Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Parents,

As part of the Fourth/Fifth grade curriculum at PACE Academy, your child will have
the opportunity to participate in either Band (with Mrs. Trudgeon) or Choir (with Mrs.
Goodrich) during their music special class time. Each class meets during students
assigned music time every other day and students are required to select either
Band or Choir to participate in. Band and Choir offer an exciting musical element
and allow students to begin working on small and large group musical
collaborations. These beginning courses are just that-they allow students to try
something new and give them a taste of Band and Choir allowing them to try
something new and see if its an area they would like to pursue in the future.
Instrumental music provides a wonderful opportunity to learn an exciting new skill,
while at the same time enhancing reading and concentration, small muscle
development and creative awareness. In addition, these ensembles prepare
students for the larger Middle School Band and Choir ensembles. We ask that all
students are signed up for these classes by the end of the first week of school. This
information can be submitted to the main office with the other required forms.
Students who are not enrolled in Band or Choir by this deadline will be registered for
Choir.
Students who enroll in Band, will be expected to begin bringing their instrument and
music book to class NO LATER than Monday, September 28th, 2015. There are
several options in obtaining an instrument. Students may have access to an
instrument that a parent, cousin or other family member no longer uses. Be
advised, if an instrument has sat in a basement or closet for an extended amount of
time without any service done to it, it may need to be taken to a music store for a
cleaning and minor repairs. Another option is to rent an instrument from a local
instrument store. This is a very busy time at music stores because EVERY school is
sending students to get their instruments over the next couple of weeks. I cant
stress enough that you obtain an instrument ASAP because if you wait too
long, they will all be gone and some stores may not have any that can be ordered.
Also, store rental prices vary and you may not be able to obtain an instrument from
a store with the best deal. Students who do not have their instrument by Monday,
September 28th will be enrolled in Choir as they will fall behind without their
materials. I will provide a list of local stores that many PACE students rent through
at the bottom of this letter. If you have any questions or concerns, please email
Mrs. Trudgeon at jtrudtion@pacek-8.org
Below, you find information regarding Band including local stores, rental fees, etc.
Beginning Band instruments include:
Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, and Percussion (Bell Kit).
Beginning fourth/fifth grade percussion students should rent a bell kit. This

consists of a drum pad and a xylophone. Only returning fifth grade students who
played on bell kits last year should rent a snare drum kit. Please look into whether
renting or purchasing these items is better for you. Sometimes, the option of
purchasing these items is cheaper than renting. I do not select an instrument for
your child, but I do ask that you keep a few things in mind. First of all, please
consider your childs needs over what you/they think may sound the best/coolest.
For example, a child with a small body size may not be suitable to play a larger
instrument. Another thing to keep in mind is to have them try several instruments
at the music store to see which one is the easiest for them to make sound on.
Please see me or email me with any questions or concerns about this:
jtrudgeon@pacek-8.org

How to obtain a Band instrument:

First of all, there are countless places to obtain an instrument. Here are a couple of
options:
1. Family/Friends:
You may have a family member or friend who owns an instrument that you
could purchase/borrow. A lot of parents have purchased instruments for their
children and the child has lost interest and they dont know what to do with
the instrument. They may be willing to sell or give you that instrument for
your child to use. The downside to this is that the instrument most likely will
not be under warranty and some repairs can be costly. Before purchasing an
instrument this way, have the instrument checked out by a reputable music
store.

2. Music Stores:
One option is to purchase an instrument from a reputable music store. One
benefit of renting an instrument from a music store is that it comes with a
warranty for minor repairs. Instruments purchased from other places, family
or friends will not have a repair warranty and if broken can be costly to fix.
Below you will find a list of three area music stores that I have dealt with and
have had students rent instrument from over the past few years. If you are
aware of other music stores closer to you, please feel free to use them as well

In addition, most music store rental plans are rent to own plans in which
your monthly payment goes towards the purchase of the instrument.

1. Music Plus-(about 20 minutes West of PACE Academy and lease

expensive rental fees)
33607 7 Mile Road
Livonia, MI 48152
Phone: (248) 476-0447
Prices:
$54.06 (covers 3 months of instrument rental-Flute, Clarinet,
Trombone, Drum Kit, Bell Kit)
$110.77 (3 months instrument rental-Saxophone)
2. Camerons Music (about 20 minutes West of PACE Academy)
15630 Middlebelt Road
Livonia, MI 48154
(between Five and Six Mile)
Phone: 734-513-7080
Prices:
$25.00 per month (Flute, Clarinet, Trombone, Bell Kit)
Saxophones: Alto-$50.00 per month Tenor-$55.00
3. Marshall Music (Troy)
4052 Rochester Rd.
Troy, MI
48083
248-457-0300
Prices:
$30.00 per month (Flute, Clarinet, Trombone, Bell Kit)
Saxophone:$60.00
Some things to keep in mind:
-Not all musical instrument brands are created equal. Here is a list of the
best quality beginning instrument brands to look for when acquiring an
instrument:
Flute: Amadeus, Gemeinhardt, Armstrong, Selmer, Yamaha
Clarinet: Vito, Buffet, Selmer, LeBlanc
Alto Saxophone: Selmer, King, Yamaha
Trombone: Holton, King, Conn
Trumpet: Bach, Conn, Jupiter, King
Bell Kit: Ludwig-Selmer, Vic Firth, Pearl

Supplies:

ALL students need to have:

-Essential Elements 2000 Book 1 for their instrument (you can
purchase this from any music store.
-Students who play the clarinet or saxophone should have at least 2
spare #2 medium reeds in their instrument case at all times.