Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions 
of
students and parents.

1. Why Band?
2. When can I join?
3. What are the instruments we can sign up to play?
4. Why are there so many Smiths in the phone book?
5. Why doesn't the hair on your arms grow as long as the hair on your head?
6. Mr. Whalen's favorite cheese, nut and fruit?
7. What is the secret word?
8. What instrument is right for me?
9. If I'm practicing and I get stuck what can I do?
10. Whats up with the tickets?
11. Who doesn't like funky stuff?
12. Is band the path to enlightenment?
13. How good can I become in a year?

Why Band?

It might just change your life.  It might not, but why take the 
chance, and
wonder forever...what if?  So there is that little chunk of 
information to
deal with, and then there is the fact that it will make you far 
more intelligent.

Back to Top

When can I join?

In the 5th Grade.  At the beginning of the year.

Back to Top

What are the instruments we can sign up to play?

Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone and 
Percussion.

Back to Top

Why are there so many Smiths in the phone book?

They all have phones.  Sorry, bad joke.

Back to Top

Why doesn't the hair on your arms grow as long as the hair on your head?

I don't know, but it's nice that it doesn't.

Back to Top

Mr. Whalen's favorite cheese, nut and fruit?

Italian Mountain Gorgonzola, Brazil nuts and Mangoes.  YUM YUM, 
give me some!

Back to Top

What is the secret word?

Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy to find?  Keep looking, 
you'll find it.

Back to Top

What instrument is right for me?

My mantra is that it is the instrument you like the sound of the 
most.  If you
like the sound of what you play, you are presumably more 
motivated to
practice.  With practice, you can and will overcome whatever non-
ideal
physical limitations you might have.  For example if you have 
thick lips, 
some would tell you that maybe trumpet is not for you.  Find a 
picture of
Louis Armstrong, and you'll see that his lips are thick.  Dizzy, 
Miles,
Clifford, they all had thick lips too.  Desire and determination 
will take you
as far as you want to go.  I'll let you know if your ear lobes 
are too 
long for the kazoo.  Don't worry about it.

Back to Top

If I'm practicing and I get stuck what can I do?

First clap the rhythm of what you are trying to play, get that 
down.
Next, say the names of the notes in rhythm, get that down.
Then finger the notes as you say them - also in rhythm.
Now try playing the passage you were stuck on.
If you can't do it right away, repeat these steps, but do it at a 
s l o w e r tempo
than you were doing.  Keep hitting it over and over until you are 
up to speed.
Voila!  (that's French for that's it, not a string instrument)

Back to Top

Whats up with the tickets?

With tickets (a.k.a. "BAND BUCKS"), you can buy all sorts of
knicknacks and paddywacks, you can even give a dog a bone.  This 
old man came
rolling home.  Ha!  Seriously though, if you work hard and treat 
your
bandmates respectfully you will collect tickets very quickly and 
be able to
buy all 
sorts of funky stuff!  That leads us to our next question...

Back to Top

Who doesn't like funky stuff?

NOBODY!  We all love our funky stuff!

Back to Top

Is band the path to enlightenment?

If not THE path, then certainly it is along the path, or near it 
somehow.

Back to Top

How good can I become in a year?

You will quite literally be jamming in June if you show up to all 
your lessons
and practice a little bit each day!

Back to Top