HAPPY THANKSGIVING NEWSLETTER!

Here is your BAND shopping guide!

This is a special edition Holiday Shopping newsletter.  We hope this gives you some ideas of items that you can buy in varying price ranges for your student to support their musical pursuits! If we can be of any help, please let us know!  The websites linked on this email have lots of options including fun jewelry, clothing, and other fun items related to different instruments.

For everyone in Wind Ensemble or Symphonic Bands:

Tuner/Metronome:  There are lots of option out there.  Here is one.  There are also apps available for phones.  We like the tonal energy tuner app - it's a $10 app.

Sight Reading Factory Subscription - a great way to work on your music reading.  Especially helpful for those that are trying out for honor bands!  $35 yearly subscription.  

Wire Music Stand or regular music stand to practice at home

Instrument Stands - Don't want to put your instrument back in it's case when you are done playing or need a place to rest it?  These stands are great for at home and sometimes at school.  They can be very useful.

Private Lessons!  Private lessons range from about $20-30 per half hour per weekly lesson. If you are interested, please let us know and we can find the best teacher for your student within your means.   

Upgraded instruments:

Students should be performing on an intermediate to professional level instrument to be successful.  Beginning instruments should only be used at the middle school level.  If you are playing on the same beginning instrument you started on in 6th grade or you are looking to play in college, it may be time for an upgrade.  If you are looking to upgrade your instrument, we have some options for you to consider.

The instrument you play on impacts the quality of sound that you get, ease of playing, it's durability, and in some cases the range of notes of the instrument.  Buying an upgraded instrument is like buying a car - it's an investment,  You want to test drive it (play it) before you buy it, and you can often get a pretty good deal on a used one that would do a great job.  

Gadsden Music is planning on setting up an instrument petting zoo in the auditorium lobby the night of our Winter Concert (December 7th) for students to try upgraded instruments.  They will be there starting at about 5:45 and will be there after the concert.  This is a great chance to see what an upgraded instrument sounds and feels like when you play it with no expectation to purchase.  

Woodwind Gifts (mostly clarinets and saxophones)

Box of reeds for clarinets and saxophones! (Stocking stuffer!)  Vandoren V12, V21 or Rue Lepic reeds are the best (very reasonable from Amazon)!   Students should be on a 3 or 3.5 strength reed.  You should consult with your student on what reed strength they use.  We also defer to your lesson teacher on this for those that take private lessons.   Bassoons and Oboes should get with your private teacher on additional reeds.  

Cork Grease  - can also easily be found at any music store.  For Clarinets and Saxophonesl  Great stocking stuffer!

Instrument Cleaning Swab/Rod if you don't own one or it's old!

Mouthpieces -Clarinets and Saxophones:

Mouthpieces are VERY important. A good mouthpiece can make a huge different inyour playing. If you can’t afford a step-up instrument purchase, an upgraded mouthpiece is the next best thing! Sometimes mouthpieces are more important than the instrument.(Clarinet-Vandoren 5RV or 5RV Lyre, Saxophones- Vandoren Optimum AL3 .

Ligatures - Clarinets and saxophones- Rovner Dark

Brass Gifts

Valve oil  (great stocking stuffer) 
Slide Grease (great stocking stuffer)
Brass Cleaning kit - do you have one? is it worn out?

Sonic clean at Southeastern Instrumentument repair - deep clean your instrument and they shine it up!  You should do this every few years! - Price ranges by instrument but typically costs a few hundred dollars.

Brass Mutes (trumpet, trombone, and french horn)  - All Trumpets, Trombones, and French Horns should own a straight mute.  Generally metal mutes are better quality than cardboard/plastic mutes.  They sound better and play better in tune.  Trumpets, Trombones, and French Horns should all own their own straight mutes.  Jo Ral, Dennis Wick, and Tom Crown (brands of mutes) are typically very good mutes.  

Particularly in trumpet and trombones, cup mutes are often very useful if you are looking to add to your mute collection.    They are used in both concert band and jazz.  It is ok to get the card board (red/white Stoneline) mutes for a cup mute.  

Trumpets also use "wah-wah" or harmon mute sometimes.  This is mostly a jazz mute.  

Practice Mute   - These mutes are great for late night practicing or situations where the sound might disturb others in your house.  

There are also lots of mutes for "toys" like a pixie mute that may not have much practical purpose but are fun to have.  

Mouthpieces:

The mouthpiece you played on as a beginner may not be good for what you need in high school. Trumpets should have a 5C or 3C mouthpiece and trombone/euphonium players will need a 51D or comparable. If you do not already have these, this change will make a significant difference. Please ask if you need assistance!  We also defer to private lessons instructors on this if you student takes lessons.  

Percussion Gifts:

All percussion should own a stick bag with 2 sets of yarn mallets, 1 set of rubber mallets, a pair of concert snare sticks, and a pair of timpani mallets.  Click here for some prepackages although you can order all items separately.

Pitch pipe for timpani tuning (Great stocking stuffer!) - around $20.

Practice pad and music stand.  

Concert Snare drum with stand.

Kelon Xylophone - More expensive gift.  Around $1200 to work on your mallet playing

Check out these great percussion resources for gifts!

Steve Weiss Music | Percussion, Drum Sets, Drumsticks, Cymbals & Sheet Music 
Drumsticks, Drum Heads, Drums & Percussion | Lone Star Percussion

Fork's Drum Closet - Store in Nashville