I'm here at the school ready for instrument pick-up! Shout out to Mrs. Gawel for making this awesome sign! 

Hello! I am currently working on a play along video, so stay tuned! 

Have you been thinking about how to clean your instrument? This is a document that our middle school band director, Mr. Miller, put together about sanitizing instruments. The big thing is, DO NOT submerge your instrument in water. It's extra important for woodwinds that you do not get the corks or pads wet (flutes have corks in the headjoint, it's not just metal!) 

Flutes: use an alcohol wipe or paper towel moistened with 70% isopropyl alcohol to wipe the outside of your headjoint. You can also dip a cotton swab in alcohol and clean the inside edges of your embouchure hole. Do not immerse the headjoint in any liquid, and wipe it dry/swab after cleaning.
Clarinet/Sax: your mouthpiece can be cleaned with warm (not hot) soapy water and a mouthpiece brush - be careful not to scratch!!! Clean the inside, too! Rinse, swab, and dry when finished. You can use alcohol swabs, but rinse thoroughly afterward. You can also clean your ligature this way. Reeds are tough to sterilize - don't use alcohol or soap. It's probably best to discard reeds that may have been used when you were sick, getting sick, or recovering. 
Brass: your mouthpiece can be cleaned with warm (not hot) soapy water and a mouthpiece brush!!! Make sure you clean the cup and bore. Rinse and dry when finished. You can use alcohol swabs, but rinse thoroughly afterward. 
Percussion: use hand sanitizer after handling shared sticks. Clean the grip area of your own sticks with a damp towel or alcohol wipe, but dry them immediately.

Happy Friday! It is Friday, right? 

Today we're talking about breathing! Its something we do everyday, so why do we have to practice it? Well, we breath different in our instruments then we do when you are walking around our houses. We tank up our air, and disperse it at different levels based on dynamic, tempo, and style

Below is a quick video to practice breathing. It is for a flute player, but it applies to everyone! 

Also, check out this video below! Mr. Buterbaugh, our high school band director, created and posted this video. 
​​“Song for Health" - Steven Verhelst: "Appreciation song for our health care and public service workers at the forefront of the corona pandemic"
Steven Verhelst wrote this incredible "song" in various configurations, free of copyright, and available at www.musicdoesntstop.com. Check it out! #musicdoesntstop