Drew Allport, Band Director

Band Handbook

Chenango ForksElementary

2013-2014 School Year

Drew Allport, Band Director

This booklet gives you all the information you need to begin playing a band instrument this year. I am looking forward to a great year with all of you! Please read all the way through this with your parents so that everyone involved will know what is in store. Parents, it’s been my great pleasure to teach some of your older kids over the years, and it’s also a great pleasure to get some of them back as I am now also teaching CFHS band. However, serving both schools will stretch me pretty thin, and I will only be in the elementary school in the afternoons. It’s been necessary for me to dedicate a lot of time to the high school so far, and I appreciate your patience and understanding with getting things started this year in the elementary.

Instruments

Your child will be assigned an instrument before beginning lessons. I assign instruments based on some pretty simple guidelines:

1. Your child’s preferences: Students have had the opportunity to indicate which instruments they are most interested in playing, and I try to assign most people to their 1st or 2ndchoice.
2. Physical ability to play certain instruments: If time allows, students will try out several basic exercises in order to determine which instruments they are best suited for physically.
3. The needs of the band: Obviously, we cannot have a band of 50 flutes and

25percussionists. We need a balanced number of all of the instruments.

1. Availability of school instruments: Unfortunately, this has become a huge factor in these tough economic times. The school does have some instruments available at no cost for baritones, trombones, tubas and percussion, and at a nominal rental fee for others. From my experience, this school is better outfitted than many others I have known, but our supply of school instruments has been dwindling over the years; some of our instruments have been repaired multiple times and have pretty much worn out, and the school never has enough instruments for everyone. Those instruments that we do have, we try to get into the hands of the families with the greatest need. The majority of students and their families will have to look into other sources for a good instrument.

One of the best ways to ensure a good quality instrument without going out and buying one right away is a rental program. Here is the local store that I have had the most positive feedback on from parents:

HMS Music Supply (Rep. John Stark, formerly of Hesse Music)

27 Downs Ave, Binghamton, NY 13905

Phone: 725-5572

Email:

The 3 month trial period for rental, insurance,and taxis about $35 forflute, clarinet, and trumpet, $55 for alto Sax. All rental payments apply toward eventually purchasing the instrument if you wish. HMS rentsnew or “nearly new” instruments at very reasonable rates. (Be careful with rental instrument quality if you check other sources – it’s well worth a few extra bucks to have a top quality instrument that won’t be in constant need of repair and frustrate your child.) I’m also in regular contact with John Stark, as he also handles repairs and supplies for our school district. Again, I would encourage you to see if this option is financially possible for you.

You can also find a used instrument through the classifieds or Pennysaver, or, even better (free!) in the closet of a relative who no longer plays it and is willing to let you give it a try. If you go either route, please bring the instrument in if possible so that I can check it out and make sure it’s in good playing condition. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not buy a cheap instrument from Walmart or another bulk retailer! I have seen too many students struggling with poor quality instruments which are constantly breaking, out of tune, etc. and most cannot be repaired due to the poor quality of materials used in their manufacture. Either a quality used instrument or a rental instrument will give your child a much better experience, without the frustration of having to overcome the instrument’s poor quality just to make a decent sound.

Reeds and Care Items

Clarinet and Saxophone players will need reeds to play. The cost of reeds will be covered by the school district, and no payment is necessary. Please encourage your child to be careful with reeds, as he/she would take care of a school provided text book. A worn out or damaged reed will sound lousy no matter how good the player is that’s using it. You are welcome to buy your own reeds to have more on hand, but please check with Mr. Allport first so that you buy the appropriate strength. I also keep cork grease on hand; it’s not needed often and you won’t really need your own.

Flutes just need a soft, thin cloth to wipe off fingerprints and to use with the cleaning rod. A bandana handkerchief works best; the thinner the cloth the better.

Brass instruments (trumpet, trombone, baritone) will occasionally need valve or slide oil, as the machinery will stick after awhile. (This is special stuff, not WD-40 or 3-in-1) I keep a supply on hand at school, but it can be purchased at a music store for a few dollars if you would like to have your own around.

You can also purchase a “care kit” for your instrument which includes everything you’ll ever need to maintain the instrument in good condition. This isn’t required, but it’s not a bad idea, especially if you are buying the instrument rather than renting temporarily.

If there is a problem with an instrument, whether school, rental, or otherwise, please do not attempt to fix it — often what started as an easy fix becomes a major problem (and a major expense) if it isn’t done with proper tools and techniques. Bring the instrument in to me as soon as possible. If I can’t fix it, then it needs to go to the repair shop.

Band Book

The books we use are theStandard of Excellence band method. There is no charge for the books, as the Chenango Forks Central School district covers the cost of the books for all students. I order them in bulk as soon as the numbers of books needed are sorted out, and hand them out to students as soon as it’s appropriate. (If the new book is lost or damaged beyond usefulness, I keep used books from previous students that will be assigned.)

Lessons

Every student will have one ½ hour lesson per six day cycle. This lesson will always be on the same numbered day of the cycle (Day 1, 2, 3, etc.) but the time of the lesson will change each week so you don’t always miss the same class. You are responsible for finding out what you missed and making up the work. Lesson group lists and schedules will be posted in the band room and in your classroom so that you will know what time your lesson is each week. For the first lesson cycle I will walk through this with everyone to make it easier, but after that, it’s up to you. Write down your lesson time in your agenda as a reminder, and always bring your agenda to lessons. Attendance at all lessons is required. The 5th grade teachers have been very cooperative, and are most often willing to have missed tests or quizzes made up at another time during the day so that lessons will not be missed.

Rehearsals

Band rehearsals will start in October, after we have had a chance to assign instruments and get through the first few lessons. We will begin with everyone (Full Band, day 2), then separate into rehearsals for Woodwinds (day 5) and Brass (day 6); schedules will be posted in 5th grade classrooms, and I will give lots of advance notice when we are ready to begin. Band rehearsals are from 2:20 – 3:00. Chorus rehearses at about the same time onthe opposite three days (days 1, 3, and 4), so it is possible (and encouraged!) to be in both groups. Attendance at all band rehearsals is also mandatory.

The NI (No Instrument) Rule

You will need your instrument, lesson book, and a pencil for all lessons and rehearsals. Students without instruments will usually end up distracting the people around them and delaying rehearsals. This is unfair to the rest of the group; if a few kids are unprepared, the rest of the band suffers. It is YOUR job to keep track of when your lesson and band rehearsals are and to be prepared! If you do not bring your instrument to your lesson or band rehearsal, you will receive a mark of “NI” for that lesson or rehearsal. (If your lesson is on a rehearsal day, you will receive only one NI mark for that day). If a student receives three NI marks, I will send home a note or call home stating this as a warning. If the student continues to be consistently unprepared, he or she will be asked to leave the band.

Concerts

Attendance is required at all performances. If a student cannot attend for some reason, I need to know in writing as soon as possible, preferably before the concert. Our concerts this year are:

Wednesday, January 15th, 7:00 PM in the CFE Auditorium (snow date Thursday 1/16)

Wednesday, May 7th, 7:00 PM in the CFE Auditorium

We also usually perform for your 5th grade graduation in June. I will send home more details on these events as they approach.

Concert Dress

Our concert dress is pretty basic -- white shirt or blouse with black (or dark blue if you don’t have black) pants or skirts. Wear black (or dark) shoes and socks if possible.

Requirements

Most of this has been mentioned elsewhere, but here it is in a nutshell:

1. Attend all lessons and rehearsals (unless absent from school) with your instrument.
2. Attend all performances (including the two evening concerts as well as any during the school day, which will be announced later).
3. Be on time, prepared, and follow classroom rules in rehearsal. If you become a frequent discipline problem or are consistently unprepared, it is unfair to the group and you will be asked to leave the band.
4. If you find after trying it for awhile that band is not for you, a signed note from a parent or guardian is required for you to leave the band.

Parents Information

Parents, you may not believe this, but you are the largest single factor in determining how successful your child will be in learning an instrument. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help things go more smoothly:

A regular time and place to practice makes a big difference. Students will need a fairly well lit, comfortable place to play without distractions. The car, the back porch, or the woodshed aren’t really the best, and send students a definite message about how much you value this new activity.

After the first glow wears off, they may need some encouragement to keep practicing. This is homework, after all, and should be approached in a similar manner. I would recommend 20 minutes of practice time every day at first.

Don’t worry too much about hearing the occasional squeak, blat, or wrong note – that’s why we call it “practice”. Sometimes we have to start with some pretty rough sounds to get musical sounds later. Mr. Allport’s ironclad guarantee: if you practice, it WILL get better!

Please sign and returnto Mr. Allport by your first lesson:

My child ______and I have read this band handbook, and we understand the responsibilities of being a band member. My child has my permission to participate in band lessons and rehearsals, and also to perform in concerts scheduled through the school year. I understand that if my child fails to fulfill the requirements outlined in this handbook, he or she may be asked to leave the band.

Signature of Parent or Guardian

If you are interested in playing Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, or Trumpet, please check one of the following:

• I already own a band instrument (have one at home) ______

(Instrument:______)

• I will rent an instrument from HMS Music Supply (or another music store) ______

• I will need to rent a school instrument* ______

(*A note about school instrument rental: these will be assigned first based on financial need, and then on a first-come, first-served basis.)

School Percussion kits, Trombones, and Baritones are provided at no cost.