Parent Guide

Instrumental Music

Bakersfield City School District - Visual and Performing Arts

Congratulations!

Your decision to provide your child with quality instruction on a musical instrument is an investment in your child’s future. Music uniquely exalts the human spirit! A music education provides many benefits, providing the student with opportunities for self-expression and creativity.

Parental attitude, support, and involvement are important factors in a child’s ability to successfully learn to play and enjoy music. Like any skill, interest counts for more than talent. With the right support from you, playing music will become a natural part of your child’s life.

Playing a musical instrument develops the following extrinsic values:

  • Problem solving

  • Team work

  • Self-expression

  • Coordination

  • Memory skills

  • Self-confidence and respect

  • Concentration

  • Poise

  • and much, much more!

A child’s music study also offers opportunities for shared family experiences, including:

  • Musical event attendance

  • Performing for, and with, family and friends

  • Learning about music and cultures from around the world

  • A sense of pride and accomplishment for the entire family

Music achievement requires effort over a long period of time. To help your child:

  • Provide a quiet place to practice

  • Schedule a consistent daily time for practice

  • Remain nearby during practice times

  • Praise your child’s efforts and achievements

To give your child the best possible support...

  • Encourage your child to play for family and friends

  • Offer compliments and encouragement regularly

  • Expose your child to a wide variety of music, including live concerts and recordings of musicians who play your child’s instrument

  • Talk with your child about his or her lessons

  • Make sure your child’s instrument is in good working order

  • Listen to your child practice and acknowledge improvement

  • Help your child build a personal music library

  • Encourage your child to make a minimum two-year commitment to his or her music studies

Your child’s progress will be greatly enhanced if you...

  • Never use practice as punishment

  • Don’t insist your child play for others

  • Don’t make fun of their mistakes

  • Remember that progress will be slow but steady in the beginning

If your child loses interest...

  • Encourage your child to stick with lessons for the agreed to period of time

  • Contact your child’s music teacher for suggestions and help

Learn How to Practice

Here is a helpful video by VAPA Academic Coach Steve Engel:

https://go.bcsd.com/dgp

Obtaining Books and Musical Supplies

Beginning instrumental music students are to have the following equipment and books for music instruction:

Violin, Cello, String Bass

• Instrument, bow, case

• Rosin, soft cloth or handkerchief

• Folding wire music stand for home practice

• Book: String Basics, Book 1

Flute

• Instrument with case, tuning rod, cloth

• Folding, adjustable wire music stand for home practice

• Book: Essential Elements for Band, Book I

Clarinet and Saxophone

• Instrument with case, mouthpiece, ligature

• Neckstrap (sax only)

• 4-6 reeds (#2 strength), cork grease

• Handkerchief or chamois swab

• Folding wire music stand for home practice

• Book: Essential Elements for Band, Book I

Trumpet

• Instrument with case, mouthpiece

• Valve oil (trumpet)

• Folding, adjustable wire music stand for home practice

• Book: Essential Elements for Band, Book I

Trombone/Baritone

• Instrument with case, mouthpiece

• Trombone slide cream and a water spray bottle

• Valve oil (baritone only)

• Folding, adjustable wire music stand for home practice

• Book: Essential Elements for Band, Book I

Percussion

• Bell kit with drum pad and stand, sticks (#2B) and mallets

• Folding, adjustable wire music stand for home practice

• Book: Essential Elements for Band, Book I

Where to Purchase or Rent an Instrument

The following music stores carry a complete line of musical instrument equipment and supplies. They also offer instrument rental programs. Each shop has a full-service musical instrument repair shop.

California Keyboards

2408 Brundage Lane

327-5397

Bakersfield Sound Co.

10715 Rosedale Hwy.

661-554-9090

Nick Rail Music

5127 Ming Avenue

412-4942

If Your Child Uses a School-Owned Instrument

There are a limited number of instruments available at each school. In order for first-year students to receive basic instruction, school-owned instruments are available for only one year. Continued progress is required in order to keep the instrument for the whole school year. At the close of the year, the school instrument must be returned in playing condition.

It is your responsibility to pay for the instrument if it is lost or stolen, or for the cost of any damage to the instrument or case. The school district does not have insurance on school-owned or student-owned instruments so parents are responsible for lost or stolen instruments at the school site.

Replacement Costs

  • Flute $450.00

  • Clarinet $350.00

  • Alto Saxophone $750.00

  • Tenor Saxophone $850.00

  • Trumpet/Cornet $400.00

  • Trombone $400.00

  • Baritone $750.00

  • Violin $400.00

  • Cello $950.00

  • Bass $1,750.00

  • Bell Kit $200.00

Elementary Instrumental Music Teachers

Casa Loma

Chavez

College Heights

Downtown

Eissler

Evergreen

Fletcher

Franklin

Fremont

Garza

Harding

Harris

Hills

Hort

Jefferson

King

Longfellow

Horace Mann

McKinley

Mt. Vernon

Munsey

Nichols

Noble

Owens Int.

Pauly

William Penn

Pioneer Drive

Roosevelt

Thorner

Voorhies

Wayside

Frank West

Williams