For those who start a limited set (e.g. flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone) of beginning band instruments how is it organized? Do you have classes that are homogenous? When do they switch to the other instruments (e.g. trumpet to horn)? How do you determine which ones move to another instrument? Right now our beginner schedule is basically one of each WW period, brass, percussion. With one teacher most of the day (WW class has two available). Just trying to brainstorm some ideas to improve the scheduling.
Re: Beginning Band
Posted by BDSO on 2/24/2026, 8:37 am, in reply to "Beginning Band"
I'm curious:
a) What classification are school that typically do this? b) What classification high school do they feed? c) What grade do they start beginner band?
My district is about to cut the middle school band staff to one full time director at each middle school, and we already have heterogeneous classes. I've toyed with this idea, but we are a large middle school that starts in 6th grade. I just want to make instruction simpler if it's going to be just a single director and heterogeneous classes. Teaching 4-5 instruments sure beats 9-10.
Re: Beginning Band
Posted by FR15BD on 2/22/2026, 3:10 pm, in reply to "Beginning Band"
At my campus we start flute,clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and percussion. 3 directors, each teaches their area of expertise. There are 3 periods of each class woodwind, brass, percussion. We decide who switches to other instruments based on those that have proven themselves to be the hardest working/most responsible. As an example we will switch trumpet players to horn going 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th chairs one year and 2nd,4th, 6th, and 8th the next school year. We will sometimes start students on color instruments if they have had siblings come through the program or if they are the child of a teacher on campus or other district employee that we know we can count on. Percussion class is the only homogeneous class.
