WELCOME TO BAND at HMS!

This portion of the 5th Grade Band website is devoted to the recruitment of next year's band members. 

Please take note of the following dates for the Class of 2021:

April, date TBD—As a part of regular 5^th grade orientation, 4^th graders will listen to a concert put on the current 5^th Grade Band. The band will play a few songs and introduce the various instruments. 

May 10^th—HMS Spring Concert at 6:30 in the HHS Auditorium. Here is a chance to come and listen to all of the bands at HMS!

As you are thinking about which instrument you'd like to play, please consider the following information:

FLUTE:  Flute is a melody instrument in the band.  It is the smallest of the woodwind instruments.  Oftentimes, flute is a difficult instrument to get a sound from right away, but the majority of students will be successful with time, effort, and patience.

OBOE:  Oboe is not available as a beginning band instrument at HMS.  Students interested in playing oboe should play flute, clarinet, or alto saxophone for at least one year.  Successful oboe players have excellent pitch recognition skills and a strong work ethic.

CLARINET:  Clarinet is a melody instrument in the band, and is a member of the woodwind family.  It is very similar to recorder, the instrument the students learned in elementary school music class.

SAXOPHONE:  There are two different sizes of saxophone available for beginner band students.  Alto saxophone is the smaller of the two and tenor saxophone is the larger one.  Saxophone players need to have medium- to large-sized hands for their age, and also have to be able to bear the weight of the instrument hanging around their necks.   The number of saxophone players in beginning band will be limited and will be based on successful instrument fitting as well as classroom and music teacher recommendation.

In the video clip, the tenor saxophone is to your far left, and the alto saxophone is to your far right.

TRUMPET:  The trumpet is a brass instrument.  It is a melody instrument in the band.  Successful trumpet students usually have thin upper lips and good pitch recognition skills.  Trumpet is also a jazz band instrument.

 FRENCH HORN:  French horn is a brass instrument with a very mellow sound.  It can be a very difficult instrument for beginners to learn to play.  Successful French horn players possess excellent pitch recognition skills, are good singers, and have a very strong work ethic.  Having a background in piano playing is also helpful.

TROMBONE:  Trombone is a low brass instrument easily recognized due to its slide.  It is also a jazz band instrument and a lot of fun to play.

BARITONE:  Baritone is a low brass instrument that has valves like a trumpet, but plays the same range of notes as a trombone.  Baritone is a good option for students who like the idea of playing trumpet, but are not able to produce the higher notes necessary for that instrument.

TUBA:  Just like you can't have a house without a foundation, you cannot have a band without tuba players.  Tuba is a low brass instrument with valves.  At Hortonville Middle School, tuba players each have two instruments--one to keep at home and one to play at school.  The only things they need to carry back and forth to school are their mouthpieces and their music.

PERCUSSION:  Membership in the percussion section is by invitation only.  Students interested in percussion will perform a short rhythm and coordination audition during instrument fitting week.  Having several years of piano lessons is also helpful, as are positive recommendations from both classroom and music teachers.