Dear Band Parents (and Students,)
We are off to a great start in band and the students are very enthusiastic. It is important to help everyone keep that energy and excitement for his or her instrument, but it can be hard – especially in the beginning when it is difficult to make the correct sounds. Being prepared for class is crucially important for success since we only have music once a week. Please help your child remember to bring the book, binder, and instrument every Friday.
Regular practice is key to ‘getting over the hump’ and having this be a fun experience. While we ask students to practice for 20 minutes a day, in the beginning it can be difficult to spend that much time on it since we don’t know many notes or how to play many things. Spending 10 minutes on practice, putting it down while you do other homework, and then picking it up for another 10 minutes later on can help break things up and alleviate some of the monotony of those early practice sessions. As you progress, it will be easier to practice for 20 minutes straight without stopping.
Also, remember to be patient with yourself and don’t be afraid to make goofy sounds. Embrace that squawking, goose-like sound of the clarinet and the whisper that you get on the flute. Experimentation with your instrument is how you will get better and how those sounds will go away. Sometimes it is fun for the parents to give it a try too. When I was learning the trumpet, everyone in my family had to try it so that they could see how hard it is and be sympathetic when I practiced.
You also may have difficulty remembering hand positions and the basics of assembling your instruments correctly. To help you with this at home, I have included some web recommendations for beginning flute and clarinet from the Children’s Music Workshop. The name of the youtube channel is called ‘jointheorchestra.’
Here is the youtube link for How to Play Flute (jointheorchestra from Children’s Music Workshop)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5004DBB944498D21
And the one for How to Play Clarinet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL561317843105C8E9
Each is a series of short (1-4 minute long) clips that start with how to assemble your instrument correctly, and then move on to correct embouchure and how to play some beginning notes.
The students can put these on to guide their practice in the first week or so as they get comfortable with their instrument.
If you have any difficulties locating these videos, email me at [email protected] and I will send you a link in an email.
Regards,
Lisa Nyquist
NUSD music teacher
We are off to a great start in band and the students are very enthusiastic. It is important to help everyone keep that energy and excitement for his or her instrument, but it can be hard – especially in the beginning when it is difficult to make the correct sounds. Being prepared for class is crucially important for success since we only have music once a week. Please help your child remember to bring the book, binder, and instrument every Friday.
Regular practice is key to ‘getting over the hump’ and having this be a fun experience. While we ask students to practice for 20 minutes a day, in the beginning it can be difficult to spend that much time on it since we don’t know many notes or how to play many things. Spending 10 minutes on practice, putting it down while you do other homework, and then picking it up for another 10 minutes later on can help break things up and alleviate some of the monotony of those early practice sessions. As you progress, it will be easier to practice for 20 minutes straight without stopping.
Also, remember to be patient with yourself and don’t be afraid to make goofy sounds. Embrace that squawking, goose-like sound of the clarinet and the whisper that you get on the flute. Experimentation with your instrument is how you will get better and how those sounds will go away. Sometimes it is fun for the parents to give it a try too. When I was learning the trumpet, everyone in my family had to try it so that they could see how hard it is and be sympathetic when I practiced.
You also may have difficulty remembering hand positions and the basics of assembling your instruments correctly. To help you with this at home, I have included some web recommendations for beginning flute and clarinet from the Children’s Music Workshop. The name of the youtube channel is called ‘jointheorchestra.’
Here is the youtube link for How to Play Flute (jointheorchestra from Children’s Music Workshop)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5004DBB944498D21
And the one for How to Play Clarinet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL561317843105C8E9
Each is a series of short (1-4 minute long) clips that start with how to assemble your instrument correctly, and then move on to correct embouchure and how to play some beginning notes.
The students can put these on to guide their practice in the first week or so as they get comfortable with their instrument.
If you have any difficulties locating these videos, email me at [email protected] and I will send you a link in an email.
Regards,
Lisa Nyquist
NUSD music teacher