September, 2020<\/p>\n
Dear Parents\/Guardians of students enrolled in Band,<\/p>\n
Welcome to our band!\u00a0 I am thrilled that your son\/daughter has chosen to play an instrument this year.\u00a0 Learning this new skill can lead to a life-long pastime and a love for music.\u00a0 In addition, countless studies have shown that learning to play a musical instrument provides a unique opportunity for cognitive development.<\/p>\n
Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Mr. Denroche.\u00a0 This is my twentieth year teaching Grade 7 Band in SD41.\u00a0 In addition to holding an Honours degree in Music Education from the University of Western Ontario, I have been a professional horn player for over thirty years.<\/p>\n
What instrument will my son\/daughter be playing? <\/p>\n Virtual Band Night \u2013\u00a0Essential Elements 2000 Book 1<\/strong>\u00a0method book\u00a0for your child\u2019s instrument<\/u>.<\/p>\n This year SD41 band teachers have decided to use our purchasing power to make a special purchase and the exact number of books my students will be needing this year have been ordered.\u00a0 They will be $15 (tax included).\u00a0 Plans are underway to have the purchase made through cash on line. \u2013\u00a0a 1\u2033 three-ring binder <\/strong>is highly recommended. \u00a0All the music your child will be getting over the year is much easier to organize if it\u2019s in a 1\u2033 binder.\u00a0 Instruments and music should be treated with respect.\u00a0 If music can not be stored flat inside the case, DO NOT PUT YOUR MUSIC INSIDE YOUR INSTRUMENT CASE. \u00a0In addition to possible damage to instruments, jamming music into cases results in music frequently falling off the music stand because it does not lie flat.<\/p>\n Reeds Oboe<\/u><\/strong> players – if the reeds I have ordered do not show up before the 29th, please buy one medium soft reed.<\/p>\n Folding music stand Buying an instrument If you have any questions, you may contact me through the school or at stephen.denroche@burnabyschools.ca<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Musically yours, – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" September, 2020 Dear Parents\/Guardians of students enrolled in Band, Welcome to our band!\u00a0 I am thrilled that your son\/daughter has chosen to play an instrument this year.\u00a0 Learning this new skill can lead to a life-long pastime and a love for music.\u00a0 In addition, countless studies have shown that learning to play a musical instrument … Continue reading Students should have:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4465,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4465"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":560,"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59\/revisions\/560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sd41blogs.ca\/denroches\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/u><\/strong>I will meet with all students before finalizing what instrument your child will play in class this year.\u00a0 Your child may be assigned an instrument other than his\/her first choice for either musical or physical reasons.\u00a0 I truly appreciate the flexibility shown by my students because our collective artistic experience is based on having a full range of instruments in our class – and your child\u2019s willingness to practice regularly!<\/p>\n
\n<\/u><\/strong>SD41\u2019s Virtual Band Night will be an online Zoom session 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept 29th<\/sup>.\u00a0 This free<\/u> one-time event provides an opportunity for each student to learn from an expert on their particular instrument how to assemble, lubricate (or not), clean, and establish good playing habits.\u00a0 This saves me having to go through this procedure with each different instrument during class time while others wait for their turn.\u00a0 Unless your child already plays the instrument, please attend!<\/u> It\u2019s the best way to have a great start to the year.\u00a0 If you can’t make the Zoom session, I believe they will be recorded so it can be viewed at a later date.<\/p>\n
\nOther than the instrument that has been decided upon with Mr. D,, what does my child need for class?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThat being said, I have been using Essential Elements for years.\u00a0 If you have a used book for your instrument that says Online Resources Included<\/strong> on the top left corner of the cover and the activation code on the first page hasn’t been used, you don’t need to buy a new book.<\/p>\n
\n<\/u><\/strong>All clarinet<\/u><\/strong> and saxophone<\/strong><\/u> players should have FOUR #2 <\/u>REEDS <\/strong>in a reed guard<\/u>.\u00a0 A reed guard, designed to store reeds flat and keep them from warping and being damaged in the case, is made of hard plastic.\u00a0 Reeds should not be stored on the mouthpiece but the student can use an old or damaged reed to keep the ligature from bending.\u00a0 I usually have reeds on hand for emergency use that I will sell at the beginning of class<\/u> – $2 for clarinet reeds, $3 for alto sax, and $4 for tenor sax.\u00a0 For the best in sound and embouchure development, most clarinetists will be using #2\u00bd early in the term.
\n—-\u00a0 If you buy a box of reeds for clarinet, please buy a box of #2\u00bd reeds along with four #2 reeds to start.\u00a0 Saxes can buy boxes of #2.<\/p>\n
\n<\/u><\/strong>If possible, please <\/span>buy a folding music stand<\/u> for your child\u2019s use at home to promote good posture and playing habits.<\/p>\n
\nPractice schedule<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Please set up a regular practice time with your son\/daughter.
\n<\/strong>Like all subjects, students will require different amounts of time to learn playing skills and assignments.\u00a0 Practicing a minimum of 15 minutes per day, at least three days per week <\/strong>is the best way to achieve a reasonable standard of performance and will make a huge difference in your child\u2019s progress and the quality of the band experience.\u00a0\u00a0 Band builds upon previous skills and it\u2019s very difficult to catch up once a student falls behind.<\/p>\n
\n<\/u><\/strong>I recommend renting an instrument for the year.\u00a0 However, for those who prefer to purchase an instrument for their child\u2019s use, I highly recommend making a purchase from a reputable music store that can repair the instrument<\/u><\/em>.\u00a0 Although some instruments can be bought for a price that seems too good to be true, they are often more difficult to play and can be expensive or even impossible to repair.\u00a0 Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding recommended brands to either purchase or rent.<\/p>\n
\nMr. D<\/p>\n