First Day of Band!

Hello Bridle Ridge Band Parents!

I wanted to let you know how excited I am for tomorrow. This is my 11th year teaching, and today was by far one of the best first days of school. Your kiddos listened and followed directions so well! Considering all of the first day "chaos" of helping students find the right class, learning our procedures, and putting our instruments together your kids made today an awesome day!

Today the trumpets and horns learned the proper way to place the mouthpiece on their lips to get the best sound. We also worked on the proper way to hold the instrument like a professional. We will continue this work tomorrow and start building some strength in our embouchures (the facial muscles used to play) while making some great sounds.

Today in the flute, clarinet, and saxophone class, students learned how to put their instruments together and place the reed on the instrument. This may sound like a small task, but it is so important to get right to protect the instruments from damage and allow students to create a beautiful tone. Tomorrow we will focus on how to hold the instrument and begin playing some notes.

YOUR HOMEWORK
Thursday night, I need you to have your child teach you to put their instrument together and make a sound. It is completely fine for you to learn the instrument from your child. What a fun way to be involved in your child's learning!! If you are worried about germs, just wash off the mouthpiece with warm soapy water. This is a great way to get your child started on a practice routine (more on that in a later email), PLUS this helps your child overcome the fear of playing their instrument in front of others. One of the most common reasons students don't practice enough is because they are embarrassed for family members to hear them. It's really important for your child to overcome this hurdle as soon as possible.

Seriously...today was a great day! Thank you for supporting your child's music education. If you haven't gone through the Parent Guide yet, make sure you visit our class page at www.rpbands.com/jarrett.