Junior High Band
Organizational Tips

Mark Your Territory

Musical instruments and sound equipment are expensive. To prevent theft, it's important to have them clearly marked. Do not assume they are safe because they are locked up. One summer I borrowed a trumpet and a trombone from a local music store to teach summer band. Even though the instruments were in my locked office, inside my locked room, in the locked school, they still were stolen. The band room was being re-carpeted and the custodians left the office, room and building open for the carpet layers. The instruments had not been marked because they were borrowed.

I used a metal stencil and white spray paint to put the school name on the large instruments. The uglier the label, the longer the instruments lasted. I also used an engraving tool to mark the smaller instruments. The label "Stolen from Lakeridge Jr. High" was most helpful.

For inventory purposes, I used a metallic silver Sharpie to put the instrument serial number on the outside of the case.

Video Disclaimer

The attached videos are not perfect examples of how each tune should be played. They are recordings of junior high students, some of whom have had their instruments for only a few months. Also, they are not professional recordings. They were taken by band parents using home equipment and naturally focusing on their own children.

I include them for two reasons: (1) To give you an idea of what the arrangements are like, and (2) To illustrate the kind of performance you can expect from your junior high students.