As we begin our year, we started meeting with students the week of September 9, but students will not need instruments until the week of September 16. If your child did not received/misplaced their letter from June or they are new to their school, we will be discussing instrument selection during the first two classes. Please feel free to discuss your child’s interests with me so we can select the instrument that will help them find the most success.

Online Rentals:

Tapestry Music offers online rentals which will be delivered in time to start rehearsals. Please find more information at Tapestry Music Online Rentals or by visiting www.tapestrymusic.com and clicking on “School Rentals”. As long as you place your order by Tuesday, Sept 10, your instrument will be delivered to your school by your first with-instrument rehearsal.

We want to ensure all interested students can participate so if you are concerned about not being able to afford and instrument rental, please email us or send a note with your child and we will find a way to provide an instrument. (Instruments come from a collection at DW Poppy and the school district. We have access to a limited number of flutes, clarinets, trumpets, trombones and  alto saxophones so please contact us as soon as possible at mfollett@sd35.bc.ca or tcaswell@sd35.bc.ca and we will access the collection at that point.)

In-Person Rentals:

You can rent or purchase instruments and other required materials through Tapestry Music (604-538-0908), Long & McQuade Music (604-530-8704) or Tom Lee Music (604-532-8303).

Three warnings about instrument rental or purchase:
  1. Do not buy an instrument from a non-music store! These are often poorly constructed, break very easily and cannot be repaired!
  2. Please do not purchase the colourful plastic instruments as they are only toys. The few that have shown up at school break easily and quickly frustrate kids. (**Student clarinets are black and look like plastic, but are fine**)
  3. If you have access to a used instrument. please take it to one of the music stores below for a tune up. Any instrument in disrepair will frustrate even the most enthusiastic beginner.
Required Materials:

Here is the list of materials students will need for their first “on-instrument rehearsals” on September 17 or 18 depending upon their school. All of the below items (other than the wire music stand) need to be brought to all rehearsals:

  • All Students:

    • Folding Wire Music Stand ($15-20) for home practice
    • Sound Innovations Book 1 (blue and white cover, the version for your instrument)
    • A Pencil

  • Flute:

    • Cleaning Swab
    • Polishing Cloth
    • Cleaning Rod

  • Clarinet & Saxophone:

    • 1 box of 10 – Rico Royal #2.5strength reeds
    • Cork Grease
    • Cleaning Swab
    • Saxophones also need a Neck Strap

  • Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone, French Horn & Tuba

    • Mouthpiece Brush
    • Cleaning Snake
    • Valve Oil
    • Slide Cream
    • Trombones also need Slide Oil

  • Basses** upon consultation with your band teacher, Basses need to rent an Electric Bass kit

    • This should include: Bass, Strings, Patch Cord, Practice Amp, Gig Bag and Strap
    • All of the above needs to be brought to rehearsals

  • Percussion** UPON CONSULTATION WITH YOUR BAND TEACHER, Percussionists need to rent a Percussion Kit

    • This should include a Bell Kit (like a silver xylophone), Snare Drum, Instrument Stand, Drum Sticks, Mallets, Gig Bag.
    • Sound Innovations COMBINED Percussion Book
    • All of the above needs to be brought to rehearsals

Thank you for supporting your child’s music education and introduction to band. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Mr. Follett at mfollett@sd35.bc.ca (North Otter & Peterson) or Ms. Chen at tchen@sd35.bc.ca (Fort, Wix & Coglan) and we will be pleased to do whatever we can to help your child be successful.

REHEARSALS

Students need their instrument, book, music, accessories and a pencil for every rehearsal.  Timings may shift occasionally to accommodate other events at one of my four schools but unless I email out, please assume we always have band.

PERFORMANCES

We have three concerts during the year in December, March and June and dates will be announced shortly. Band is a performance-based class so all students are expected to participate in all performances as a course expectation. If a student is absent from a performance, music’s version of a final exam, the previous months of work by the ensemble is suddenly incomplete, which can have a tremendous impact on their classmates.

Parents and students are asked to communicate any schedule conflicts as soon as possible. I will work with you to find a solution in everyone’s best interest. In case of emergency situations, please contact me (mfollett@sd35.bc.ca or 604-530-2151) as soon as possible. Students who miss a performance will be asked to individually perform the concert repertoire to demonstrate their proficiency.

UNIFORM FOR PERFORMANCES
  • Long sleeved black dress shirt or sweater
  • Black dress pants
  • Black socks & dress shoes
  • Optional: Red accent (tie, scarf, socks, other?)

Spring 2024

Dear Grade 5 and 6 Parents,

We are very excited to let you know that next year’s grade 6 and 7 students will have the opportunity to take Band again in 2024|25. Students will have the option of selecting Band another Fine Arts/Music option at their school to be determined. We look forward to working with both beginning and experienced musicians next fall culminating some of the great activities that grow out of learning an instrument including concerts, festivals, ESPRESSIVO and the award-winning DW Poppy Elementary Honour Band, who has received multiple invitations to MusicFest Canada, the Canadian National Music Festival.

Beyond experiencing the joy of making music, involvement in band develops of a group of friends that lasts a lifetime and establishes some rather profound environmental influences which will help determine many of your child’s successes in school well beyond music. We know that engaged band students represent the top of the academic scale in school, they average higher scores on SAT tests, indicating stronger verbal and math skills. We also know that most band students enjoy a successful academic high school career, go on to post-secondary education and become the leaders in our society. The top academic achiever and the band student are one and the same.

Membership in band is one of the most positive experiences you can offer your child, helping nurture and develop self-discipline, social and communication skills, positive self-image, cooperation and creativity through their study of music. It is an investment in your child’s future as these life-skills will be an important foundation for the various responsibilities they take on later in life.

You can register through the DW Poppy Music website online here (https://forms.office.com/r/xDHamyx3qk) or complete the PDF registration form and return it to your child’s school by Friday, May 3 or scan and email it to mfollett@sd35.bc.ca. If your child participated in band as a grade 6 this year, we encourage students to continue with their previous instrument, but if they would like to switch, please let us know so we can make the move that best improves your child’s chance of success.

Mark Follett – mfollett@sd35.bc.ca

DW Poppy Director of Bands and Elementary Band Coordinator

BEGINNER VIDEO LESSONS:

Beginner Lessons for all instruments! Dr. Steve Selfridge (https://www.drselfridgemusic.com) is an amazing band director who has shared a huge number of video lessons on Youtube. Here are beginning lessons for each instrument. I highly recommend spending some time on these for your instrument!