Beginning Band

Welcome to the District 159 Band Program!! As 5th grade Beginning Band Members, you will learn all the basic skills on your instrument. With responsibility, focus, and hard work, we can LEARN and GO PLACES through MUSIC! Thank you for your continued support and commitment. If you have questions for the 5th & 6th Grade Band Director, Ms. Perry, please EMAIL her at [email protected].

 

• STUDENT NAME
• What Grade School your Child attends
• Name of their 5th grade Teacher
• WHAT INSTRUMENT they would like to play (OPTIONS that are left as of 10/4: Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone.... Flute spots and Percussion (drum) spots are all full)

CLICK HERE for more information on rental fees.  Have additional questions, not sure if rental is for you?  Please contact Ms. Perry via email so that we can do our best to make it work for you and your family, and also answer your questions.

Band Instruments your child can choose to play as of 10/4/21:  Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone.  Due to COVID, we cannot have students try instruments at school to figure out what they fit best on- however, we still have options to help your child figure it out.  You can call the Quinlan and Fabish store and schedule a time to drive there and have your child try the instruments with one of their representatives to help you through the process and rent onsite- if you choose this, please do so BEFORE Monday, October 4th and let Ms. Perry know.  You can also watch THIS VIDEO ​​created by our very own District 159 Band students to see the options for what instrument your child can choose, hear what it sounds like, and hear from the students why they joined Band.  

 

Please keep in mind, a good band has a GOOD BALANCE of instruments- unfortunately not everyone can play Flute or Drums!  So please keep a second choice in mind, as those spots fill up fast.

 

If you have any questions, please contact me, Ms. Jennifer Perry, Director, at (708) 720-9734 or by email at[email protected]. My office is located at Colin Powell Middle School.

Pending administrative approval, we will have TWO Band Concerts- one in early February and one in late April/early May.  The Uniform for Beginning Band Concerts is as follows:

• White Beginning Band Shirt (we pass these out to students at school, just before the concert)
• Solid Black Dress Pants or Black Skirt with solid black leggings/nylons underneath (parent provided)
• Black Socks (parent provided)
• Black Dress Shoes or All Black Shoes with no color or white detailing (parent provided)

-After you attend Sign Up Night and rent the instrument, Band Lessons are held at your child's elementary school, once a week, BEFORE school - drop off no earlier than 7:10am, no later than 7:25am.  Parents will need to provide transportation on your school's assigned day (schedule will be handed out to you at Sign Up Night).  Attending weekly Band Lessons is part of your child's grade for Band, so it is important to understand this commitment and communicate with Ms. Perry in advance of any missed rehearsals due to emergency or absence from school.  If your child is well enough to go to school, they are well enough to wake up early and make it to Band Lessons once a week. 

 

-Every Beginning Band student should practice AT LEAST 30 minutes, 2-3 times per week, at HOME. This is their Band homework, just like any other class.  Please arrange a practice time that will work for your family.

-Check that your child is using the Band method book, Essential Elements, to practice. They should be READING MUSIC at all times.

-Please do not allow any other child to play the instrument (younger siblings, cousins, etc). This is how instruments and instrument parts get broken, tampered with, or misplaced.

-Any repairs (stuck mouthpiece, bent/broken ligature, etc) should be taken DIRECTLY to Ms. Perry for repair…please do not try to repair it at home.  The rental plan you will get through Quinlan & Fabish covers all maintenance and repair through their own repair shop, and they provide your child with a loaner instrument to play in the meantime while theirs is being repaired.  All loaners are ultrasonic cleaned, sterilized, and left to sit for 72 hours between uses to ensure complete safety between uses.