Joe Stuever. Parents and Guardians:

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1 Parents and Guardians: Thank you for supporting your student s interest in band! At this point, your student has undergone an instrument assessment and has selected his or her instrument of choice. The assessment is based on several factors, including students physical characteristics and sound production on the instrument. My goal is always to help students select the instrument that they will be most successful on. This packet contains all of the information you will need for 5 th grade band: class times and days, concert dates, instrument rental information, and required books. This packet is also posted online at the West Area 5 th Grade Band web page at If you did not come to the Instrument Testing Night, please click on the 5 th Grade Band Enrollment Form on this web page to input your information. Band classes will begin the week of August 22 nd. The normal woodwinds/brass schedule begins that day: Monday, August 22 nd : Woodwinds Wednesday, August 24 th : Brass Thursday, August 25 th : Woodwinds Friday, August 26 th : Brass The first day that students should bring their instruments in Monday, August 29 th for woodwinds and Wednesday, August 31 st for brass. Please aim to have an instrument ready by then so that your student can full join in on this day. If you have trouble getting an instrument before then, please let me know. As you go through the process of acquiring an instrument, please feel free to contact me by if you have any questions or concerns. Welcome to band I m excited to see and hear your students! Sincerely, Joe Stuever jastuever@bluevalleyk12.org Elementary Band Director Lakewood Elementary Liberty View Elementary Sunset Ridge Elementary

2 Sunset Ridge Elementary 5 th Grade Band Joe Stuever, Band Director (office) jastuever@bluevalleyk12.org 5 th Grade Band Class Days and Times Students who choose to participate in the Band Program will meet during the school day at Sunset Ridge from 1:30 2 p.m. Students meet twice a week in small classes based on the instrument they play. Woodwinds: Students that play flute or clarinet meet on Mondays and Thursdays. Brass: Students that play trumpet, trombone, or baritone meet on Wednesdays and Fridays. There will be times when the entire band meets at once during the school day at Sunset Ridge. You will be notified of these dates later in the school year. Concerts/Events We will have concert performances on the following dates: DATE TIME LOCATION PERFORMANCE Thursday, November 17, :00 PM Lakewood MS Gym 5 th -8 th Band Concert Thursday, March 23, :00 PM Blue Valley West High School Gym West Area Band Festival Wednesday, April 26 th, :00 PM Sunset Ridge Elementary Gym Band & Strings Concert TBD Sunset Ridge Elementary Gym School Assembly Concert Students are to wear all black for concerts. No ties please. Students are also to follow school dress code for concerts. What instruments are available in band? The following instruments are available for 5 th grade band: - Flute - Clarinet - Trombone - Trumpet - Baritone While several other instruments are used in middle and high school level ensembles, students begin on one of these instruments for fifth grade. Students will be given options for switching to different instruments in the future. If a student has already been taking private lessons for an extended time, please contact me. It is very important to understand that a successful band is a balanced band - one in which correct proportions of each instrument are present. In other words, a band made up of only flutes, and clarinets will not be very successful or enjoyable for the listener! When there are too many on one particular instrument, the balance of the band suffers and the drop-out rate increases as the

3 students reach the upper grades. Therefore, we attempt to not only put your child on the best instrument for them, but one they can be successful at and that will be a large part of the program. What are my child s responsibilities in band? Music (band, choir, and orchestra) is a curricular activity in the Blue Valley School District. Because of this, your child will be given a report card to show their progress in band. The purpose of the 5 th grade beginning band is to prepare students for middle school band by learning fundamentals of playing a band instrument, building proper practice habits, and knowing how to function as a member of a musical group. Their primary responsibilities include attendance to all rehearsals and performances, bringing all materials to class, and practicing outside of class time. What are my responsibilities as a parent? When your child chooses to begin band instruction, he or she chooses to make band a part of the school curriculum. Because success in instrumental music is so directly tied to class attendance and preparation, it is important that students and parents realize from the beginning that the choice to participate in band is a commitment. You, as a parent, should also feel some responsibility for their student s choice to enroll in instrumental music. Without support and encouragement from you, students can easily fail. As a parent, you are a vital part of the success equation - your attitude toward your child s participation may someday decide his or her success or failure. This statement is not only true for participation in band, but for countless other activities. Thank you in advance for your support and encouragement at home. Where can my child get an instrument? Blue Valley Public Schools is very fortunate to have such high quality music dealers provided for you in the Blue Valley School District. These stores adhere to our district wide policy of providing instruments approved by the Blue Valley School District. It is recommended that you make your purchase through one of these stores, because they are well aware of our requirements for students and should treat you fairly. Each store has a variety of purchase, rental, and rent-to-own programs. PLEASE NOTE: All instruments available through the Blue Valley vendors have been approved by the Blue Valley School District. Sometimes families have access to an instrument that has been previously used, and may not be on this Approved List. If you would like your students to use an instrument other than one on this list, please contact me before finalizing any plans. When purchasing a new or used instrument elsewhere (i.e. ebay or similar venue), you are strongly encouraged and cautioned to choose one from the approved school instrument rental list used by any Blue Valley Instrument Dealer. Due to the extreme poor quality of the instrument - YOU SHOULD NOT PURCHASE AN INSTRUMENT FROM A WAREHOUSE CLUB/STORE. Please contact me for further details regarding this list or any questions you may have about the quality of the instrument in question.

4 August 2016 Dear Band Parents: Congratulations on supporting your child s interest in learning to play a band instrument. Joining the beginning band classes in your child s school is the first step in what we hope will be a long and rewarding experience with music. Recent and continuous research has shown that the benefits to students who participate in music programs are numerous and expansive. In order to do all we can to optimize your child s potential for success, the Blue Valley music staff has developed instrument specifications. The purpose of the specifications is to insure that the instrument you rent or purchase for your student will be of an acceptable quality. All the music merchants in Johnson County have been provided a copy of these specifications. Because the Blue Valley specifications differ in some ways from how instruments normally are shipped from the factory, these music merchants have taken the necessary adjustments and incurred the additional expense to meet our specifications. A copy of those specifications is attached. The music staff equates learning to play on a poor quality instrument that doesn t work well to trying to learn to ride a bicycle when the chain keeps coming off or has flat tires. Learning the mechanics of playing an instrument, developing the necessary eye-hand coordination, tonal concepts, learning a new symbol system, etc., is difficult enough without adding to the challenge unnecessarily. The Blue Valley band teachers have discovered that instruments purchased in a box from a discount store, warehouse or on the Internet, may be cheaper than instruments rented or purchased from a reputable music merchant. However, these instruments are not of acceptable quality and put your son or daughter s potential for success at risk. Again, congratulations on your decision to expand your child s educational experience in Blue Valley to include band. The Blue Valley music staff shares your desire to provide the finest educational experience for your child. Sincerely yours, Janelle Brower Performing Arts Coordinator Blue Valley School District Education Services Metcalf Ave., P.O. Box Overland Park, Kansas (913) Fax: (913)

5 Blue Valley USD #229 Beginning Band Rental Specifications The following list represents the quality brand instruments recommended by the Blue Valley instrumental teaching staff. Necessary accessories and instructional tools are also listed. Beginning band students are expected to provide their own instruments if playing one of these instrument types. A limited number of other instruments are available from the school district such as baritone/euphonium, French horn and tuba. Students interested in playing one of these instruments or using a brand not listed below for other instruments should first consult their teacher. Instrument Brand Required Accessories/Mouthpieces Flute Clarinet Saxophone* Trumpet Trombone Percussion** Artley Amadeus 600 Eastman EFL210 Emerson Gemeinhardt Pearl Trevor James 10X/Privilege Artley Buffet Vito/Leblanc Cannonball Vito 713R Bach (USA preferred) Besson Getzen King Bach Besson Getzen Holton King CB Ludwig Mapex Pearl Percussion Plus Promark Vic Firth Ross or Musser for marimbas 2. Tuning rod 3. Swab cloth 4. Polishing cloth 6. Nametag on instrument case 2. VanDoren M13 or 5 RV Lyre mouthpiece with Rovner #1R ligature & cap 3. Cork grease 4. One box of clarinet reeds, 2 ½ strength (VanDoren or Mitchell Lourie preferred) 5. Clarinet silk cleaning swab 6. Reed guard with capacity for 4 reeds 7. Music stand for home use 8. Name tag on instrument case 9. Carry-all case preferred if available 2. C-star mouthpiece with Rovner ligature & cap 3. Cork grease 4. One box of saxophone reeds, 2 ½ strength (VanDoren or Hemke preferred) 5. Saxophone silk cleaning swab 6. Neck/mouthpiece cleaning swab 7. Reed guard with capacity for 4 reeds 8. NeoTech neck strap (optional, but recommended) 9. Music stand for home use 10. Name tag on instrument case 2. Bach 7C mouthpiece or equivalent 3. Valve oil (Al Cass or Blue Juice preferred) 4. Tuning slide grease ( preferred) 6. Name tag on instrument 2. Bach 6 ½ AL mouthpiece or equivalent 3. Slide oil (Al Cass or preferred) 4. Tuning slide grease ( preferred) 6. Name tag on instrument case 2. Student percussion combo kit (includes snare drum, 2 ½ octave or more bells, snare drum, practice pad, and stands) 3. Innovative Percussion FP-2 pre-assembled stick bag (or Pro Mark or Vic Firth equivalent) 4. Music stand for home use 5. Name tag on instrument case *For middle school beginning students only with teacher approval. **Some beginning band programs may suggest student marimbas. Please check with your teacher. Last Revised May 15, 2015