Spofford Pond Bands

Dear Parents of Beginning Band Students,

Your child finally has the opportunity to do what so many successful students have done before them, be a part of the Spofford Pond Band! Music education is more than just playing an instrument. It is immersing your child in a team of students who work together to create beautiful music. It will encourage and challenge your child to set goals, practice, build self-esteem, and express themselves, all while making friends and having fun.

The students will have an instrumental demonstration on Sept. 6th during the school day to help them learn about the instruments they can play this year and ask questions.

Below is some helpful information for you as your child embarks on this wonderful opportunity. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have. sphipps@boxfordschools.org

All students in grades 4-6 are invited to start learning a band instrument at Spofford Pond School. There is an excellent tradition of band at Spofford Pond and we encourage all students to try it out. We have many performance opportunities throughout the year, including concerts at Masconomet High School, the Memorial Day Assembly, the Memorial Day Parade, the Senior Center Performance and the Annual Fisher Cats Baseball Game.

Last Spring the Beginning Band played a demonstration concert for the 3rd Grade students to introduce them to the instruments they can play this year. During the first week of school this year, there will be an assembly for all 4th grade students to learn more about each instrument and help them decide which one they may want to play this year. Students in 5th and 6th Grade are welcome to stop by and see Ms. Phipps to learn more about the instrumental opportunities for them. Parents will have their own informational session on Sept. 13th at 6:00pm at the Spofford Pond School, just prior to renting an instrument for your child.

Now is the time to start your child in Instrumental Music at the Spofford Pond School. I can’t promise that every child will be a musical prodigy, but I can promise they will learn, laugh and grow along the way to becoming a musician. Below are details of what each student will need to do to sign up for the Instrumental Music Program.

• Beginner Enrollment needs to be completed online ONLINE ENROLLMENT FORM by Sept. 9th.

• All families need to complete a Memorandum of Understanding Form.

• There is a $450 Fee to participate in band. The fee is paid through www.MySchoolBucks.com. (The Central Office is currently setting this up. I will notify you when it is live.)

• Students will need a working instrument and a “Tradition of Excellence Book 1 by Bruce Pearson and Ryan Nowlin” for their lessons - this comes with the rental instrument if you are renting.

• Rental Night is Tuesday, Sept.10th from 600-700pm at Masconomet High School. If you cannot make that time, you can order an instrument at www.davidfrenchmusic.com before the rental night and they will make every effort to bring it with them on rental night.

• Percussion students will rent a "Percussion Kit" that looks like small luggage. It includes a snare drum and bell set. Students will be asked to bring this to school only on the first day of lessons so we can show them how to set up the instruments at home. After that, they will only bring their drumsticks, mallets, and the band book. There are a limited number of spots for percussion students this year due to supply of percussion kits so sign up early.

NOTE: Unless you have a family instrument, I always suggest renting an instrument. The rental is a "pay to own" program and that includes free repairs on the instrument if it should get broken or need something throughout the year. The company comes out to Spofford School once a week to pick up repair instruments and drop off loaner instruments for the students to use while their instrument is being repaired. Please make sure to either rent an instrument or purchase one before Sept. 18th when lessons begin. Be aware when purchasing an instrument online as all instruments are not made equally. If you are unsure about an instrument purchase, email me or bring the instrument to me and I will try it out for you.

There will be a brief parent meeting at the beginning of the Rental Night on Sept. 10th (6:00pm) to quickly give you an overview of the Spofford Pond Band Program. You will be able to fill out the rental form online while in the meeting and ask me any questions at the end. Once the meeting is complete, you will be able to quickly rent the instrument. The new online format will allow the company to get your instrument rental ready while you are in the meeting.

THE RENTAL MEETING AND RENTAL ARE BOTH AT MASCONOMET HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA

• Lessons, small groups by instrument, are 30 minutes once a week. The students come to lessons on the same day each week, but the time rotates so they do not miss the same class each week.

• I will send out a completed lesson schedule to all families. Lessons begin the week of Sept. 16th.

• Full Band begins in mid-October from 730-830am on Tuesday and Friday mornings. This is when all beginners meet together as a band.

• There will be three concerts for the Beginning Band (4th Grade) this year.

• A working instrument. Instruments can be rented from David French Music at Instrument Rental Night or order it before school starts at www.davidfrenchmusic.com. David French Music will delver the instrument and book to school on rental night if your order it ahead of time. It is highly recommended first year students rent an instrument as repairs will be covered by the rental company. The rental company will also bring them a loaner instrument to play while they repair their instrument.

• If you have an instrument at home that you would like your child to play, please make sure it is in working order. There is nothing more frustrating for a beginner if the instrument will not get a sound when they start out. You can take it to a local repair shop or contact me to take a look at it to let you know what condition it is in.

• While there are many good instrument onlines, please be careful of online purchases of instruments as they are sometimes not as good as they first appear. I am happy to help in any way I can if you need advice.

• Yes, students are expected to practice 20-30 minutes a night, 5 days a week. For the first few weeks, the time will be less as they build muscles to learn to play.

• No, I will not ask them to keep a practice log.

• Yes, I will have them keep track of what days they practice and will fill out a “ritual sheet” with them each week to tell them what they should play each night. These sheets are returned each week for a sticker.

• I have found that it works best to teach the students strategies for practicing and give them a list of things to practice rather than keep track of time.

"Being a part of a well-structured school music program can help your child build their social skills. It can help shape self-confidence, gives a sense of self-accomplishment, fosters teamwork and provides children a safe social setting to make long lasting friendships and a feeling of belonging." May 9, 2023 www.nemc.com

• Starting a new instrument is fun and sometimes frustrating. Please contact me if your child is struggling or just needs some extra help. I am happy to offer some extra help anytime it is needed. Very often it is something small that is causing the frustration so it is best to take care of it early. sphipps@boxfordschools.org.