How It All Works: 2020-2021 School-Year Choosing an Instrument Students and their families can see and hear each band instrument in a virtual instrument demonstration and informational meeting on Monday, August 31st. Mr. Meyer will email a link for the meeting to all 5th grade families that day. After the meeting, students should sign-up for a 10-minute virtual "Instrument Interview" (a link will be sent out for this as well). Over the next two weeks, Mr. Meyer will meet with all 5th grade students to talk with them about whatinstruments they are interested in, and he can help them try some techniques to find out the instrument for which they might be best suited. A letter will be sent to each family with the recommended instrument choice for your son or daughter.
Registration During the week of September 14th, Mr. Meyer will confirm instrument choices with families and will send out an official registration form along with instructions about how to acquire an instrument. You will be able to rent instruments and purchase supplies from our music dealer, Quinlan & Fabish. We will likely have an instrument pick-up event at Lisle Elementary School toward the end of that week.
Band Lessons The week of September 21st, students will have a 45-minute virtual meeting with other students who play their same instrument. Mr. Meyer will teach students how to properly assemble/disassemble their instrument and will help them work to make their first sounds! Then, starting the week of September 28th, each student will be placed in a small group either individually or with one other student who plays their same instrument. Each lesson group will have a virtual meeting once per week for 20 minutes. At this moment, Mr. Meyer plans to keep student lesson days/times consistent from week to week (e.g. Susie's trombone lesson will always be on Monday's at 8:20am). Lessons will be scheduled between the hours of 8:00am-4:40pm. The lesson schedule can be found here.
After-School Band Rehearsals In a typical year, students would have weekly full group rehearsals starting in November. This of course may not be possible this school year, so details are TBD and will be communicated with families as the year progresses.
