Back to School: Beginning Band & Orchestra Checklist

Choosing a student's first instrument is just the beginning of their musical journey. For band and orchestra directors, the challenge is not only guiding them to the right fit but also providing the tools and encouragement to practice effectively while fostering a lasting love for music. This article will explore methods for instrument selection, share valuable practice tools, and offer strategies to help you retain students and build a thriving program.

☑️ Instrument Selection

There are several ways to guide students in choosing their first instrument while still aiming for a balance between student interest, physical suitability, and the needs of the ensemble.

Methods for instrument selection:

• Present an instrument demonstration to showcase instruments up front, demonstrating the key components of sound production and perhaps playing a short, familiar tune on each instrument.
• Play recordings of famous pieces or musicians, or bring in instrument specialists to perform.
• Present a hands-on time where students can try making sounds on the instruments using mouthpieces, headjoints, or the bow. Many schools host a “petting zoo” where students receive a mini-lesson to see if they might have a natural fit for a particular instrument.
• Discuss options with individual students, gauging their interest levels for various instruments. Students are more likely to practice and succeed when they are excited about their instrument!

Things to take into account:

• Balanced instrumentation: estimate the number of students in the ensemble, sketching out the ideal balanced instrumentation, then gently guide students toward the instruments that are needed.
• Look at the inventory of school-owned instruments, assessing the likelihood of parents being able to rent instruments that the school doesn’t own—this especially applies to lower income areas and is also the case for larger instruments such as bassoon, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, string bass, cello, baritone, euphonium, and tuba.
• Assess a student’s suitability and aptitude, looking for physical characteristics such as dexterity and arm length, or a natural ability to make a sound on their instrument or keep a steady rhythm. This is where a “petting zoo” can be very helpful with your expertise.
• Include the parents by presenting a meeting to explain the different instruments and costs associated with each of them (reeds, mouthpieces, rock stops, rosin, etc.), as well as ease of transportation (if the student takes the bus every day, the tuba or bass may not be the best choice!).
• Make sure to address decisions that students may be making based on stereotypes. Girls can play tuba or string bass, and boys can play flute or violin.
• Keep an eye out for students who are struggling more than others as it may lead to them giving up and quitting. Consider buddying them up with a student that’s more experienced, looking at instrument alternatives, or giving them something that will provide early success to encourage them to continue (look at SI Extras below).

By combining these approaches, you can set your students up for success while fostering their newfound love for music and building a well-rounded ensemble. Remember that these initial choices aren’t set in stone. As you know, students often are added in later in the semester or decide to switch instruments midway through the year.

Check out these additional resources for instrument selection and seating charts:

• 8 Steps for Helping New Band Students Select Their Instruments by Robert Sheldon
• One Seating Chart Does Not Fit All by Chris M. Bernotas
• Put the "Impress" in First Impressions—How to Attract Bass Students for Your Orchestra by Bob Phillips

☑️ Instrument Setup & First Sounds

Instrument Introduction Videos No matter how you’re getting started with your beginning students—presenting an instrument “petting zoo,” introducing students to a new instrument every couple of weeks, or even if you’re helping more experienced students switch to a new instrument— Sound Innovations ’ introductory instructional videos will help you and your students get started right away.

Instructional videos are available for instrument setup, embouchure, mallet and reed introductions, tightening the bow, and more. These are easy and free to access on SI Online, Sound Innovations ’ hub for teaching and practice resources, but we’ve also provided quick and easy access on our blog post here .

Sound Innovations MasterClass videos feature professional teachers who demonstrate key skills from instrument setup all the way through their final solo at the end of Book 1.

☑️ Practice Tools

And now comes the age-old practice of how to get students to practice their new instrument. Students don’t come with the skills and discipline to practice right away, and thanks to advances in technology, there are a lot of great resources to encourage them.

SI Online As mentioned above, every Sound Innovations book includes free access to SI Online, a website that houses all supplemental worksheets, practice tracks, alternate tunes, extra full ensemble pieces, instrument-specific instructional videos, and more—all available with no login required. The accompaniment tracks can be slowed down, sped up, and looped for difficult sections—perfect for beginners.

The supplemental PDFs include music theory, history, scale exercises, chorales, rhythm pages, and more for additional in-class or at-home reinforcement and differentiation. These resources support students from their very first notes to their final solo while providing flexibility to tailor pacing and instruction to meet the unique needs of the ensemble.

Free Access to MakeMusic Cloud Sound Innovations for String Orchestra, Book 1 , and Sound Innovations for Concert Band, Book 1 , are both available completely free in MakeMusic Cloud so that your students can access the practice tools even without a MakeMusic Cloud subscription. Your students will receive immediate feedback while they practice, showing them what notes they missed or got right. That way they don’t come to class having learned something the wrong way, saving you precious time correcting notes, allowing you to focus on musicianship and technique.

Simply go to makemusic.com and open either book to start practicing.

MakeMusic Cloud Subscriptions Make Practice More Epic MakeMusic Cloud subscriptions have access to Practice Quest (in Beta) as well as SI Extras (see below to learn more!). Practice Quest (currently only on select titles) turns each practice session into a game where students progress through an exercise or song, breaking down challenging pieces into simpler, manageable steps that they can practice continuously until they learn the part.

Start a free 30-day MakeMusic Cloud trial (or login to your account) to try this feature out yourself !

Bring on the Superheroes with SI Extras Imagine one of your students practicing at home. There are brothers and sisters and pets running amok. The student sets up their instrument, gets their method book out, and starts playing the only 2 notes they’ve learned so far. They play once or twice, then get bored. Or distracted. Or both. While your students play their basic (and sometimes repetitive) exercises, they can easily lose interest. But now they can play those basic but essential exercises, set to epic movie soundtracks with SI Extras .

With SI Extras , Sound Innovations, Book 1 exercises are perfectly paired with thrilling soundtrack accompaniments from their favorite DC superhero movies and TV shows, available exclusively with a paid MakeMusic Cloud subscription. The soundtracks include Batman, Superman, Shazam!, Wonder Woman, The Flash, DC League of Super-Pets, Black Adam, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and more!

Learn more at alfred.com/SIExtras .

Additional resources for getting students started: Beginning Double Bass: Fundamentals for the First Few Lessons by Bob Cerulli The Foundations Series: Engaging Music Fundamentals by Brian Balmages and Fred Flowerday Solving the Problems for Beginner Strings by Paul Wood and Mark Wilson

☑️ Tools for Retention

So you have a room full of band or orchestra kids, and they’re choosing instruments and finding out how to make their first sounds. Now what? How do you encourage them to stay, especially if they’re braving the change from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school?

Play Music as Soon as You Can We know how short attention spans can be, coupled with how hard it is to learn something new, so in general, talk less and play more! As soon as students are able, play real music. Students will be motivated to learn even more when they see, or hear, the result of their work as well as making music with their peers. It is an amazing feeling when you play as an ensemble for the first time—there is so much to be proud of!

Look for music they can play early on, such as Sound Differentiation for Beginning String Orchestra , SI Extras or Brian Balmages’ Foundation Series in MakeMusic Cloud, or even level 1 play-along books that students can borrow during lunch time or after school practice. In addition, once students play as an ensemble, a band in particular, a new set of skills needs attention. The Sound Innovations Ensemble Development series by Peter Boonshaft and Chris Bernotas was designed to help students sound their best in this new, ensemble environment.

Create a Safe Environment for Messing Up At the beginning, we know there are going to be many clarinet squeaks, that the saxophones will closely resemble feral ducks, the flutes will have trouble making any sound whatsoever, not to mention pizzicato, bow holds, and pancake hands galore! To set up a safe environment, make sure students know those sounds will happen and they are perfectly OK—this is a safe space inclusive of students at all ability levels. They can squeak as many times as they need, as they figure out how to make the mechanics work without fear of being laughed at or lectured at in front of their friends. Make it known that the band/orchestra room is the perfect place to experiment with adjusting embouchures, postures, bow holds, and more. For students continuing to struggle, consider changing up your seating chart so that they sit next to more experienced students or students who are just catching on faster, or offer special times where students can come get help.

Help Your Students See the Real-World Skills Students may be tempted to quit because they may not see the connection between their band or orchestra class and broader musical experiences or future opportunities. Often, schools emphasize sports over music, and students need to see that their involvement in band or orchestra is equally important. They are learning the importance of teamwork and cooperation, just like their football-playing friends (albeit with a much lower chance of physical injury!), and the incredible value of learning how to work hard —skills they will carry with them the rest of their lives. As you know, as a band or orchestra teacher, you have the opportunity to teach the whole student much more than just musical skills.

Involve the Parents & Communicate Well Students of all levels are more likely to stick to playing an instrument when their parents are involved. If you fear that a student is going to quit and that they’d truly benefit from staying, take the time to call their parents and express your concern. Also, send a note or make a call just to tell a parent that their child is doing amazing with their musical study. Too often, calls home are for discipline, and it is always appreciated when we share good news as well. Both students and parents will notice that you care and may be willing to discuss and work out any roadblocks that may be in the way of the student staying.

Check out these excellent resources for retention: Recruit, Register, Retain, Repeat: The Life Cycle of Recruitment by Kirk D. Moss, Ph.D. Let Your Experience Be Their Guide: When Students Consider Quitting Music by Scott Watson Keeping Students in Music: Tips for Retention by Scott Watson Using Music to Teach Students Other Real-World Skills by Chris M. Bernotas Beyond the Lessons—Teaching People, Not Just Music by Richard Meyer Peer Mentoring in the Instrumental, Choral, and General Music Classroom by Peggy J. Richard

From those exciting first notes to navigating the challenges of consistent practice and balancing competing interests, the journey of a young musician is dynamic and rewarding. By thoughtfully guiding instrument selection, equipping students with engaging practice tools, and nurturing a supportive, encouraging environment, you can significantly boost retention. Remember, every student who stays in band or orchestra strengthens not just your ensemble, but also develops invaluable life skills like teamwork, discipline, and perseverance that extend far beyond the rehearsal room. Keep up the good work you’re doing!