A parent's guide to school band programs

Before band begins

At the elementary level, students and their families rarely have any choice regarding the music education available to them during the school day. The typical public school district or private school will offer at best general music instruction several times a week, with very limited opportunities to play instruments, and at worst may offer no music instruction at all.

Parents (or motivated students) who want more at this age will have to look into private lessons or other musical opportunities outside of school. Please note that it is not necessary to start your child very early on an instrument, particularly if band is going to be your primary focus. With the exception of soprano and alto recorders, wind instruments are frustrating for small children to learn because of their size and because of the breath control necessary to get good sounds. At the typical beginners' band age, on the other hand, most students are physically and developmentally ready to play an instrument, and at this age, talented and motivated students will quickly catch up to anyone who has a "head start".

The only exception to this rule is the following: if your child's heart is set on a specific instrument, and there is some concern that the child will not be assigned this intrument, you may want to consider lessons before beginning band.

If starting your child on an instrument at an early age is important, you will want to look seriously at piano or strings. Students who begin on strings may want to continue in a strings or orchestra program at school instead of band, or may want to take up or switch to a band instrument. (See A Parent’s Guide to Music Lessons for more on this subject.) Some band directors encourage piano study for the young child interested in percussion, since many melodic percussion instruments arrange the notes in the same way as a piano keyboard. If your child has not responded enthusiastically to piano, consider allowing a switch to a band (or orchestra) instrument. Rehearsing and performing with a group is a very different experience from practicing and performing alone. Outgoing children enjoy the social aspects of the ensemble, and shy children appreciate being able to perform without necessarily being in the spotlight.

Most schools will begin to offer choices in music programs at about the time that most students are physically capable (mostly a matter of being big enough) of playing most instruments. This is about age ten for most children. Depending on the school, in-school instrument instruction is likely to begin sometime between fourth and eighth grade. String instruction may begin at a different grade than band instruction (smaller sized string instruments are much more readily available than smaller winds), and special programs for students who are seriously interested in voice or dance may also become available around time. Be aware that choosing one option may limit the opportunity to choose others; most schools don't have a scheduling option that allows one student play both violin and flute during school class time, or to be in both the band and the competitive choir. If your child is desperate to be seriously involved in several aspects of music, you may want to look into a performing arts school or find a way to pursue at least one type of music outside of class time.