BEGINNING BAND INSTRUMENT NIGHT IS TONIGHT – MONDAY, APRIL 16TH AT LRMS
This is for students who will attend SMS or LRMS
The Beginning Band Instrument Night is on Monday, April 16th at Laurel Ridge Middle School. You may come any time between 6:00 & 7:30 to have your student try out any of these instruments. Mr. Dyer, Mr. Angeloni & Mr. Stai will be there, and you will be assisted by one of the Sherwood High School band members.
Teachers: Mr. Dyer & Mr. Angeloni
Mr. Mike Dyer is the beginning band teacher at SMS. You may contact Mr. Dyer at 503-825-5459 or mdyer@sherwood.k12.or.us
Mr. Greg Angeloni is the beginning band teacher at LRMS. You may contact Mr. Angeloni at503-825-5848 or gangeloni@sherwood.k12.or.us
CHOOSING YOUR BAND INSTRUMENT
You will need to select your band instrument when you sign up. Here are the options for beginning band.
Flute
Flute is the smallest and highest sounding instrument in the beginning band. You make sound on a flute by blowing over the mouthpiece. It’s kind of like making a sound by blowing over the top of a pop bottle. It has many keys and plays the highest notes.
Bassoon or Oboe
Bassoon & Oboe are unique instruments requiring special attention. Private lessons are a must, and we are lucky to have some excellent private teachers available. Expense is also an important consideration, both for the initial cost of a quality beginning instrument, and lessons and reeds.
Clarinet
Clarinet is one of the main melody instruments of the band. Composers write parts for the clarinet that are essential for the song to sound “right”. To be successful on Clarinet requires good finger dexterity with fingertips that are not too big or too slender, since you actually seal the tone holes with your fingertips just like recorder.
Saxophone
Saxophone is not offered as an option as a beginning instrument. We require that students interested in playing Saxophone must play Clarinet for at least one year before switching to Sax.
Trumpet/Cornet
Trumpet players make their sounds by buzzing their lips on a mouthpiece. Trumpet is the highest and smallest of the brass instruments and most often plays the melody.
French Horn
French Horn is the most challenging of all brass instruments! It is as long as a Tuba and can play notes as high as a trumpet. To play French Horn requires a superior ability to hear and match pitch. A few years of piano lessons are very helpful.
Trombone
Trombone plays some of the lower notes in the band. It requires a really good ear to hear the notes and place the slide exactly in the right place.
Baritone/Euphonium and Tuba
These three are the valved low brass instruments. They are played similar to trumpet, except that they are bigger and play lower notes. Tuba is the lowest and is the bass instrument for the band.
Bells & Percussion
To be successful as a percussionist you need a strong sense of beat and rhythm. A background as a pianist is very helpful.
Percussionists play Bells for most of the first half of the year. Usually mid-year, we add in drums along with other mallet instruments. Students must purchase or rent their own Bell set for the entire year. To be good at percussion is not easy but it’s worth it. Percussionists must be very good at managing their own behavior.
We would love to meet you and your student on April 16th at our Instrument Night from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Laurel Ridge Middle School.
Sherwood Bands 