My students are very eager to learn how to play their instruments. This is the first opportunity they have to participate in band or orchestra.
My students are 5th graders in their first year of band and orchestra.
The school district provides the instruments for students to use, while the students provide their own consumable items such as reeds, oils, rosin and lesson books.
The instrumental program is well received among the staff and very popular with the students in my building. It is typical that 70-80% of the 5th grade population learns an instrument in any given year.
My Project
With a high participation rate and normal wear and tear, the instruments are really showing their age. Many of the instruments are well past 30 years old, while several are from the 1950s and 1960s. I am trying to extend their life by replacing parts, mouthpieces and strings as much as I can since currently there is no long-range instrument replacement plan.
Even though there is the perception that beginning instrumentalists produce a less than desirable sound during the earlier stages of progress, given a few months of quality instruction with instruments in good condition, they can and are able to perform quite well.
It is really amazing at how much difference the instrument makes.
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