Junior High Band
Survival Tips

Learn Basic Instrument Repair

One of the best and most useful things I did early on in my career was attend a week-long instrument-repair workshop. It was held at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. The presenter was George H. Springer who wrote the book Maintenance and Repair of Wind and Percussion Instruments (Copyright 1976 by Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 470 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02210). I took a trunk load of instruments that needed repair. We spent the week learning how to perform the most common repairs on all the band instruments. Being able to fix most problems on the spot not only saved my students money but gave us valuable rehearsal time that would have been lost otherwise.

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.