Beginner band begins for all interested students in 6th grade. During their 5th grade year band directors will reach out to all 5th grade students and parents to talk with them about band.

The instruments that we use in 6th grade band are flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and percussion.

Each instrument meets as a separate section each day in class (ex. all trumpets with trumpets, all clarinets with clarinets, etc). This helps us keep class sizes small and ensures that each student receives the most personal attention possible.

Our goals are to encourage and promote musical technique so that our students gain a higher appreciation in music throughout the rest of their lives. Music has also been shown to provide numerous benefits to education. For information from the National Association from Music Educators about some of these benefits, click here.

While we try to cover any issues with our concert repertoire in class, we encourage our students to practice a minimum of 120 minutes a week (2 hours) outside of class. This helps our students to continue to reinforce what we teach during class
as well as further their own playing ability.

The answer is absolutely YES! We want our students to be as well-rounded as possible! In fact, Mr. Sanchez played football in High School. We only ask that students and parents let us know when there is a conflict so that we can resolve it and
come up with a better solution for everyone.

All band events will be posted on our Google Calendar and Remind so that students and families may plan accordingly. In the weeks approaching the concert, directors will pass out information regarding attire and concert itinerary. As always, please feel free to e-mail us if there are issues.

Yes! We like to reward our students for all of the hard work they put in over the year! We usually take our students on a field trip in the spring, and details of the trip will be made available in the spring semester. Students must follow all policies in the Beginner Band Handbook throughout the year to be eligible to participate in the spring trip.

We provide each student with a method book and a tuner. Students will need to make sure that they provide their instrument, instrument supplies (reeds, mouthpieces, neck straps, etc.), a 3 ring binder, pencils, and a 6 pack of AAA batteries. Students are expected to keep all materials in working order and excellent condition. Students will be expected to replace any school materials that are damaged or lost.

All students are encouraged to own their own instrument with certain exceptions (French Horn, Baritone, Tuba, Percussion). We do have instruments available for rent for interested students. An annual fee will be applied to their band account
in order to cover any maintenance throughout the school year.

We love for our students to take private lessons! We wish that we could give individualized instruction to all of our students every day, but with 50-100 students in each of our classes and only 45 minutes in our class period, it’s just not possible. The band directors are happy to help students find a lesson teacher.. Scholarships for private lessons are available from the Gatesville Band Boosters and help defray costs by 50%. Please speak with a director for more information.

We’ve been there! When your child first gets braces, it can be uncomfortable. It’s actually fairly rare for it to prevent them from playing their instrument. After braces are put on, most students have an adjustment period, and some use wax to help make playing more comfortable. We can also provide “bumpers” for students to use on their brackets to protect their mouths while playing. Ask a director for more information. We do ask that parents/students try to be mindful about scheduling dental appointments in close range to auditions/contests/performances, as adjustments made to the braces may affect the student's ability to perform for a few days.

Absolutely not! We will never prohibit a student from participating due to financial reasons. Please communicate with a director to address student needs so that we can make arrangement to assist as necessary.