Mt. Pleasant
5th Grade Band
Welcome to Band!
Other Common Questions
1. I have an instrument already. Where can I get it repaired/cleaned?
A: I am able to do some minor instrument repair. If you find an old instrument that you would like fixed up for your 4th grade student, we will have West Music available at 5th Grade Sign-Up Night so that we can send it in for repairs before lessons begin. West Music always calls with a quote prior to repairing an instrument and they will deliver the instrument back to Mt. Pleasant so you don't have to travel to pick it up.
If your child’s instrument breaks during the school year and I am unable to fix it, I will ask your son/daughter to check with you before I send it in.
2. Do I need to buy my instrument from West Music?
A: We recommend using West Music because they will provide good quality instruments. Some good quality instrument brands include Yamaha, Selmer, Accent, Bach, Bundy, Buscher, Buffet, Gemeinhardt, Artley, Jupiter, King, and Conn.
PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN BUYING INSTRUMENTS ON THE INTERNET!!!
Please ask me or another music teacher before buying an instrument online to make sure it is a good brand. We want your student to have a quality instrument so they can be successful.
3. If I buy an instrument from West Music, when will it arrive? How do I get a book or supplies if I already have an instrument?
A: West Music will bring rented, repaired, and purchased instruments directly to me to have ready for our first summer lesson I will have extra supplies (books, reeds, valve oil, cleaning swabs, etc...) available to buy the first lesson and throughout the school year.
4. When do you start summer lessons?
A: Lessons will begin the week of June 15th. The first week students will have a lesson everyday so they can learn how to put together, hold, make a sound, and care for their instrument. They will have a lesson every day for 30 minutes with a large group of their same instrument.
Week #1 June 15-19 -Every Day
After Week #1, students will have a lesson twice a week for about 20 minutes in smaller groups. These will take place on Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesdays and Fridays.
Week #2 June 22-26
Week #3 June 29-July3
Week #4 July 6-10
All summer lessons will take place at the middle school music room. The music room door is located on the north side of the middle school (towards the railroad tracks) and has a 6 on it. Below is a calendar view. Summer is a busy time for many families so please don't worry if your child can't make it to every single lesson!
6. When does band meet in the fall?
A: 5th grade band meets after school once a week on Tuesdays from 3:20-4:10pm at Van Allen. We start meeting on Tuesdays after Labor Day. Each student will receive a lesson during the school day at their school and I will get a schedule of that out to you in the fall. I will be sending home a note in August that will explain this all in more detail. We usually have 4 concerts a year- one each quarter. These concerts are on school nights.
7. When are the concerts and do they conflict with other activities?
A: For the 5th grade band, all of our performances will be on week nights during the school year. A calendar will be sent home with each student at the beginning of the school year indicating when these will be. Generally, the concerts do not conflict with other school activities. All concerts are scheduled around school sponsored sporting events and practices.
8. What if I can't get my child to summer lessons?
A: There are always a handful of students who can't make it to summer lessons. Whether that's not having a way to get there, being out of town for long stretches of the summer, or simply being so busy there is no time, you can still be in band when school begins. Please reach out to me to let me know if this is the case and still register for band. That way I know when school starts to reserve a lesson time for your child and so I can be sure to get you information at the beginning of the school year. Your child will have to do a little catching up once school starts to get where everyone else is but it is still very doable!
I'm sure there will be other questions you have in regards to something specific about an instrument or your child. Please feel free to contact me at my email below so I can answer your question directly!
