Music

• To showcase progress, students will perform an evening concert in the winter and spring. There may be other performance opportunities available as well. 
• Attendance and participation in concerts is required of all members.
• Concert dates will be communicated at the beginning of the school year.

• When considering an instrument to play, it is important to have at least 3 choices in mind, as not every instrument may be well-suited to each child.  
• Each student will be assisted by a Band Director to try out the instruments and determine which is the best “fit” for success based on these considerations: physical characteristics, ease in producing an initial quality sound and balanced instrumentation of the ensemble.

• Band class meets every other day as part of the regular, 6-period middle school schedule. 
• Students will bring their instrument from home for class. Sometimes students who play larger instruments such as tuba will have one instrument at home and one at school.
• Students will have a combination of curriculum including instrument-specific curriculum and full ensemble curriculum. 
• Consistent daily home practice is very important for successful skill development, muscle memory, and reading retention.  Daily practice of 15-20 minutes is more beneficial than longer practice sessions on fewer days.

• Instrument, lesson books and accessories are not to be obtained before the instrument selection process has been completed.
• Once the instrument selection process has been completed, additional specific information will be supplied by your child’s Band Director in regard to obtaining your child’s selected instrument, lesson book and accessories.
• The instrument, lesson book, and supplies can be obtained through the music vendors who service SoWashCo, family ownership, purchase, use of a school-owned instrument or scholarship. We want every child who wants to play an instrument to have the opportunity to do so!
• Some larger instruments or more expensive instruments such as French Horn, Bass Clarinet, Baritone/Euphonium, Tuba and Bassoon are available for a nominal rental fee from the school district. 
• Your child’s instrument, lesson book, and accessories must be secured before band class begins.

No. Our job as orchestra teachers is to teach your child the skills they need in order to be successful on their instrument.  They will learn proper instrument hold and position, how to get a good tone (sound), and how to read music during their first year of playing.

The SoWashCo Orchestra Program is free. The only cost involved is the rental of the instrument (a monthly fee) and the onetime cost of the materials needed. 

Students who participate in the Free or Reduced Lunch Program can receive financial aid from the district. This includes a free or reduced fee school rental instrument. SoWashCo owns a limited number of violas, cellos, and basses for this purpose.

Orchestra meets every day in high school. High School Orchestra occasionally combine with the band for a full orchestra experience. Students will register for orchestra when the school counselor's visit with the students in January and February. It is highly recommended that students have prior experience on a stringed instrument prior to enrolling in high school orchestra.

It is a district policy that cellos and basses are not allowed on district busses.

In middle and high school, students who play these larger stringed instruments will have a school-owned cello or bass to use during rehearsals here at school. Students will still be expected to have their rented instrument at home to practice on and use for evening performances.  

In middle school, students are required to take a music class (band, orchestra, or choir). Orchestra is scheduled as one of their 6 class periods of their daily middle school schedule. Students also receive occasional small group lessons for more individualized instruction. Students will register for orchestra when the school counselor's visit their elementary school each January/February.

SoWashCo Schools works closely with many local string vendors.  Families contact these vendors to set up their own rental agreements.  If you are approved for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program, please let your orchestra teacher know and they will contact you with information on how to rent an instrument from the district at a free or reduced cost.  

Orchestra directors size students during the registration period or as needed. Music stores/vendors can also size students for instruments.

General Information | Purchasing Tips and Benefits | Renting Tips and Benefits | What to look for in an Instrument | District Rentals and Free and Reduced Pricing

General Information

Each store have their own prices. The bigger the instrument, the more expensive it will be to rent. (For example: If your child is debating to play the cello versus the violin, the cello will be more expensive to rent, since it is bigger.) We recommend contacting one of the stores on our suggested list. Make sure to ask the music store representative about a Maintenance Plan and the Rent-To-Purchase plan.

We emphasize not to purchase an instrument unless the student is sized for a “full size”. Throughout their growth, they will be moving up in size for their specific instrument.

Purchasing Tips and Benefits

If you choose to purchase an instrument, we recommend not purchasing one from EBay or any online, non-registered string dealer, like "Discount or Big-Box Dealers" or retail stores. The problem with buying an instrument from these places is you never know what you are getting for your money and you don't know the condition of the instrument or the tone quality. It is impossible to test out the instrument or see if it is really what the advertisement is truly stating. Students become frustrated if their instrument is not in working condition or doesn't have the proper "set-up", tone quality, strings, etc. Music stores such as House of Note, Quinn Violins, All Strings Attached, Claire Givens Violins, John Waddle Violins, are "string specialty" stores that only concentrate on selling and repairing stringed instruments. We recommend contacting these stores instead of renting/purchasing online. Always get the OK from your orchestra teacher when purchasing any instrument.

Renting Tips and Benefits

The good thing about renting the student's instrument is that you can trade in the instrument when the student grows and needs a bigger one. The problem with purchasing an instrument online, is that even though it might be at a reasonable cost, you will need to purchase another instrument as soon as your child grows. Most music stores that rent stringed instruments have rental policies that once you have rented from them for a period of time, a portion of your rental payments will be credited towards the time of a purchase (normally when your child reaches the "full-size"). Students should start thinking about purchasing their own instrument when they reach their instruments' "full-size". This normally happens in the middle school years. Stringed instruments (if proper care is taken) are investments. Stringed instruments go up in value over time if taken care of properly. If you purchase a lesser-quality instrument, you will not get your money’s worth when it comes time to sell it. So if you want to purchase an instrument, we suggest getting a medium to high quality instrument.

What to look for in an Instrument

Things To Look For In An Instrument & Bow, whether you are renting or purchasing:

• Good quality wood
• No cracks or major dents in the instrument
• Working fine tuners (elementary and middle school students should have four working fine tuners)
• All pegs should be in working condition
• Proper "set-up" (this means the bridge is adjusted/made for that particular instrument. The action - distance between the string and the fingerboard - should be at a particular height)
• All four strings should be on and in good condition
• The bow should have a working screw
• The horse hair on the bow should be clean (not dirty near the bottom)
• The bow should have a full amount of hair on it (not too many missing)
• The bow stick should not be warped
• The tip of the bow should be in good condition (not broken off)

District Rentals and Free and Reduced Pricing

SoWashCo Schools does have a small collection of instruments to rent to families. If your child is on free and reduced lunch, please contact your orchestra director about district instrument opportunities. 

Bass

The Double Bass has a deep rich, dark sound, which gives the orchestra a solid foundation. It can play the lowest notes in the orchestra. A very versatile instrument, it can be used in variety of groups, from a symphony orchestra to a jazz group. It is closely related to the electric bass guitar, which a good bass player can learn very quickly. The bass is the largest instrument of the string family and it can be played in either a sitting or standing position. The bass reads the bass clef, but sounds an octave lower than what is actually written.

Bass Sizing

If you want to play the double bass the first factor you must consider is how tall you are. Your height matters when it comes to the double bass. The taller you are or the bigger your frame, the more easily you can handle playing the double bass. Generally, the size of the double bass that is commonly used is 3/4.

Here are the different sizes of the double bass based on its' body height (measurement from bottom to shoulder.) Note that these are only approximate measurements.

• 1/4 size - It measures 37.4 inches and is the smallest of the double bass. This is the size that's recommended for children.
• 1/2 size - It measures 40.2 inches and will be suitable for older children to adults who are around five feet four inches in height.
• 3/4 size - It measures 43.7 inches and is the size most commonly used by musicians. This is considered to be “full-size”.
• 4/4 size - It measures 45.7 inches and is the largest size of the double bass. This is for people who are very tall. Not many professional bass players play on a 4/4 size, they normally play on a 3/4 size.

Viola

The viola resembles the violin, but is slightly larger in size. Many people assume the violin and the viola are the same instrument. They are not! The viola reads a different clef than the violin. The viola reads the alto clef and the violin reads the treble clef. Students will have a hard time switching from viola to violin or vice versa due to the clef differences. The viola produces a lower sound, similar to the alto voice of a choir. Its mellow tone quality adds a unique dimension to the orchestra. The violas are held similar to the violin. Good violists are always in demand in various performing groups!

Viola Sizing

For the violin and viola, the arm length dimension is found by having the player extend their left arm out straight and level with their shoulder, with the palm facing upwards. Arm length for the charts below is the distance from the student's neck to the center of their left palm. The distance in the chart is the minimum distance that would apply to that size. If the distance is greater than the chart distance, that indicated size should be comfortably playable by the student up to the next size indicated. (For example: If the length of the players arm is 22", you should go with a 13" viola).

It has four strings producing tones a fifth lower than the corresponding strings on the violin and is slightly larger. The viola is particularly child-friendly in that it comes in a variety of sizes. As a student grows, the instrument can be traded for larger sizes

It's critical that a student has the proper size instrument. A viola that is too large in proportion to the size of the student can create a very uncomfortable situation. In extreme situations, this can lead to tendonitis leaving students discouraged and turned off to the instrument.

A viola with a body length of 15-inches or greater is considered to be “full size”.