FAQ

To work with a team to play great music well, which is incredibly fun! You’ll gain real musical skills that you get to keep for the rest of your life. Studies also show that band members learn to be kinder, more thoughtful, more ambitious, and gain the ability to overcome great adversity!

You can be in band because it’s fun, because you want to gain musical skills, because you’re improving yourself, or even because your parents said so—whatever the reason, you’re welcome here! Just make sure you practice—those studies show that you only gain the benefits if you’re making an effort.

Until you feel confident you’ll get an A+ on your lesson assignment! (Check the lesson grading rubric here.) Most lesson assignments take about 100 minutes total, so 15 minutes each day is a good guess. Remember: if it feels too hard, ask Mr. Van Ness for help!

The best way to have fun is to play well, and the only way to play well is to practice, so ask your parents for help structuring your practice time, or fit some in at Beginning Band Club on Thursdays after school. You can also work with a local private teacher—private lessons count as practice minutes, but are even more valuable because of the one-on-one help!

Lessons rotate through different periods of the day, so no one class is missed too often. Each lesson, a specific assignment is due, which is how you’re graded, based on the lesson grading rubric. (You can also get extra credit by attending on time with all required materials, including a filled-out, signed practice chart!) Be ready by always checking the lesson schedule here.

8^th graders have one special case this year: instead of 8^th period lessons, they will occasionally have a combined rehearsal with the 6^th & 7^th graders! We therefore schedule no 8^th period lessons, to avoid missing that class too much.

You—and hopefully your parents, to help—should be checking the lesson schedule here. You have your lessons the same day number each rotation, but at different periods. If you’re filling out your practice chart each day, you should see your next lesson slowly approaching. There’s also a hard copy of the lesson schedule on the wall outside the band room, and last-minute reminders are shown on the announcements each day!

Only if you’re not responsible about checking in with your teacher! Your teachers are very supportive of your hard work to learn an instrument, and are happy to help you make up anything you missed at WIN or lunch. Lessons rotate to different periods of the day, so you’ll only miss each class once every 6 weeks. One study even found that students who missed class for a band lesson did better in the very class they missed than students who were there!

Tell Mr. Van Ness first thing in the morning! He can answer quick questions right then, or give you a pass to come at WIN or lunch. The earlier you ask for help, the sooner you’ll be back on track and making progress again—and progress is fun!

If you want regular, structured extra help, any current band student is welcome to attend Beginning Band Club after school on Thursdays to give or receive tutoring. You can also consider a local private teacher from this list—private lessons are helpful and fun!

Almost every middle schooler wants to quit at some point—even Mr. Van Ness! (His parents said “No.”) Don’t make any quick decisions, as the feeling is usually temporary—a bad lesson or two, or an overwhelming month of school can make you want to quit, even if it’s not the right choice for you in the long run.

Most adults regret not learning an instrument, and overcoming your current struggle teaches you not only music, but “grit,” which studies show helps you succeed in life! Tell Mr. Van Ness you’re considering quitting, and he’ll try to help you find the joy again—or at least plan when is an appropriate time to exit.