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Instrument Procedures

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THE INSTRUMENTS

    Watch this VIDEO: Band Instrument Demonstrations

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Students in Beginning Band can choose their TOP THREE choices from:

 

WOODWINDS: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Alto Sax, or Tenor Sax.

BRASS: Trumpet, Mellophone, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba. 

or PERCUSSION: Mallets & Drums [Percussionists learn BOTH Mallets and Drums]

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**PERIOD 8 will NOT have any oboes, bassoons, or percussionists this year due to class balances)

**Remember that the instrument you get assigned is NOT permanent. You can always switch to another instrument next semester or next year. (This is why it is better to rent instead of purchase)

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THE SELECTION PROCESS 

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Step 1 - During the first week, the students will watch the demonstration video above, hear them played in class, and learn about the instruments and how to produce a sound on them. After the video, demonstration, and discussion, the students will have the opportunity to try the instruments in class to see which instruments "fit" them the best. The fitting process is always conducted as sanitarily as possible. This year, Instrument Fitting is OPTIONAL. [Please email me to opt your child out of fitting]

     

Step 2 - Students and Parents will submit their Instrument Selection Forms (below) by the first Friday of school.

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Instrument Selection Form - PERIOD 1 (link)

 

Instrument Selection Form - PERIOD 2 (MS1) (link)

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Instrument Selection Form - PERIOD 8 (link)

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​Step 3 - Instrument assignments will be emailed to all families on Saturday morning. At this point, families will have about a week to acquire their instrument and required accessories by August 30th which is the Monday of Week 3 when we start playing the instruments in class for grading. A couple of days without the instrument isn't too bad, but more than a week without an instrument could delay the student's progress.

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Students selected for percussion must rent/purchase the "percussion kit" that comes with a small bells (glockenspiel) and a small drum with sticks and stands. Remember that percussionists learn BOTH mallets and drums in band class. 

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GETTING YOUR INSTRUMENT

 

OPTION #1 - RENTING from the STORE

 

  • Rentals from most music stores are generally between $25-$45 per month depending on the instrument.

  • Stores usually rent out better quality instruments that are dependable and come with all the accessories you need.

  • Rental fees include repairs and possible instrument switches

  • Most rental fees will apply to the eventual purchase of the rented instrument.

  • These stores also have very affordable used instruments for purchase if you ask ahead of time for availability.

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OPTION #2 - PURCHASING from ONLINE 

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  • If renting from a store is not within your budget, then Woodwind & Brasswind is the recommended online store. Anything from WWBW is approved since this online store is the most used online store for musicians and educators in the nation. 

  • If the cheapest instruments on WWBW are still not within your budget, please see my list of Approved Beginner Instruments from Amazon

  • If you choose to purchase an instrument from online, the only APPROVED purchase options are Woodwind & Brasswind and the Amazon list linked above. Any other instrument or site must be approved before you make the purchase.

  • Ebay and Walmart are NOT acceptable options for instruments and will not be approved

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OPTION #3 - RENTING from the SCHOOL

 

  • Renting from the school is the third best option. 

  • The school only gets a couple of new instruments each year, so our inventory is mostly used. Any unplayable school instruments have been removed from circulation and are not rented out.

  • See SCHOOL RENTALS below

  • Students who rent from the school will receive a pdf Instrument Rental Contract that has the payment link on it. The Rental Contract must be submitted with payment before the instrument can be used by the student.

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Percussionists must have their own beginner bell and pad set at home. This stays at home for assignments and the school percussion will be used in class.

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SCHOOL RENTALS

 

PARENT RESPONSIBILITY:

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It is the parent's responsibility to acquire an instrument for this class through purchase or rental so that the student has the proper learning tools to succeed in an instrumental music class where the instrument is the most important mandatory class material. Although the school does have an inventory of instruments available for rental by the students, it is a limited inventory of used instruments.

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SMALL INSTRUMENTS

Mellophone $50/semester

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MEDIUM INSTRUMENTS

Bassoon $75/semester

Bass Clarinet $75/semester

Tenor Saxophone $75/semester

French Horn $75/semester

Euphonium $75/semester

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LARGE INSTRUMENTS

Practice Tuba $75/semester (stays at home)

Bari Sax $50/semester (must have Alto Sax or Tenor Sax at home)

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The school does NOT rent out:

Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Alto Saxes, Trumpets, Trombones or Percussion instruments.

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School Rental Terms & Conditions 

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You will receive an email with the Rental Contract Google Form Link that

must be submitted within 7 days of receiving the email. 

In the same email will be the Wufoo payment link. Make sure you select the correct

instrument that your child has been assigned to and make the payment.

The payment must be made within 7 days of receipt of the rental contract. 

School rental fees are final and non-refundable.

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If the rental fee is not paid after 7 days, the Instrument Rental Contract will be voided

and the instrument will be made available for another student.

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​School Rentals are more affordable since they do not include repairs.

This means that any repair needed on the instrument while under contract is the responsibility of the family.

All rental instruments must returned to the school when

the student is no longer in need of the rental in playable condition.

Playable condition means that the instrument is working well enough

so that all the notes on the instrument can be performed with correct tone quality.

Regular "wear and tear" of the instrument does not need to be repaired by the family.

The maintenance company hired by the school will determine what is

considered "regular wear and tear" for your particular instrument.

Any cost required for major damage, lost, or stolen instruments will be documented

on the student's school account as a negative balance and will need to be

paid before the student graduates or leaves the school.

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Provided with rentals: Mouthpieces, ligatures, neck straps, cork grease, valve/rotor oil, polishing cloths

Not Provided with rentals: Reeds, cleaning swabs.

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Shared Instrument Policy:

The only instruments shared in band class are the Tuba and Bari Sax. 

Percussion is shared, but students are recommended not to touch the instruments, and the

percussion instruments are sprayed and wiped down each day.

Tuba students will be provided a practice tuba that stays at home and bari sax

students must have an alto sax at home for practice and video assignments. 

In accordance with the National Association for Music Education, when sharing an instrument, each student must:

1. Have their own mouthpiece, and reed and ligature, and these are to be kept

in a ziplock bag in their backpack, never left in the case. 

2. After each use, the instrument should have all water removed and be wiped down

thoroughly with a Lysol wipe. (I can do this for the student if we run out of time after class).

3. The interior of the case must be sprayed with an aerosol disinfectant (I can also do this if needed).

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As an option, students are more than welcome to wipe down

the instrument with a Lysol wipe before they use it if they prefer to.

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INSTRUMENT TREATMENT

 

I. INSTRUMENT CARE

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It is the student's responsibility to be kind to their instruments. All instruments must be treated as if they were human babies. Don't bump them or drop them! Any damage to instruments must be brought to the attention of the teacher, parents, and/or repair location immediately. 

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Students are expected to maintain their instruments regularly as specified by the director when it comes to swabbing, bathing, polishing, oiling, greasing, and tuning. Students must take care of instrument maintenance at home to avoid instructional delays in the classroom.

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RENTAL LOCATIONS NEAR THE SCHOOL:

All County Music (only repairs their own instruments)

Music Tech Studios

Sam Ash Music

Full Circle Music, Inc.

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II. INSTRUMENT DROP-OFF AND PICK UP

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HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS should bring their instruments to the band room at the beginning of the day when they have band class. Students are permitted to have instruments in other classes only if the other teacher permits it. If another teacher does not permit an instrument in their classroom, it is the student's responsibility to bring it to the band room at soon as possible. HS students will pick up their instruments after school before their leave for the day. Students can pick up their instruments before the last class of the day if their teacher allows so that they can go straight to the bus loop or carline at dismissal. 

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MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS will bring their instruments to the band room after the first transition bell rings to go to class in the morning. Middle School students are not to bring their instruments to the band room before the first transition bell since the band teacher will be teaching the first High School class of the day during that time. 

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Middle School students absolutely must pick up their instruments before the last class of the day and take the instruments to their last class since the High School schedule ends at 2:45pm and Mr. Saenz may not be in the band room after that time. 

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In the event that the band teacher is late to school or absent due to unforeseen circumstances, the students must take their instruments to their other classes until an opportunity arises that they are able to drop them off to the band room.

 

Students may NEVER leave their instruments unattended at the doorway of the band classroom or music rooms where someone can damage or steal the instrument. Any student who leaves a school instrument abandoned on campus outside the band room may lose their privileges to rent school instruments in the future.

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