to-own their instrument from a local music store.

WISD does not provide the instruments below:

Typical monthly rental ranges if you rent to own from a music store (Best option if you aren’t planning to purchase outright):

• Flute: $35–45/month
• Clarinet: $35–40/month
• Alto Saxophone: $45–60/month
• Trumpet: $27–38/month
• Trombone: $46–62/month
• Percussion (Practice Marimba Package): $41–51/month

Most rental plans include:
• Maintenance and repair coverage for accidental loss or damage

Renting is recommended for beginners because it protects families from costly repairs and allows flexibility if a student needs to switch instruments early on.

🎵 Program Fees

• $50 Fair Share Fee (yearly)
Supports music, supplies, clinicians, and program enrichment.

• $75 School Instrument Fee (yearly, if applicable)
Only for students using a school-owned euphonium, French horn, or tuba.
This covers maintenance and upkeep of these larger instruments.

🧰 Supplies

Each instrument requires basic supplies to help students be successful.

Examples include method books, reeds, valve oil or slide grease, cleaning kits, mallets (percussion), and other instrument-specific items.

Estimated supply cost:
• $100–$300 for the year, depending on instrument

Many supplies last beyond the first year, and directors will help families prioritize what is needed immediately.

👕 Band Attire

• Band T-shirt: provided free of charge thanks to our Band Boosters
• Concert attire is “concert black” (many families already own this)

✅ Typical First-Year Cost Range

Most families spend approximately:

$200–$500 for the year, plus monthly instrument rental

(Actual totals vary based on instrument choice and supply needs.)