Redmond Region
Elementary Band Program
Serving Redmond, Rockwell, Mann and Audubon Elementary Schools
Mr. Furness & Mrs. Moody
Directors
The Lake Washington School District provides group instrumental music instruction for all 5th and 6th graders. The goals of this program are to introduce the student to performing music on an instrument, working within a group of other musicians, and help them progress to performing groups at the Junior and Senior High level. The Redmond Region instrumental music program has been very successful for several years, and we hope you and your child will choose to take part in this exciting and beneficial program.
Welcome back to band! It’s going to be a great year. Your two directors this year are Mr. Furness, who is also the band director at Redmond Junior High and Mrs. Moody, who is also the music teacher at Redmond Elementary. We are excited to have you in band!
Before band begins, there are some items you need to know:
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Second Year Band begins Monday September 12th. Our rehearsals will be on Mondays & Wednesdays in the Redmond Jr. High band room 119. (See info for First Year Beginning Band below).
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Rehearsals START at 7:40am. Please be sure to get to band early since the traffic is usually heavy during that time of the morning. A good target time to get to the band room is 7:30am.
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Rehearsals end at 8:25am. There will be a bus waiting outside to take you to your schools.
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It is extremely important that you please come prepared to every rehearsal. This means you need to have your Essential Elements 2000 book, sheet music, a working instrument, a pencil, adequate reeds or anything else your instrument requires.
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There are three concert dates currently set:
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Parents/Guardians, please e-mail Mr. Furness at DFurness@lwsd.org or call his voicemail at (425) 936-2801, ext. 54602 if your child is unable to attend rehearsal. This is for our Safe Arrival Program. Thank you.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact either Mr. Furness or Mrs. Moody. Again, we’re both very excited to have you in band. We’re looking forward to a great year!
Sincerely,
Mr. Furness & Mrs. Moody
Redmond Regional Band Directors
I. Where, when and how?
When do the band classes meet?
All band classes meet from 7:40—8:25 AM. Students should be at school by 7:30 to be ready for class. There are two rehearsals per week. First Year Band kids will meet every Tuesday or Friday in their sections and all first year students will meet on Thursday.
Who are the instructors for the classes?
Mr. Furness, the Band director at Redmond Jr. High, and Mrs. Moody, music teacher at Redmond Elementary, are your band teachers. Both team teach the second year band class.
Where do the band classes meet?
The elementary band classes meet in the music rooms at Redmond Jr. High School.
How does my student get to band and to their elementary school?
Students have three options to get to Redmond Jr.:
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If they are within walking distance, they may do that;
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If a Jr. high bus serves their neighborhood, they may take that to school;
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Many band student families form carpools to get them to the Jr. High.
At the end of band classes, all students are bussed back to their elementary school.
How much class time will they miss?
Students should get to their school fairly close to the start of the school day and should miss none or very minimal instructional time in their class. Teachers are supportive of the band program.
What if my child misses a rehearsal?
Attendance will be taken at each rehearsal and absences will be reported to the student's school immediately following rehearsal. Since we only meet two times per week, it is important for your child to be on time to every rehearsal.
If the student will be absent, please send an e-mail to Mr. Furness at DFurness@lwsd.org or call his voicemail at 936-2801 ext. 54602 to let us know. This is important for Safe Arrival information.
Also, band does meet on half days but we do not meet if school is delayed or canceled due to weather concerns.
Are there concerts?
Yes, we usually have two or three performances each year, one before the holiday break, and another at the end of the year in May. The second year band plays at the Redmond Region Concert in March.
Concert dates (please put these dates on your calendar now):
Will band interfere with other activities?
Band is a fantastic opportunity for you and your family. We know how busy students and families are and we are always proud to have accomplished athletes, dancers, actors and other interesting people sign up for band. We try to schedule our rehearsals and concerts as sensitively as possible so students can still pursue their homework and outside interests. Band is yet another way to become a well-rounded person.
II. What do we get to play?
What instruments are available to study?
Although there are many instruments in the Redmond bands, some are not suitable for beginners. Several of these are intended to be switched TO after one or two years on a similar instrument. Beginners may choose from the following band instruments (brass, and especially LOW brass are suggested for those who are undecided. All band directors LOVE to have more low brass players).
Students who eventually wish to play percussion must start on one of the above instruments. This allows us to better meet the needs of each individual instrument grouping and student, along with allowing us to better teach critical note-reading skills to all students. We will audition interested students from these sections for percussion later in the year. This also allows us to maintain proper balance between sections in the band.
Can my child start on saxophone?
We are concerned about maintaining a proper balance of instruments in the band, and we may need to limit the number of saxophones for that balance. If your child is interested in playing the sax, we would like you to consider a possible alternative choice.
Please indicate both saxophone and your alternate choice on the registration form. If you choose saxophone, do not obtain an instrument until we have contacted you. If you have not heard from us by Sept. 10, please call or e-mail Mr. Furness at RJH. If your chosen instrument is one other than sax, you can look into getting one right away.
What equipment does my child need?
Each student will need an instrument, the required accessories, a book, and a pencil. Please have a folder in which to put the book, sheet music, and any informational letters.
The accessories include:
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Flute: cleaning rod and a handkerchief or soft cloth for cleaning
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Clarinet: cork grease, a drop through style cleaning cloth,a min. of five #2 clarinet reeds
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Saxophone: cork grease, a drop through style cleaning cloth, a min. of five #2 alto saxophone reeds
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Trumpet: valve oil, and a soft cleaning cloth
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Trombone: slide oil and a soft cleaning cloth
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Baritone B.C.: valve oil, and a soft cleaning cloth
What book should we buy?
The band students will be reading music from a book called Essential Elements 2000, book 1. Please make sure that you purchase the book designated for your student’s instrument. These books are available at all the local music retail stores for around $6.00. We will be writing in them so it's important that they have their own. If the stores run out, don't panic. Your child can share for a while. We use the same book all year, so there are no other books to purchase
Where do we get an instrument?
Most students rent band instruments from a local music store, such as Mills Music, Kennelly Keys, or Pacific Music. The school has a few trombones and baritones that may be rented by paying a $100 maintenance fee. If you already own an instrument in the family for your child to play, please have it checked out by a repair technician or one of the band directors to make sure it is playable. Please use a nametag on ALL cases. For a quality instrument, we recommend buying or renting at an established music store.
How expensive is it to be in band?
There are no charges for band other than renting an instrument, purchasing a few accessories, and obtaining the book we use in class. Here’s an estimated breakdown of costs for a beginning band student:
We do not want cost to be a factor in whether or not you join band. If your family has financial concerns, please contact one of the directors.
Storage of student instruments
Students will take their instruments with them back to their elementary school classroom, and then bring them home to practice. Regular practice will help each student experience success on a regular basis.
III. How do we get started?
The students will be seeing a demonstration of all of the instruments, hopefully within the first week of school, and should decide along with their parents what they would like to play. Please fill out and detach the registration form, and return it to your classroom teacher.
First Year Beginning Band will start on Thursday, September 22 or Friday, September 23, depending upon the instrument selected.
Schedule for week 1:
Schedule for week 2 and beyond:
- Tuesdays = Flute, Trumpet sectionals
- Thursdays = FULL BAND
- Fridays = Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Baritone sectionals
My child is in 6th grade this year and didn’t join last year. Can he/she still start band?
Yes, we accept 6th graders as beginners and encourage them to sign up. With the right work ethic and attitude, they can be quite successful in band and have a great time with their friends. They will play for the first half of the year with the Beginning Band and then transfer to the 6th grade band approximately half way through the year. The success of this is mostly dependent upon their willingness to work twice as effectively to catch up. Private lessons, of course, are very helpful.
I don't have my instrument or book yet. Should I still START band?
YES! We can wait for your instrument or book to show up but there's information you need from the very first rehearsal. Please show up even if you're empty-handed.
Please wait to return the registration form until after the student has seen the demonstration.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions:
Mr. Furness at Redmond Jr. High: 936-2801 x54602 | e-mail: dfurness@lwsd.org
Mrs. Moody at Redmond Elementary: 936-2660 x56648 | e-mail: lmoody@lwsd.org