New students and Parents,
This will be a very exciting year. You
will all be amazed by the beautiful (yes, I said beautiful) music that will be
produced this year. The beginning may be a bit rough but by December, things
will really sound good and by May...WOW! I hope to be able to answer most of
your questions on this page but if there is anything I forget, please e-mail
me and I will get it answered.
*First, don't worry about an instrument
right now. The first week of school we will do some exploring of the
instrument options and decide by the end of the week.
*A local music company will then come out
to our school one evening to set you up to rent an instrument for your child.
Their rental prices are very reasonable and the quality is excellent. I
recommend you take the rental route at first until you see how your child will
do on that instrument. He may decide he wants a different instrument and all
you would have to do is trade. Also, most 6th graders will not be big enough
to use full size instruments. This way you don't purchase an instrument you
child may outgrow by next year. You would be able to trade your instrument up
for the next size at no cost or purchase at a discount when you're ready. I'll
send home more info at "meet the teacher" and the 1st day of school.
*You will also need to purchase a method
book (less than $10) and a folding music stand (approximately $15). These
items will also be available at the rental meeting.
*If your child chooses violin or viola you
will also need a shoulder rest. I may be able to order these in bulk from a
mail order company and save you guys some $. I'll let you know. Also, for
smaller violins I have a few used shoulder rests you could get for a deep
discount.
* For concerts we will always wear black
dress pants, black socks and black dress shoes. You won't need these right
away but if you know this far ahead, you can catch them on sale!
I know this is alot but I promise that
this will be the only year it will cost this much. The startup is the most
expensive part. It will all be worth it in the end.
Please e-mail me if you have any
questions. I am looking forward to a great year and I hope you are too.
Rhonda Arnold
