Welcome to the Hudson Beginning Band Website!
Step 1: Explore the Instruments!
Students explored the instruments by watching videos, holding each instrument, and taking several musical assessments. To view what your students watched, you can find the Virtual Classroom Here: Virtual Band Room
Step 2: Beginning Band Handbook
Parents, this step is for you! Please read through the beginning band handbook for information on schedule requirements, cost (including purchase/rental options), and more. The handbook is located here: Beginning Band Handbook
Step 3: Return the permission slip by May 14th!
Your student was given a permission slip after we did our instrument exploration. Please have your child return this slip (indicating Yes, Maybe or No to band) by Friday, May 14th (or e-mail me your response!).
Step 4: Instrument Assignment
After you return your permission slip, I will assign your student's final instrument! Please do not order an instrument/materials until I have made the final recommendation. A band is like a football team- we need all of the instruments (think of them like positions) for our band to sound and work great! If we have a band of all flutes, or all drummers- we won't have the balance we need and it would not sound very good. My job as the band director is to make sure we have each instrument represented and to be sure you pick the instrument that is best for you! Once I make the assignment, I will e-mail you at the e-mail you provided to give you your student's instrument assignment.
Step 5: Attend the Beginning Band Meeting for Parents
On Thursday, May 20th at 6:30 PM, there will be a Beginning Band Meeting that will go over information with parents about renting/purchasing instruments, supplies you will need, what the program is like, etc. Please plan to attend this meeting, especially if you have not had a child in band before!
Step 6: Order/Purchase instruments!
After attending the meeting, you can order your instrument! Reference the Beginning Band packet above for options, but remember, the best option is to rent-to-own through West Music. Since we aren't doing mouthpiece testing this year, it's better to rent from West first so that we can be sure your student's instrument is the best fit for them before purchasing outright. To do so, go to their site at https://content.westmusic.com/in-our-stores/music-instrument-rental/ to place your instrument order (you will be able to see pricing on their site), and watch the video below for an explanation on how their program works.
If you receive your recommendation and you have questions, contact me via e-mail and we can discuss your questions, or we can set up an individual Zoom meeting to talk face-to-face.