Instrument Selection Process

Starting in the 5th grade, students in the Lammersville Unified School District will continue their musical education by using all they’ve learned in classroom music to join a performing ensemble. Students will be given the opporutnity to select their instrument in the spring/summer before their 5th grade year.

A performing ensemble is like a team of musicians coming together to play music or sing. Think of it as a group of friends working together to create beautiful sounds. Each member of the ensemble plays a different instrument, such as a trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, trombone, percussion, string bass, or violin, sings, or contributes in other ways. They all follow a conductor or leader who guides them through the music. Together, they practice and perform pieces of music, ranging from classical symphonies to modern pop songs, entertaining audiences with their harmonious blend of sounds. Whether it's a small chamber group, a large orchestra, or a choir, performing ensembles bring music to life through collaboration and teamwork.

Students in the 5th grade will have the opportunity to choose which kind of performance ensemble they would like to be a part of, whether it is in the band by playing a brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument, the orchestra by playing a string instrument, or in the choir by singing.  We are excited to give all 5th graders this opportunity to begin to express their musical talents in a new way.  Before you make your decision, we want you to be aware of the instruments that we teach in the 5th grade.  We encourage you to view the video links below to discover what each instrument looks and sounds like, and a little bit about the instrument itself.  At the end of this message, you will have an opportunity to select the instrument you would prefer to learn next year.

 

Instrument Demo Videos

If you already know what instrument you want to play, or if you just made your decision after reviewing the videos linked above, we are excited about your journey as you learn to play or sing together in your performing ensemble. 

 

It will be necessary for music teachers to place students on specific instruments in each ensemble so that the balance of instruments in the band, orchestra, or choir is equal.  (Nobody wants to hear an entire band full of flutes, or an orchestra full of violins!)  If you don’t get your first choice of instrument, you will still have a great time learning a new instrument, and playing with a performing ensemble.  

 

The district has a limited number of instruments that can be loaned to students, so it may be necessary for you to rent or purchase an instrument once teachers have made the final placement decision.  Students who borrow instruments from the school district will have the option to purchase coverage for the instrument in case of damage, loss, or theft.

 

DO NOT RENT OR PURCHASE an instrument until your teacher has made the final placement.  In addition, the quality of the instrument matters!  DO NOT purchase instruments from Amazon, WalMart, or Costco as they may not be quality instruments that will work for your class.  Once placements are made, teachers will recommend instrument brands, rental vendors, and/or places to rent or purchase your quality instrument.  

We look forward to our 5th grade students participating in performing ensembles during their 5th grade year, and we hope that their experience will encourage them to continue with their performance ensemble during the rest of their middle school, and into the high school years.  Research shows that students who participate in performing ensembles throughout middle and high school score higher on SAT tests, and that colleges tend to favor students who show successful dedication to a discipline like music during all 4 years of high school.