The Scarsdale Band program begins in 4th grade and includes in-school lessons and ensemble experience. Instruments available for study are flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, baritone horn, trombone or percussion.
Students attend like-instrument lesson groups for 40 minutes during school hours, once every 6-day cycle. For example, a group of 4th grade trumpet students would be pulled from their classrooms on A Day for 40 minutes. Every 4th grade student enrolled in the program will have a lesson on the same letter day. Classroom teachers generally do not teach any new material when students are out of the classroom. Therefore, instrumental students can easily make up any work missed during the 30 minute instrumental lesson.
Students are responsible for renting their own instruments and purchasing any required method books. There are a number of reliable instrument rental companies in the area and teachers have them listed on their Teacher Pages.
The ensemble portion of the program includes a band made up of all 4th and 5th grade band students. Band rehearsals are before school at 7:50- 8:35 on a particular letter day of the cycle. Students must be driven to school on those days because buses are not available. Beginning students (4th graders) are invited to join when they reach a certain proficiency. There are 2 concerts per year: a winter performance and a spring performance. All students enrolled in the program are required to participate in these performances.
