Mr. M’s former students perform with the Riordan High School band in Rome in 2024.
Which instruments can my child play in band?
Your child can choose any one of the following seven instruments. Just click here to see me play each of the instruments. Please note that percussion spots are limited.
Click the instrument you are interested in below to watch a short video of the instrument in performance by a professional.
What book does my child need for band?
Please buy a copy of the appropriate book for your child by clicking on the instrument name below. I will send you details later about linking your child’s book to my class.
• Flute
• Clarinet
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• Baritone
Where can you get an instrument?
You can get an instrument from one of the following stores. For beginners, I strongly recommend renting rather than buying:
• Bronstein Music in South San Francisco (650) 588-2502
• Union Music in San Francisco (415) 775-6043
• Inspire Music in San Francisco (415) 504-7921
• Heriz Music in Burlingame (650) 344-9414
• Hornucopia in San Carlos (650) 593-3050
• Clock Tower Music in San Carlos (650) 595-2024
• West Valley Music in Mountain View (650) 961-1566
• Interstate Music (online retailer)
• Woodwind and Brasswind (online retailer)
• Taylor Music 1800usaband.com (online retailer)
Why is it better for beginners to rent than buy?
You may have concerns about your child playing a rental instrument, but I believe renting is a better choice than buying for beginners. Here are my reasons for preferring rentals to purchases for beginners:
Rentals are sterilized during the summer.
They been serviced by a professional technician.
They can be returned if you change your mind.
The rental cost can be subtracted from the purchase price if you decide to buy.
Inexpensive instruments bought on the Internet often have serious problems:
They have not been adjusted by a technician.
They often cannot be repaired due to low-quality construction.
They cannot be returned if your child changes his or her mind.
What’s the best way to practice?
The best way to practice a musical instrument (or any complex skill) is to focus on goals—not on time spent. Rather than practice for a set amount of time, such as 30 minutes, students should set appropriate goals for each practice session and work until those goals are achieved. This method engages the mind and produces far better results over the long term. Here’s how to do it:
Divide the weekly assignment. Divide the work into groups depending on the number of times you practice each week. For example, if you practice four times, divide the assignment into four groups.
Set specific daily goals. Set goals for each practice session and write them down. The goals must be specific and achievable, such as these: “Play the first four measures of the song without mistakes,” “Play the tricky group of five notes in measure 37 without mistakes,” or “Play the slurring and tonguing pattern in measure 12 precisely as written.” For advanced students daily goals should also include technique building exercises such as scales, arpeggios, tonguing exercises, etc.
Focus completely on achieving each goal. Work until each daily goal is achieved, whether it takes 5 minutes or 30.
Choose new goals for the next practice. For the next practice session, set new daily goals and write them down. Again, work until each goal is achieved.
Seek advice and reflect on your progress. Ask your teacher, parents, classmates, or others with musical experience how you are doing. Use their comments to improve your playing. If a student consistently fails to achieve their goals, the goals are probably too general or too ambitious (or the student is not working hard enough).
How do you practice something that’s beyond your reach?
If you are trying to learn a passage of music that is beyond your current capability, there are two schools of thought on how to proceed. But before getting to them, please trust that “fast and sloppy,” the preferred method of children and inexperienced musicians, always remains fast and sloppy. If your aim is mastery, use one of the methods summarized below:
The old school method, which is widely used, is to play the passage very slow, at a tempo where you can play the notes without mistakes. Then you gradually speed up the tempo a few clicks at a time until performance tempo has been reached. For example, you start at the ponderously slow metronome tempo of 60 bpm, where the passage is playable and work until there are no mistakes. Then you step up to 66 bpm, then 72 bpm, and so on until you reach the desired tempo.
In the second method you start practicing at performance tempo right away. It sounds crazy, but many A-list musicians do this. You start practicing the passage at performance tempo, but only one note at a time. When you can play the first two notes at performance tempo, you add the third note. When you can play the first three notes at tempo, you add the fourth, and so on until you can play the entire passage at performance tempo. This method may appear to take longer, but according to those who prefer it, it actually saves time because you don’t have to “relearn” the music at performance tempo. You learn the fast bodily motions right away.
How do you chose the right instrument?
You want your child to be successful on their instrument, but not everyone is suited for every instrument. By educating yourself and your child about the instruments and discussing your concerns with me, you are more likely to choose an instrument that will work for your child.
Gone are the days of, "I'm going to play the flute because we have one in the closet" or "I'll play the trumpet because my dad played it in school." In fact, those often turn out to be the worst reasons for choosing a particular instrument.
A student may be assigned to play an instrument that is not his or her first choice. This occurs for one of two reasons: 1) the instrument does not suit your child's abilities or 2) the band has too many students playing that instrument. Just as a baseball team cannot have nine catchers, a band cannot have too many students playing the same instrument.
What is a concert band?
The Owl program is modeled on a type of musical ensemble called a concert band, although we play other styles of music. Please clink on the link below to watch a short video of our nation's premier concert band.
Click here to see a great concert band.
What are the levels of band and what will my child learn in each?
In beginning band, you can expect your child to learn how to play their instrument with good technique and tone. Beginning band provides the foundation for intermediate band, and students who complete beginning band are eligible automatically for intermediate band.
In intermediate band, your child will continue working on technique and tone and learn how to read music and play in an ensemble. Students who complete intermediate band and want to continue to advanced band must pass an admissions test, which is given in late April or early May.
In advanced band, your child will learn how to play complex music in a multi-part ensemble, where the emphasis is working with others to make a whole that is greater than the individual parts. Advanced band is for students who are willing to practice regularly and take challenges.
What are the other benefits of learning a musical instrument?
Albert Einstein famously said, "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in my music. I live my daydreams in music." The evidence that studying a musical instrument can make you smarter is growing each year.
Children who learn music in schools do better academically, excelling particularly in math and science. In one study, students enrolled in an instrumental music program had a 61% increase in reading and a 54% increase in math proficiency compared with their peers who did not have instrumental music instruction.
Music instruction has been proven to improve auditory processing, one of the foundations of academic success.
On the SAT, music students scored 38 points higher on the verbal section and 21 points higher on the math section than the national average.
Musicians are 52 percent more likely to go to college and other higher education than non-musicians.
Music majors have the highest rate of admission to medical schools, followed by biochemistry majors.
Brain scans show that playing music involves both left and right hemispheres more fully than any other activity studied.
Is band fun?
Learning a musical instrument is fun, but it requires effort. There are no shortcuts to progress and mastery. The more your child puts into it, the more he or she will get out of it. Learning a musical instrument is a virtuous circle. The more you practice, the better you get, and the better you get, the more you want to practice.
What is band tuition and when is it due?
Band tuition covers the cost of instruction. Band tuition does not cover the cost of instrument rentals and music books. Band is very affordable compared to private lessons.
There are two ways to pay your child's band tuition:
In full at the beginning of the school year, late August or early September
Divided into two equal payments, one in August/September and one in late January.
Please refer to the band enrollment form for current band tuition. Tuition checks should be payable to the school with your child's name and "band tuition" on the memo line. Band tuition is not refundable.
What are the four band rules?
Band class has four rules.
Bring instrument and all music to every class.
Absolutely no talking when we are working (without raising your hand first)
All music making stops instantly when the teacher gives the signal
No playing before the teacher starts the class
Which reeds are recommended for clarinet and saxophone players?
• 4th graders: 2
• 5th graders: 2.5
• 6th graders: 2.5 or 3
• 7th graders: 3
• 8th graders: 3.5
What can I do if my child has performance anxiety?
Performance anxiety can be quite distressing, but the good news is that there is help. For an excellent discussion of the types of performance anxiety and of ways to deal with them, visit the website of Andover Educators here.
What can I do if my child has dyslexia?
Legendary singer Tony Bennett says that having dyslexia has caused him to struggle reading sheet music. “I just have to work a lot slower. It comes a lot slower,” he says. “But good learning takes a long time. To really learn something, you have to keep doing it until it appears effortless. So it takes time.”
Many kids with dyslexia are successful at learning to play a musical instrument. However, doing so may require different strategies. For a full explanation of learning how to play a musical instrument with dyslexia, visit the learning and attention issues organization Understood’s website by clicking here: Understood.