Beginning Band Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need previous experience?
Do I need previous experience?
- No experience required! We'll start everyone right from the beginning starting with basics of each student's instrument as well as reading music.
- We'll be spending time in the first couple days of school learning about and trying different instruments! A&G Central will send out reps on our second day of school to help students test out different instruments to find the best fit.
- Students can choose from the following instruments: flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, French Horn, trombone, baritone, and tuba. Students interested in the italicized instruments should contact Mrs. Rever-Oberle for additional information and private lesson instructors.
- To play percussion, previous piano experience is highly recommended, but not required. Joining the percussion section can be a lot of fun, but there's a lot more to it than just playing drums! Percussionists will start the first half of the school year on bells before playing any kind of drum. Also, percussion students don't just learn one instrument like their friends; they learn many! That's why having some extra music background can be helpful. Eventually they'll have to learn: bells, xylophone, marimba, snare drum, bass drum, timpani, cymbals, accessory percussion, etc.
- A rental meeting will be held on August 28 and we'll start playing very shortly after that!
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- Students are encouraged to rent an instrument from one of our local vendors such as A&G Central or Anderson's Music. We do have instruments available, however students using a school instrument may not get their first choice. Most students who use school instruments are borrowing large ones like euphonium/baritone, tuba, tenor saxophone, or bassoon. Students interested in possibly using a school instrument should contact Mrs. Rever-Oberle to discuss options and availability. We do not have percussion kits available to use.
- There is homework and there will also be tests in band, but it's not that bad! Homework usually consists of short (about a minute) practice videos or recorded tests or online quizzes. Tests almost always involve playing a short section of music. All assignments and tests are submitted online through Google Classroom with flexible deadlines and lots opportunities for retakes.