KOONTZ INTERMEDIATE
SCHOOL BEGINNING BAND
Rising 6th Grade Band Registration
May 2, 2012
Q:
Who can take 6th grade beginning
band?
A:
Any student entering the 6th grade at
Koontz Intermediate School.
Q:
Can students wait and begin band in
7th or 8th grade?
A:
No. The beginning class is only taught in
the 6th grade.
Q:
Is band a regularly scheduled class or
is it an after school activity?
A:
Band is a regularly scheduled class.
Q:
Is band a YEAR class or a SEMESTER
class?
A:
Band is a year long class.
Q:
Can students be in band and still play
sports?
A:
Absolutely! We encourage students to
be well rounded and physically active.
School and community sports activities
are usually after school and do not
interfere with band class.
Q:
What instruments are taught in 6th
grade beginning band?
A:
flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet,
trombone, baritone, tuba, and
percussion (drums)
Students who have had previous musical
training/lessons who can demonstrate
more advanced music skills may be
interested in oboe, bassoon, or French
horn.
Q:
Are students allowed to play any
instrument they want to?
A:
Most students will be able to play their
first choice (favorite), but we ask that
all students have two instruments in
mind in case we need to consider the
second instrument.
Mr. Ammons will help students choose
the BEST instrument for them.
Q:
Why would my child have to consider
his/her SECOND instrument choice?
A:
Two reasons:
1) If we have too many numbers of a
particular instrument (unbalanced
instrumentation)
2) Physical mismatch
PHYSICAL MISMATCHES
**Overbite or underbite
(brass)
**Teardrop shaped upper lip
(flute)
**Double jointed fingers
(woodwinds, percussion)
**Braces
(trumpet, French horn)
Q:
Is there a limit on the number of any
instrument?
A:
Yes. Alto Saxophone and Percussion
are limited. We do have to keep a
good balance of instruments for the
band to sound like a band. Generally we
want twice as many clarinets as flutes
and twice as many trumpets as
trombones.
TROMBONES ARE ALWAYS NEEDED!!
OUR TARGET NUMBERS…
100 - 125 students
12-14
Flute
20-25 Trumpet
3
Oboe
4
French Horn
2
Bassoon
15-16
Trombone
25-30
Clarinet
3
Baritone
8
Alto Sax
4-6
Tuba
2
Tenor Sax
10-12
Percussion
Q:
Why is there a limit on some
instruments?
A:
Sounds are like colors. To get vivid
and interesting pictures, you need
both dark and light colors. In music,
we need both high and low sounds to
make the music sound exciting and
interesting.
Would you settle for the 8 basic
crayon colors if you could get 64?
Q:
Are some instruments easier or
harder to play than others?
A:
Yes & No. Each instrument has its own
unique challenges, but since we start
everyone from scratch at the beginning
of the year, it is very easy to learn to
play any of the instruments if students
follow instructions.
The oboe, bassoon, and French horn
are a bit harder because they require a
good musical ear.
AND THE MOST
IMPORTANT QUESTION
ON THE MINDS OF
PARENTS…
Q:
How much is all of this going to cost
me?
A:
It doesn’t cost as much as you might
think. Family budgets are tight these
days. You want an easy and
affordable way to get the instrument
your child needs for band class.
Renting an instrument is that easy and
affordable way…
Q:
Why rent an instrument?
A:
Easy one to answer…
1. A quality name brand instrument
2. Service “after” the sale
3. Support from the store’s
educational representative.
Q:
Do I have to rent?
A:
No. You are free to get an
instrument wherever you like – a family
member, a neighbor, etc, but it must
be in good playing condition before
your child will be able to use it in
band class. An established instrument
brand is also important to look for…
IF YOU WANT TO RENT…
Several local music stores are equipped to
handle your band instrument rental needs.
You can get more information from Mr.
Ammons at the registration meeting on May
2nd.
BUYER BEWARE!
While all trumpets or clarinets may look the same, they are not
all built with the same care and expertise. It is very easy to
find yourself with an instrument that will fall apart rather
quickly or one that will not play at all or is difficult to play at
best.
The #1 reason students quit band after the first
year is a poor quality or unplayable instrument.
Mr. Ammons cautions parents to know what to look for if
purchasing an instrument rather than renting.
SUMMER CAMP!
We are offering a summer camp opportunity to get
your child off to a good start before school starts.
Participation is not required, but your child will benefit
from the experience.
This year’s camp is being held at CANE CREEK
MIDDLE SCHOOL (June 11-15). Cost is $90.00
Applications for this year’s camp can be found at
either the Koontz or Cane Creek band’s webpages and
will be available at the registration meeting May 2nd.
When is band registration?
We will be registering students for next year’s 6th grade band
at Koontz on:
Wednesday, May 2nd
4:00 or 7:00 pm
(Choose the time best for you)
in the cafeteria
Students must be accompanied by a parent. At this meeting we
will help students choose an appropriate instrument and we will
provide parents with information about instrument rentals,
summer camp, and other important details to help students
start the year on a great note!
I hope to see you on
nd
May 2 !
Anthony W. Ammons
Band Director
Koontz Intermediate School