CRANBURY SCHOOL
GRADE 4
BAND INSTRUMENT SELECTION LOTTERY
Dear Parents,
This is a very exciting time for our soon-to-be fourth grade students! They now have the
opportunity to choose a musical instrument and join the school band. Below you will find
pictures and descriptions of each of the instruments from which students may choose. On the
instrument selection form at the end of this letter, students should list their instrument choices in
order from highest to lowest preference. This form must be returned to the main office no later
than the morning of Tuesday, June 14. Then, at 3:15PM on Tuesday, June 14, we will hold our
annual instrument selection lottery in the Large Group Room. In order to have a balanced band,
we are limited to a certain number of instruments in each section of the band. Therefore, at the
lottery, we will draw names to fill the number of instruments we have available in each section.
Every student will be assigned to their ‘first-choice instrument’ until the number of instruments
available in that section becomes filled. At that point, students would be assigned to their next
choice based on their order of preference as indicated on the attached sheet. Please review the
information below with your child when considering her/his order of instrument choices.
WOODWINDS
Flute
The flute is the smallest and highest pitched
beginning band instrument. It is a member of the
woodwind family, even though it is made of metal
and does not use a reed to create the sound. In order
to produce a tone on the flute, the player blows
across the tone hole of the mouthpiece, allowing the
air to split at the far edge of the hole. That creates a
whistle sound. It uses the same principle as a
whistle or blowing across a soda bottle. In all cases
the air splits to create a sound. Aiming a thin air
stream at the edge of the hole to make a sound can
be a bit challenging at first but it gets much easier with time and practice.
The flute is one of the more popular instruments. The flute is used in many different musical
genres, so a flautist has the opportunity to perform in bands, symphony orchestras, some jazz
groups and small instrumental groups. The flute also works well as a solo instrument. There will
be eleven available slots for flutes in the fourth grade band.
Bb Clarinet
The clarinet is a member of the woodwind family. The sound
is produced by a vibrating single reed, which is the same
sound producing method as the saxophone. Other similarities
to the saxophone make the clarinet a good starting
instrument for students who may want to move to the
saxophone later on.
The clarinet is a very popular instrument for beginners and is
a very widely used instrument. Clarinets play a critical role in bands, symphony orchestras, jazz
groups and small instrumental groups. The styles that characterize the clarinet vary from a
Mozart clarinet concerto to Dixieland jazz. In both cases, the sound can be beautiful but the two
styles sound completely different. The clarinet also works well as a solo instrument. There will
be eleven available slots for clarinets in the fourth grade band.
Bass Clarinet
The bass clarinet is a longer, curved instrument, similar to the shape of a
saxophone, but played very similarly to the Bb Clarinet. This instrument is a
low voice in the band, and often plays bass lines comparable to those of the
tuba or string bass. Concert bands and symphony orchestras use these
instruments now and they are sometimes seen in jazz groups. Since all
clarinets are similar, a good advanced clarinetist can switch to any of these
instruments as needed for performances. The school provides bass clarinets
for students, so they do not have to be rented. There will be two available
slots for bass clarinets in the fourth grade band.
Alto Saxophone
The saxophone is a member of the woodwind family, even though it
is made almost entirely of metal. A vibrating single reed, similarly to
the clarinet, produces the sound. The clarinet and saxophone are
similar in many ways. The most popular and best beginning
instrument is the Eb alto saxophone. The saxophone is a very widely
used instrument. They play a critical role in bands, jazz groups and
small instrumental groups. It is especially common to see a number
of saxophones of various sizes in jazz groups. Professional jazz
saxophonists tend to play more than one saxophone. They may own
and perform on the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones as
well as the flute and clarinet. Some students will have the option to try the tenor or baritone
saxophones in future years. There will be eleven available slots for alto saxophones in the fourth
grade band.
BRASS
Trumpet
The trumpet is the smallest and highest sounding member of
the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is
produced by buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece. The
trumpet is certainly one of the most popular instruments for
young players. It is a very versatile and widely used
instrument. Trumpets are always needed in bands,
symphony orchestras, jazz groups and small instrumental
groups. It is very common for the trumpet to perform a large
number of solos and melodic lines in all of these groups. The trumpet also works well as a solo
instrument. There will be eleven available slots for trumpets in the fourth grade band.
French Horn
The French horn, often referred to simply as the “horn”, is an
elegant member of the brass family. As with all brass
instruments, the sound is produced by buzzing the lips into a
mouthpiece. The French horn is a beautiful sounding instrument,
but beginners should proceed with caution. Due to the way a
horn is constructed, it is more difficult for young students to play
the correct notes. The French horn can be a great beginning instrument for someone who already
has some music background and has the ability to match pitches correctly with the voice. The
student should be able to sing in tune in order to know when they are playing the correct pitches
on their horn. There will be four available slots for French horns in the fourth grade band
Trombone
The trombone is a member of the brass family.
As with all brass instruments, the sound is
produced by buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece.
A unique feature of the trombone is the slide.
While other brass instruments change pitches by
pressing valves to change the length of the
airflow, the trombone player simply moves the
slide in and out to the change the length of the
instrument. Students who play the trombone
should have a good ear and be able to sing in
tune. Students who have an ability to match
pitches will know when the slide is slightly too far in or out. But other than that, it is a relatively
easy instrument for beginners. The trombone is considered one of the most widely used
instruments. We can hear trombones in bands, symphony orchestras, jazz groups, brass quintets
and as solo instruments. There will be eleven available slots for trombones in the fourth grade
band.
Baritone Horn
The baritone is a member of the brass family. As with all brass
instruments, the sound is produced by buzzing the lips into a
mouthpiece. The baritone works in the same manner as a trumpet
but it is twice the length. It plays the exact same notes as a
trombone and even uses the same mouthpiece. The biggest
difference is that the baritone uses valves rather than a slide to
change the length of the airflow. The baritone is relatively easy to
learn for beginners. The deep beautiful tone from a baritone is
attractive to many students who like the sound of a lower voice.
Many students who like the tuba start out on the baritone with
plans to switch to the tuba after a year or two of band. The tuba is the same as a baritone in
nearly every way. It’s just twice the length. The baritone has unique uses in various types of
groups. We can hear baritones in bands, small ensembles or as a solo instrument. On the
professional level, baritones or euphoniums are used frequently in military bands and brass
bands. There will be four available slots for baritones in the fourth grade band.
So there you have it. The instrument choices available to beginning band students are:
 Flute
 Clarinet
 Bass Clarinet
 Alto Saxophone
 Trumpet
 French Horn
 Trombone
 Baritone Horn
There will be students assigned to the six available percussion openings and one keyboard
opening prior to the instrument lottery. If your child is not one of the students assigned to
percussion or keyboard, she/he is still free to choose from the above list of instruments.
Please fill out the attached form and have your child return it to the Main Office ASAP. The
instrument lottery will take place on June 14 at 3:15 in the Large Group Room. All forms must
be received by that Tuesday morning.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at ehaltmeier@cranburyschool.org if you have any
questions.
Sincerely,
Eric Haltmeier
INSTRUMENT SELECTION LOTTERY FORM
(Please return to the Main Office as soon as possible, but no later than Tuesday, June 14)
First and Last Name___________________________________________________________
Homeroom
Teacher_____________________________________________________________________
List your instrument preference from highest to lowest:
Instrument #1: ______________________________________________________
Instrument #2: ______________________________________________________
Instrument #3: ______________________________________________________
Instrument #4: ______________________________________________________
Instrument #5: ______________________________________________________
Instrument #6: ______________________________________________________
Instrument #7: ______________________________________________________
Instrument #8: ______________________________________________________