CIDER MILL SCHOOL MUSIC DEPARTMENT August 2017 Late Band Registration Dear Parents: Your child has theopportunity to play a band instrument in the fi ft h grade. Instrument class lessons are off ered during school hours. Ensemble rehearsals are held before school at 7:00 a.m. once a week. Th ese rehearsals repre- sent nearly one-half our instruction time and attendance is required of all band students. Students are permitted to come out of class for one lesson weekly. Th erefore, students planning to be in both Band and Orchestra need to arrange a weekly lesson outside of school on one of the instruments. In order to assure class sizes which permit individual attention and to achieve a proper balance in the band, it is necessary to avoid disproportionate numbers on one type of instrument. Please have your child choose any two instruments by order of preference; “1” for the fi rst choice, “2” for the second. All students must indicate two choices. We currently have openings in the instruments listed below. Indicate your choice below; “1” for fi rst choice, “2” for second choice. __ Clarinet __Trombone __Baritone Horn Name of Student__________________________________Classroom Teacher’s Name________________ Continuing on a string instrument?__________ (Lessons for one instrument must be taken outside school.) Further information, including musical instrument rental will be provided in the Fall. Th ank you, Richard Wyton & Sal LaRusso [email protected] [email protected] Band Parent Information We welcome parent participation in the Cider Mill band program! Th e success of our students depends largely on the support they have from their family at home, and parents who play instruments are encouraged to play at home with their children. We are always happy to provide printed music as needed for you to play with your student. Do you play a musical instrument? _______Which one?___________________________________ Years/Grades?______________________________________________________ If you play a band instrument, would you like to participate in some of our rehearsals and con- certs?______________ Whether or not you play an instrument, your infl uence can ensure your child’s success in band. By encouraging your student to play for you at home, you can help us develop in him/ her the habit of playing music. Band stu- dents are expected to practice at least 20 minutes every day they do homework. At the beginning this will consist of several sessions 4-5 minutes at a time. Attendance at a weekly 7:00 a.m. rehearsal is required. Th ese rehearsals comprise nearly half our instructional time and are part of the band program curriculum. If you or your child cannot make this commitment, please call us. Please sign below. By doing so, you give permission for your child to participate in the band program at Cider Mill School. You also acknowlege your responsibility and comittment to facilitate practice at home and atten- dence at morning rehearsals throughout the school year. Parent Signature______________________________ Printed Name__________________________________ Telephone___________________________ Email______________________________________________ More information about the Cider Mill Band Program is available on the school web site. In particular, we en- courage you to print, read and keep for future reference a copy of the “Band Parent Guide “ Further information, including musical instrument rental program details will be provided in the Fall. Th ank you, Richard Wyton & Joseph Macari Band Instructors [email protected] CIDER MILL SCHOOL BAND INSTRUMENT SELECTION GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS Flute - Fingerings for notes on the fl ute are almost identical with those learned on the recorder. Unlike the other wind instruments, the fl ute does not have a fi xed mouthpiece. Th e player forms part of the “mouth- piece” with the position of his/her lips. As the highest instrument in the band, the fl ute almost always plays the melody in the music we perform. Clarinet - Like the fl ute, students will fi nd the clarinet is similar to the recorder in many ways . Th e clarinet produces its sound when air is blown across a wooden reed clamped onto its mouthpiece. We encour- age aspiring saxophone students to start on the clarinet. Th is makes possible a better instrumental balance in our fi ft h grade band. Th ey will also develop a better sound quality when they switch to sax. Because of its relative mechanical simplicity, the clarinet requires a much smaller fi nancial investment for parents. Saxophone - Over the years, there has been an disproportionate num- ber of students playing the saxophone. Because of the imbalance this creates in the band, we strongly recommend students begin by playing the clarinet. Should students desire to play the saxophone at a later time, their knowledge on the clarinet will quickly transfer. Trumpet - Th e trumpet is the “lead” instrument of the brass section. Because its tone production involves a great deal of muscle tension in the lips, the trumpet should be avoided if the student needs orthodontic work this year. Trombone - Th e trombone is the lowest pitched instrument in the band and serves as the “ harmonic anchor” of our ensemble. Its large mouth- piece and lower pitch requiresconsiderably less mouth tension than the trumpet. Th us the trombone is a good choice for students with, or about to have, braces on their teeth. Baritone Horn - Th e baritone horn is essentially a “mini-tuba”. It plays the same musical part and uses the same mouthpiece as the trombone, but is operated with valves (like a trumpet.) .