Beginning Band Links:
4th grade Recruitment Parent Page
Essential Elements Interactive
Beginner Help Guide
Practice Tips

Beginning Band - Where the fun starts!

4th Grade Parents, Your Action is required!
Hello 4th Grade Students and Parents!

We are organizing the Oak Grove Beginning Band for 2017-18 and we want you to join us for a great year of fun playing music!

Soon, all 4th grade students will come to the band room to meet the director, hear all the instruments demonstrated and discuss band activities, learning an instrument, and making music.  They will get a chance to handle the instruments and “try them on for size”.  I will then use each child's physical characteristics, musical aptitude, and past experience to help guide them to choose the instrument that I think they will be most successful on.  Often times it is a choice of more than one instrument and will require follow up conversation between you and your child to decide which one to start on. Afterwards, I will ask you to please take some time to discuss instrument choices  and come to a decision about which one they would like to play.

I have created a special 4th grade band parent web page loaded with information and several YouTube videos that demonstrate the different instruments and their capabilities. This page should help you determine what instrument your son or daughter would like to study and answer many of your questions!

Beginning Band Recruitment Night will take place on Monday, Sept. 11th in the band room! One parent only need to attend. Due to limited space, and the tenor of the meeting being geared towards coaching you the parent, please do not bring children. We will discuss band requirements, materials and procedures and how to go about renting or purchasing an instrument.  A representative from Music and Arts Center will be on hand to lead us through the fine points. After the presentation, you can stay to ask questions, rent in person, or online in the comfort of your home.  If you are planning on using an instrument you already own, please bring it to the meeting so we can evaluate its playing condition. Depending on long it has been since it was last regularly used, it may have to go in for a “tune up” (sorry) to be deemed playable.

Please check the lesson schedule on the band web site.  We ask that students and parents commit to our program for at least one full school year (the time required to develop beginning skills).

I look forward to seeing you soon!

-Dave Jones
 

Parents - Please watch this short video on "How playing an instrument benefits the brain."
Which Band Book will my child need?