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Band FAQ’s !!
I want to do band, but don’t think I’d be very good at it...
NONSENSE!! Everybody is capable of learning how to play an instrument. I make learning how to read notes and play an instrument easy and fun. !I think band will be too much work; I’ve got a lot going on and want to keep up with my schoolwork.
Band is work, don’t get me wrong. You do have to put in a certain amount of effort. However, many students in band are involved with many other activities (dance, sports, boy scouts, girl scouts, etc.) and are excellent students. In fact, there are many studies showing that students who play an instrument score higher on tests like MCAS and SAT’s. !So how much work is involved?
When your in band, you will start out by having one lesson on your instrument per week that lasts 50 minutes. You’ll be in a class with other fifth graders who are just starting out on their instrument like you. I’ll ask that you play regularly at home (about 4 - 5 times per week for about 15 minutes a day). If you can keep up with that, you’ll be playing like a pro in no time! !Do I ever have to stay after school for band?
You never HAVE to, but many students still choose to. All lessons and band will take place during the school day. I am available for after-school help whenever you need it. !Does it cost any money to play in band?
Lessons and band do not cost anything. It does, however, cost money to rent an instrument. I recommend renting from Rick’s Musical Instruments. They provide great customer service, low prices, and perform exceptional work. Have someone at home call Rick’s Music at (401) 658-3404 for more detailed information. You may also use your own instrument if someone in the family has one. If it hasn’t been used in a while, you will need to have it cleaned up and fixed a little, and will probably have to buy some accessories that come with rented instruments. In either case, you will need a lesson book that costs about $10. There is also a limited quantity of school-owned instruments you can use at little-to-no charge. !What instrument do I get to play?
When signing up, you will get to pick your first choice and second choice instruments. Most students are able to play their first choice instrument. Sometimes I might ask for you to take your second choice in case there are too many students for one instrument. For instance, the band cannot have 30 drummers and only 2 clarinet players. !I’m not sure if my family can afford to rent an instrument. Can I still play in band?
Absolutely! I want every student in fifth grade who wants to play in Band. If you need an instrument, talk to me. The school owns some instruments that can be loaned out at no charge. Preference will be given to students on free or reduced-cost lunch.
www.BellinghamMusic.org/join
FLU
TE
! Th
e flu
te is
the
only
woo
dwind
inst
rum
ent
in ou
r ban
d th
at d
oesn
’t us
e a
reed
. The
flute
’s so
und
com
es fr
om b
low
ing
air a
cros
s an
ope
n ho
le. F
lutes
ar
e us
ed in
a w
ide
varie
ty o
f sty
les
of m
usic.
The
y’re
ver
y im
porta
nt in
th
e sy
mph
ony
orch
estra
and
clas
sical
cham
ber m
usic,
but
they
’re a
lso u
sed
in jaz
z, L
atin,
and
wor
ld m
usic.
! ! !
! CLA
RIN
ET
!
The
clarin
et is
a s
ingle
reed
w
oodw
ind in
stru
men
t. Th
e ty
pe o
f cla
rinet
we
use
is a
B-fla
t clar
inet,
but
ther
e ar
e m
any
type
s of
clar
inets
in u
se
toda
y. Un
like
the
flute
and
the
saxo
phon
e,
whic
h ar
e m
ade
of m
etal
and
have
clo
sed
tone
ho
les, c
larine
ts a
re g
ener
ally
mad
e of
plas
tic o
r w
ood,
and
hav
e op
en to
ne h
oles
that
the
play
er
mus
t cov
er w
ith h
is or
her
finge
rs. C
larine
ts a
re u
sed
in m
any
diffe
rent
sty
les o
f mus
ic, a
nd c
an p
lay a
larg
e ra
nge
of n
otes
.
SA
XO
PH
ON
E
! The
alto
saxo
phon
e is
a sin
gle
reed
woo
dwind
ins
trum
ent i
nven
ted
in th
e 18
00s
by B
elgian
ins
trum
ent d
esig
ner A
dolp
he S
ax. O
ther
com
mon
sa
xoph
ones
inclu
de th
e so
pran
o, te
nor,
and
barit
one.
The
sax
opho
ne is
a v
ersa
tile
instru
men
t, us
ed w
idely
in ja
zz, L
atin,
sou
l, Br
oadw
ay, a
nd w
ind b
and
mus
ic. M
ost
begi
nning
sax
opho
nists
sta
rt ou
t on
the
alto
sax.
Sinc
e th
e fin
gerin
gs o
n all
sax
opho
nes
are
the
sam
e, s
tude
nts
can
easil
y br
anch
out
to
play
ing o
ther
mem
bers
of t
he s
axop
hone
fam
ily
durin
g th
e co
urse
of t
heir
mus
ical c
aree
rs.
!! ! ! ! T
RU
MP
ET
! W
ith it
s br
ight
to
ne, t
he
trum
pet i
s an
im
porta
nt p
art o
f m
any
style
s of
mus
ic,
includ
ing c
lassic
al, ja
zz, b
lues,
so
ul, fu
nk, s
alsa,
and
mar
iachi.
W
hile
trum
pets
are
kno
wn
for t
heir
abilit
y to
play
loud
, brill
iant
note
s (lik
e bu
gle
calls
), th
ey c
an a
lso p
lay s
oft,
pret
ty m
elodi
es.
Som
e st
uden
ts w
ill be
gin
on T
rum
pet a
nd m
igra
te to
oth
er b
rass
ins
trum
ents
like
the
Fren
ch H
orn,
Eup
honiu
m, a
nd T
uba.
TR
OM
BO
NE
!
! The
trom
bone
is o
ne
of th
e ol
dest
inst
rum
ents
in
use
toda
y, an
d ha
s ch
ange
d ve
ry lit
tle s
ince
its
inven
tion
in th
e 14
00s.
Tr
ombo
nes
are
mem
bers
of t
he
bras
s fa
mily
, and
unli
ke o
ther
ban
d ins
trum
ents
, tro
mbo
nes
are
oper
ated
usin
g a
slide
. In
addi
tion
to h
aving
a lo
ng h
istor
y, tro
mbo
nes
are
also
very
ver
satile
inst
rum
ents
. Tr
ombo
nes
are
impo
rtant
in s
ymph
ony
orch
estra
s,
wind
ban
ds, a
nd in
a n
umbe
r of s
tyles
inclu
ding
sa
lsa, j
azz,
Bro
adw
ay, s
ka, s
oul,
and
sacr
ed m
usic.
Tr
ombo
nes
can
also
rang
e in
tone
from
sof
t and
an
gelic
to d
ark
and
scar
y. ! ! ! B
AR
ITO
NE
/EU
PH
ON
IUM
! Th
e eu
phon
ium (y
ou-P
HONE
-kne
e-yu
m) is
som
etim
es
know
n as
the
barit
one.
It is
a m
embe
r of t
he
bras
s fa
mily
and
look
s lik
e a
small
ver
sion
of
a tu
ba. I
ts s
ound
is s
imila
r to
that
of a
tro
mbo
ne, b
ut it
use
s va
lves
like
a tru
mpe
t ins
tead
of a
slid
e (lik
e a
trom
bone
). So
me
stud
ents
who
be
gin
on e
upho
nium
will
mov
e “d
own”
to a
tuba
in la
ter y
ears
, w
hile
othe
rs w
ill st
ay o
n eu
phon
ium.
PE
RC
US
SIO
N
! Perc
ussio
nists
are
uniq
ue m
embe
rs o
f the
ban
d fo
r sev
eral
reas
ons.
Firs
t of a
ll, pe
rcus
sion
instru
men
ts a
re th
e on
ly ins
trum
ents
in th
e ba
nd th
at y
ou h
it. A
lso, p
ercu
ssio
nists
lear
n m
ore
instru
men
ts th
an a
nyon
e els
e in
the
band
. Whil
e yo
ur
frien
ds w
ill co
ncen
trate
on
learn
ing o
nly o
ne in
stru
men
t, yo
u’ll
be re
spon
sible
for u
nder
stan
ding
sev
eral
instru
men
ts b
efor
e th
e ye
ar is
ove
r. Pe
rcus
sion
is on
e of
the
olde
st fa
milie
s of in
stru
men
ts, d
ating
bac
k to
pre
histo
ric ti
mes
. ! Pe
rcus
sion
is als
o on
e of
the
mos
t dive
rse
instru
men
t fam
ilies,
inc
luding
hun
dred
s of
inst
rum
ents
use
d in
a w
ide
varie
ty o
f cu
lture
s an
d m
usica
l sty
les. E
vent
ually
, stu
dent
s w
ill br
anch
ou
t to
even
mor
e ins
trum
ents
like
cym
bals,
bas
s dr
um,
trian
gle,
han
d dr
ums,
xylo
phon
e, a
nd d
rum
set
. This
beg
ins b
y lea
rning
how
to p
lay o
n th
e be
lls a
nd p
ract
ice p
ad, a
s pi
ctur
ed
here
.