2023-2024 5th Grade Band Schedule
Rockhill Elementary: A & B Days
Spring Farms Elementary: C & D Days
Shade Gap Elementary: E & F Days
For the first three marking periods, 5th grade band lesson groups meet once per letter day cycle. During the fourth marking period, the bands at each school will meet twice per cycle in a full band setting to help prepare them for their spring concert performance and sixth grade band.
Check out this video! Be Part of the Band
“Rent-to-own” Program
You can participate in a “rent-to-own” program through Robert M. Sides Family Music Center in State College, PA. Once the instrument is paid off the family becomes the owner of the instrument. Fill out the rental form by clicking here! If you cannot participate in this program, school instruments are available on a limited basis.
Click here to learn more about the “rent-to-own” program offered by Robert M. Sides Family Music Center.
What can I play in 5th grade band?
Woodwind: Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Brass: Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone
Percussion: Snare Drum and Bells
Choosing an Instrument
Choosing your band instrument is very exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. Some things to consider are your physical characteristics (like the size of your hands, arms and facial/dental features), why you are interested in a particular instrument, and how all of those things fit into what the band needs for a good balance of instruments. Students that have strong motor skills and a strong sense of steady pulse are more naturally inclined to succeed in the percussion section. Our band would not be successful with 25 flutes, 2 trumpets, and 1 saxophone. Creating a balanced instrumentation will help us achieve a positive band experience.
A little more about Percussion
In 5th grade, students will learn how to read pitch, the fundamentals of mallet playing, and the fundamentals of snare drumming. We will be looking for things like coordination, an ability to keep a steady pulse, and commitment to being a total percussionist. As your percussionist enters the middle school and high school levels, they will play other percussion instruments such as bass drum, timpani, xylophone, marimba, triangle, cymbals, and more.