🎵 Notes from the Conductor:

                 

Encouragement Matters!

The best thing you can do for your young musician is encourage them. I know it’s not always easy listening to practice sessions without the rest of the band, but take a moment to tell them they sound better than last week. That encouragement goes a long way!

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Attend the Concerts!

Please make every effort to attend your child’s performances. Nothing motivates a student more than seeing family in the audience. It truly breaks my heart when a student says to me, “My parents aren’t coming.”

 

Remember—every professional musician began exactly where your child is now. Your support means everything!

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Private & Piano Lessons

Thank you to the parents who have enrolled their children in piano or private lessons. These lessons strengthen music reading, listening skills, and overall musicianship. A private teacher can inspire a student with wonderful musicianship in a specialized way that a regular band teacher cannot do during class-time with the full band there.

 

For those interested, private teachers can dramatically improve tone, technique, and confidence. I’m happy to share a list of my recommended local teachers here in PG —just ask!

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Home Practice!

Students should be practicing at least twice a week. The more, the better! If you’re not hearing that instrument at home, check in with your musician and ask why. Progress depends on consistency!

Regular home practice is essential for developing strong musical skills and muscle memory—just like how athletes train between games. It helps students reinforce what they’ve learned in class, improving tone, rhythm, and confidence.

 

Consistent practice also builds discipline and pride as they hear their own progress over time.

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🎺 Helpful Tools for Home Practice:

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1. Wire Music Stand – Essential for good posture and tone. Avoid using beds, desks, or chairs for sheet music.
    

2. Metronome – Helps students develop steady rhythm and timing. Many great free options exist online or on your app store on your phone/device, or purchase one with a light feature for about $25.
    

3. Tuner – Teaches students to play in tune. The Korg TM40 combines a tuner and metronome and is a great investment (~$35).

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🎷 Optional Upgrades:

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• Mouthpieces: A quality mouthpiece can greatly improve tone and ease of playing. For both brass and woodwind instruments! Upgrading from the stock mouthpiece the instrument came can be a huge leap forward!
   

• Reeds: Choose Rico Royal or Vandoren for reliability and sound quality.
   

• Accessories: Consider upgrading ligatures, neck straps, or even instruments as students advance. If your student complains that their back or neck hurts while they play, an upgrade can be a quick positive fix!​
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If you’d like advice on equipment, lessons, or next steps for your musician, please reach out—I’m always happy to help!

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