• 4th Grade: You will receive your "method" books at your first lesson. Your book will help show you how to assemble, play, and take care of your instrument. It has a lot of great and easy to play music in it, and there are accompaniments to play along with for many of the songs. It sounds like you are playing along with bands from different countries and cultures. It's pretty cool! Those songs are on the mp3's page under the heading of "Premier Performance". You may be able to download them and burn them to a disk, or you can play them right from the page. Ask your parents for help if it's not working for you. I don't want you to miss out!!!

• 5th Grade: We will continue playing in the "Premier Performance" books. Let's see if we can finish the entire book this year!!!!! You should start or continue playing the music I gave to you at the end of last year. If you don't have it, come to me and I'll give it to you. We have 2 concerts this year!!!!!!!!!!!! All Band members are welcome to participate in NYSSMA. Remember, NYSSMA is a commitment that takes time and effort, but gives back great experience and learning. If you don't know about it, ask me.

• 4th and 5th Grades:
• Make sure your instrument is working correctly!!! If you are having trouble, there is a much better chance that your instrument is the problem and it is NOT something you are doing!!!! Bring it to me. Don't wait!!!!
• Have a good setup routine. Clarinet and Sax players should have the reed in your mouth or in a glass of water while setting up the rest of your instrument. Use only good, unbroken reeds, and apply them to the mouthpiece with attention to PERFECT placement.
• Play / practice 15 to 30 minutes per session, at least 4 days per week
• Develop good breathing habits. Always take a deep breath. Percussionists can take good deep breaths too....why not - but make sure you are holding your sticks correctly, with good hand position!!!
• Keep your wind instrument clean! Sax and clarinet players - Use your handkerchief swab after every practice session, especially on your mouthpieces, sax necks, and clarinet barrels.

• HOW TO PRACTICE!!!!!!!!!! (wind instruments)
• 1) Say the note letter names- If you see and say "c" 100 times, don't you think you will get used to what a "c" looks like on the music staff?!!!!! It works for all the notes. At first it may seem hard, but it will get easier fast!!!!!!!
• 2) Finger the notes on your instrument - Make the connection between the written note on the page and the fingering for that note. The more you do it...........the easier it gets!!!!!
• 3) Practice "phrases" - usually two measure or four measure sections. A musical phrase is just like a spoken sentence. The more you practice a section.........you know what's coming.............the easier it gets!!!!
• 4) Play the song - Put together the phrases (sentences) into a song (story). Try to breathe at the spots that make "musical" sense. This is the really fun part. If you do the first three, this is the easiest part!!!!

Remember that you are NOT a professional musician. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!!!! Don't worry about mistakes. Have fun, play, and you will improve naturally!!!!!!!

• NYSSMA Participants: Keep on practicing your pieces, memorize your scales, and work on sight-reading new unfamiliar music. Pay attention to musical markings that are intended to make the music expressive- Dynamics, Articulation, Phrasing (where to breathe). Check the mp3's page for your NYSSMA song. If it's not there, I'll try to get it there.