Are you a student who is looking for a CHALLENGE? Are you a student who is MOTIVATED to try something new and STICK WITH IT? Do you want to have FUN learning something that you can do for the rest of your life? If you answered YES to these questions, then you can take BAND at OMS next year! What you need to think about right now is What instrument do I want to play? You can learn to play one of the following instruments in BAND next year as a sixth grader: Woodwinds Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet or Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor or Baritone Saxophone Brass Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone Horn, Tuba Percussion Students who are interested in percussion should read the percussion page. We DO NOT teach guitar or piano in band class. Other instruments You can take BAND and ORCHESTRA at the same time if you want to learn both a wind/percussion instrument, and a string instrument. Keep in mind you will be responsible for learning your parts in these groups if you choose to do so. Most students who do this are very successful at doing both. Using your own instrument vs. using a school instrument It is generally not recommended that you use a school instrument unless... 1. You wish to play Oboe, French Horn, Baritone, Bassoon, or Tuba*** 2. It is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to obtain another instrument from another source (such as music store, pawn shop, relative, or classified want ads). If you have internet access, you can find some good instruments from E-bay. Be careful, though! Some of the nice shiny instrument for sale on E- bay are actually pieces of junk. Ask Mr. Gilman if you have a question on an e-bay instrument. Honestly, with all of the books, reeds, valve oil, repairs, and other items, it does cost money to be part of a band program. Many of our school instruments are old and tired from years of use and constant repair. Also, research has shown that some students simply do not show the same amount of care and respect toward a school instrument as they would a privately-owned one. We charge a $50.00 rental fee on school-owned instruments. We charge a $25.00 percussion maintenance fee to all students who are playing percussion. This is now mandatory, and must be collected at the beginning of the year. The money that you will spend on an instrument and all the supplies will be an investment in your future where you ll be able to get many years of pleasure and enjoyment from involvement in music.
Choosing an Instrument No musical instrument is easier than another they all have various challenges. There are many considerations in choosing an instrument, from musical aptitude to physical characteristics, to availability, to DESIRE. If you generally get good grades in school, you will do well learning an instrument. If you have a hard time focusing in class, then band/orchestra will be extremely challenging. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS NEEDED FOR EACH INSTRUMENT Flute Although the flute is popular with girls because of its small size, the most popular flute players are men Jean- Pierre Rampal, James Galway, Jethro Tull, and Herbie Mann just to name a few. In order to play the flute, you need to be able to practice using lots of breath support. You can practice this by taking a sheet of paper and holding against a wall with just your breath. In fact, it takes more air to play the flute than it does to play a TUBA. With practice, you ll get really good at it. Musically speaking, the flute is at the Top of the Band because it is a high pitched instrument. It often gets to play the melody in bands and orchestras. Oboe The Oboe is a double reed instrument and you need to be able to form your mouth, or embouchure into a certain shape to get the two reeds to vibrate correctly. It takes a good amount of breath support to get a good sound on the oboe. With patience and practice, you ll have a beautiful sound that is wonderful to listen to. If you like to be DIFFERENT, you might like to play the oboe! We have one oboe that is being used for 2007-2008, but you can rent from a music store if you are interested in the oboe. Bassoon The Bassoon is another double reed instrument. It is long and comes in several sections. Good bassoon players often get scholarships to college because they are in short supply. Sometimes, one will switch to playing the bassoon from another instrument such as the saxophone or clarinet. If you would like to learn the bassoon, you need hands that are large enough to wrap around the instrument and operate the keys. You need good thumbs, too. Again, if you want to be DIFFERENT, then you may enjoy learning to play the bassoon. Bassoonists may need to spend once a week after school with Mr. Gilman to get some extra help. It can be a tricky and challenging instrument. All of our bassoons are currently being used, but you can rent-to-own a used one from Greif s Music in Ontario. Saxophone Saxophones are single reed instruments similar to the clarinet. If you choose to play the saxophone, you need to be able to hold up the instrument (with a neck strap). There are three different sizes of saxophones to play in band the Alto, Tenor, and Baritone. We have VERY FEW saxophones available to rent at school. It will be almost impossible to rent an alto sax from the school (they re all being used by 7 th /8 th graders). Alto Saxophones can be rented from a local music store for about $45 per month. Clarinet The clarinet is a fairly common instrument that is chosen by many people because it is easy to pack around. It is a single reed instrument. Reeds need to be purchased often and kept sanitary in order to achieve a good sound. Physically, a young person needs to have fingers big enough to cover the holes. Students who learn the clarinet can expect to SQUEAK at least once in their playing career. The clarinet is the major instrument in the band just as the violin is the major instrument in an orchestra. It is important for a band to have LOTS of good clarinet players.
Trumpet The trumpet is found just about everywhere in music. You see them in symphony orchestras, marching bands, jazz and rock bands. You can t have a good band without a good trumpet section. If you like to show off then maybe the trumpet is the right instrument for you. If you want to play the trumpet you will need straight teeth, thin lips (preferably) and a good set of lungs. French Horn Are you good at math? Do you envision a career in science? Then perhaps you would enjoy playing the French Horn. You need a really good ear able to distinguish pitches. Ability to sing or play the piano would help in learning to play the French horn. French Horns are used A LOT in movie music (such as the STAR WARS movies). Trombone It s the instrument with a long slide. It s also the oldest of all the band instruments. Trombones are important band and orchestra instruments they are featured in jazz and some rock-n-roll bands, Dixieland style bands, symphony orchestras, marching and concert bands. The trombone is another Show off instrument. Baritone Horn/Tuba No band is complete without a bass section. Where the flute is the Top of the Band, the Baritone and Tuba are the Bottom of the Band. If you choose to play one of these, understand that you are not going to play the melody very often until you become more advanced. They are a lot of fun to play anyway if you don t mind the size. Think of it as like playing the bass guitar in a rock-n-roll band. For a band to sound good and pleasing to the ear, it helps to have at least two tuba players. The key to playing one of these large instruments is DESIRE. If you really want to learn the tuba or baritone, you will be successful at it. It helps to be able to be of a good size to physically carry the instrument. Percussion READ THIS IF YOU RE INTERESTED IN PERCUSSION So you think you want to play drums, do you? Well, there are some things you need to know. 1. Percussion candidates MUST already have knowledge of music and rhythms piano lessons are helpful. Typically, in band class, percussionists play keyboards, and we sometimes study drums after school. If you CANNOT stay after school, then you MUST choose a different instrument. 2. Percussionists MUST also be patient with themselves and other people. 3. Strong organizational skills are required to learning to play percussion. Often times, the percussion part is so different from what the rest of the band is playing that it is easy to get frustrated, especially if you have a hard time paying attention to details. 4. If you are wanting to play JUST THE DRUMS, that will not be possible, since you will be required to learn more than just drums. 5. This is a sample list of all of the percussion instrument that you will learn during the year: Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Crash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Triangle, Orchestra Bells (Glockenspiel), Triangle, Timpani, and Xylophone. You will learn how to play scales on the bells and rudiments on the snare drum. 6. Percussion candidates are REQUIRED to have the following items in their possession when we start band in the fall. A percussion kit consisting of a bell set, and a snare drum OR drum pad with stands. These are available from local music stores. They rent for approximately $26 per month. You will use this
all three years of middle school. A well-stocked stick bag, namely the Vic Firth EP-2 stick/mallet kit. This contains one stick bag with a set of snare drum sticks, a set of bell/xylophone mallets, a set of timpani mallets, and a set of marimba mallets (use on suspended cymbal). This retails for about $12 from our music store. Accent on Achievement Book 1 for percussion. You can buy this for $12.u at your local music store. $25 PERCUSSION MAINTENANCE FEE TO USE SCHOOL-OWNED PERCUSSION Why Music? For Parents - We live in a society filled with music. It is everywhere we live. Music is the most pervasive of all of the arts and is the most easily used for enjoyment, relaxation, study, or participation. Understanding the role that music plays, and being able to use it to express ourselves are two important means to developing as human beings. Though we could certainly survive without it, the arts are what set us apart from other members of the animal kingdom. Those students who develop an understanding of how to make music and perform with an ensemble are forever enriched by this experience. This is demonstrated by the growing number of community bands and orchestras that are springing up across the United States. See for Yourselves If you want to see what the instruments look like, please ask your music teacher. If you would like to try some out, please arrange to visit a local music store, or make an appointment to visit Mr. Gilman at OMS. 889-5377 We will have an Instrument petting zoo open during registration in August. NOW, though, is the time to decide whether you want to be in band. Students, if you are interested, please talk it over with your parents because it is a big financial decision. Hope to see you in band next year at OMS! Please fill out the survey on the last page of this packet and send it to Mr. Gilman at the Middle School.
Ontario Middle School Bands 6 th Grade Band (2007-2008) Interest Survey Personal information will be kept at school, and not shared with anyone else. Name School Currently Attending Mailing Address Ontario, OR 97914 Phone Number E-mail Have you ever played an instrument before? YES NO If yes, what Do you already know how to READ MUSIC? YES NO Do you know how to SING? YES NO Does your family currently own a band instrument? YES NO If yes, what do you own? Is it in playable condition? Y N If NO, would you be willing to rent from a music store? YES NO Need more info. What grades do you get in school? A s and B s B s and C s C s and D s On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being EXCELLENT, How well do you act in class? Poor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Excellent What ONE instrument would you like to play the most? (Choose from the list at the bottom) What would be two other choices that you would be interested in? Your Choices: FLUTE CLARINET BASSOON OBOE SAXOPHONE TRUMPET FRENCH HORN TROMBONE BARITONE TUBA PERCUSSION Do you and your family regularly attend music concerts? YES NO Do you and your family regularly listen to music on CD? YES NO If yes, what kinds of music interest you and your family? If you have questions: please feel free to ask Mr. Gilman at OMS 889-5377 or by e-mail at mgilman@ontario.k12.or.us or mgilman@fmtc.com Please send this survey to your music teacher, or to Mr. Gilman at the Middle School. The mailing address is: 573 SW 2 nd Ave Ontario, OR 97914