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INSTRUMENT PROCEDURES

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The Instruments of the Band

    WATCH: Woodwind Demonstrations

WATCH: Brass Demonstrations

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Students can choose their TOP THREE choices from: 

Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, 

Trumpet, Mellophone, Trombone, Euphonium, or Tuba. 

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Remember that the instrument you get assigned is NOT permanent.

You can always switch to another instrument next year.

(This is why it is better to rent instead of purchase)

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* Emergency backup reeds are only provided for Oboe, Bassoon, Bass Clarinet and Baritone Saxophone 

ONE per semester - regardless of where these instruments are rented or purchased from. 

Reeds are NOT provided for Clarinet, Alto Saxophone or Tenor Saxophone.

Instruments that use reeds will usually need 2-3 reeds per quarter if they are taken care of.

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**French Horn students will start on the Mellophone in beginning band.

Mellophone students will transition to the French Horn in the Intermediate class.

If renting from the school, the rental will just switch over to French Horn for year 2+.

If a mellophone is purchased, then the French Horn will be free to use by the student for year 2+.

 

***Percussion is only learned in the HS Percussion class as a secondary instrument. 

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THE SELECTION PROCESS 

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Step 1 - During the first week, the students will watch the demonstration videos 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 and at band tryout night to see which instruments they like the most. The tryout process is always conducted as sanitarily as possible.

     

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

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INSTRUMENT SELECTION FORMS

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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 $30-$50 per month depending on the instrument.

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

  • Rental fees usually include repairs and "rent to own policies" which means your payments go towards 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.

 

​OPTION #2 - RENTING from the SCHOOL

  • Renting from the school is always the most affordable option, but not every instrument is carried in our inventory.

  • The school only gets a couple of new instruments each year, so our inventory is mostly used instruments that are maintained and inspected for repairs every summer. Any unplayable school instruments have been removed from the inventory 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.

  • Both the payment and rental contract must be submitted with payment before the instrument can be used by the student.

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OPTION #3 - PURCHASING from ONLINE 

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  • Purchasing online has many benefits, but you have to know where to look!

  • If renting from a store is not within your budget, then Music & Arts is the recommended online store. 

  • Amazon is okay as well, BUT you have to be very careful with what you buy. Any beginner instrument under $200 can be very risky. READ all the REVIEWS for the products and when in doubt, email me a link so I can see what you're looking at.

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

  • Make sure to always get the NATURAL colors for the instruments. Any other rainbow colors will stand out on stage a in a negative way.

  • Plastic trumpet, horns, trombones, baritones, euphoniums are not acceptable. Anything that says plastic, or metallic colored plastic (Coolwinds brand) is not actual metal. Brass instruments need to be metal.

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This is what our current students and parents say about their instruments:

SURVEY RESULTS

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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.

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Bassoon $75/semester

Tenor Saxophone $75/semester

Mellophone $75/semester (beginners only)

French Horn $75/semester (non-beginners only)

Euphonium $75/semester

Tuba $75/semester (stays at home, uses classroom tuba for instruction)

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OTHER

Bass Clarinet FREE for classroom use only (must have Clarinet at home)

Baritone Saxophone FREE for classroom use only (must have Alto/Tenor at home)

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The school does NOT rent out:

Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Alto Saxophones, 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 and your child's name on it with the instrument identification information as well. 

The contract will be the Wufoo payment link. On the wufoo payment form, 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 while under contract.

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 playing the instrument for class.

Students who rent an instrument during the year are free to hold onto that instrument

over the summer for free if they intend to rent the same instrument the following year. 

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Instruments must be returned in playable condition. 

Playable condition means that the instrument is working well enough for it to be used in class and for performances. 

Regular "wear and tear" of the instrument does not need to be covered by the family if the instrument is still playable.

Any loss or damage of the instrument that renders the instrument unplayable, needs to be covered by the family.

The maintenance company hired by the school will determine what is

considered "regular wear and tear" vs unplayable damage for your particular instrument.

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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 classroom tubas, bass clarinets, and baritone saxophone. 

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Tuba students will be provided a practice tuba that stays at home and will be given one mouthpiece to keep in their backpack. This one mouthpiece will be used for both the in-class tuba and the at-home practice tuba. 

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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 must have all water removed and/or swabbed out. 

(I have Lysol wipes if the student prefers to wipe down the outside of the instrument before playing)

3. The exterior of the case and handle will be sprayed with lysol spray on a weekly basis.

(I will do this for them, but they are more than welcome to spray the case exterior and handle for themselves and their comfort.)

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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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REPAIR 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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OTHER LOCATIONS:

Manual Perez Woodwind Repair (Miami-based)

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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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