Trombone Studio

Handbook
Henry T. Law
henrytlawlessons@gmail.com
(316) 285-2851
 Table of Contents

Program Description

Requirements

Calendar

Policies (Payment, Rescheduling, and Cancelation)

Lessons

Small Ensembles

Studio Recitals

Honor Bands

Solo Ensemble Festival

Masterclasses

Equipment

Maintenance

Student and Parent Signature

 Introduction

Welcome to the Trombone Studio of Henry Law. This document is

designed to guide both students and teachers through everything that happens in

the Trombone Studio. At any time feel free to contact me at my email or phone

number listed above or take a look at my website SlideAdvantage.com

Program Description

In this extracurricular activity students will be introduced to the world of

Trombone and will learn skills such as performance and self-discipline. As you

continue through this hand book it is important to understand that for progress to

be made students must be willing to practice the music assigned to them for at least

5 hours a week. If you do not have that time available, then trombone lessons

might not be for you. Nonetheless, adding lessons to a student’s schedule will

enhance their experience in all ensembles they are involved in and it will give them

the skills they need to continue music, at whatever capacity, upon completion of

high school.
Mission

The Mission of my Trombone Lessons is to give students the knowledge

necessary to continue on in music, at whatever capacity, upon completion of

lessons. This will be done through work in scales, etudes, solo literature and

performances.

The rate for lessons is $20 per 30 minutes.

 Requirements and Expectations

To begin taking lessons you must meet this prerequisite:

 Enrolled in band class at school

The following is required for continued involvement in the studio:

 Continued enrollment in band

 Audition for District Ensembles
 Play in Trombone Studio Recital
 Play a solo in Solo and Ensemble Festival

The following is expected:

 Attendance of Lesson
 Payments made by the time of the lesson
 Students arrive at least 5 minutes early to lessons
 4-5 hours of practice for 30 minute lessons
 8-10 hours of practice for hour long lessons

The goal of every lesson is to make steady progress in all areas the student is
working in for eventual perfection or near perfection of the concepts and skills.
 Calendar

September 16th District Jazz Auditions

November 4th District Band/Orchestra Audition
District Jazz Performance
November 18th Get Trombonified
December 2nd District Band/Orchestra Performance
December 12th Studio Concert
January 6th All State Band/Orchestra/Jazz Audition
February 22st-24th KMEA Convention/
All State Rehearsals/Performances
April 14th Regional Solo/Ensemble Festival
April 28th State Solo/Ensemble Festival
May 8th Studio Concert
May 20th THE LAST LESSON
 Policies

Payment Policy

 The rate for Lessons is as follows

o $20 for 30 minute Lessons
o $40 for 1 Hour Lessons
 Payment must be made at or before the scheduled lesson time of the student
and can be done multiple ways.
o Cash
o Check
o Card (Via Square Reader)
o Venmo (@henrytlawlessons)
o Cash App (@henrytlawlessons)
 All things are possible through communication, so if there is a problem just
let me know via email at henrytlawlessons@gmail.com

Rescheduling Policy

 Rescheduling means that the student cannot make their scheduled time but
would like to change the date and time of that lessons.
 24 hours-notice must be given in order for a lesson to be rescheduled. If 24
hours before isn’t met then the student will be charged the Lesson Fee for
their time.
Cancelation Policy

 Canceling means that the student will not be at their scheduled time
therefore they will not be charged the Lesson Fee for their time
 24 hours-notice must be given in order for a lesson to be canceled. If 24
hours before isn’t met then the student will be charged for their time.
 If possible the student will be rescheduled
 Lessons

In lessons your students will be required to purchase etude books, solo

literature, and cleaning materials for their instrument. Each student’s needs are
different, so each student’s purchase list will be different and will be determined
after 1 or 2 lessons with materials provided from me until the purchase has been
made. It is also important to note that lessons are an extracurricular activity but
still requires just as much or if not more work than the student’s class.

In lessons we will go over the following:

 Maintenance of the Trombone
 Musical Concepts
 Music Theory
 Aural Skills
 Trombone Technique
 Solo Literature
 Etude Books
 Jazz

The Last Lesson

At the end of each year the Trombone Studio will gather at my house for a
few hours of fun and food provided by myself. This is my way of thanking the
student and their parents for participating in the Studio.
 Small Ensembles

Trombone Ensemble

Each semester there will be a Trombone Ensemble that will play on the

Studio Concert. This ensemble will consist of all members in the Trombone

Studio as well as any community members that want to play. The music will be

given out in lessons to studio members, and over email for community members.

Then, with one rehearsal, the Sunday afternoon before the recital, we will play the

one piece.

Trombone Quartets

If possible, students from the same high school can form a quartet and take

the ensemble to Solo/Ensemble Festival in the Spring and play at the Studio

Recital in both semesters. The rehearsals for the piece would need to be worked

out with their high school band director, which I can do, or be held at a time that

all ensemble members can be there and that I could be there occasionally to coach

them.
 Studio Recitals

At the end of every semester there will be a Studio Recital. It will be held at

different locations each time depending on what space is available. Each student

will perform their solo piece with piano accompaniment (hired by me) and play in

the Trombone Ensemble. If the student has been working on jazz that semester

then they will also play a jazz chart with the rest of the students also working on

jazz.

Concert Dress

Although most high schools require tuxedos or all black for the trombone

studio all I ask is that you look professional and comfortable. This may mean a

suit for some and a button down with slacks for others but there are a few rules.

 No jeans
 No tee shirts
 No tennis shoes
 No Leggings/Yoga Pants
 No Short Skirts/Dresses

If you have any questions about what will work and what won’t please ask.

Once again, the goal is professional but comfortable.

 Honor Bands

The Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) holds two events for

students, the District Honor Ensembles, and the State Honor Ensembles. All of the

ensembles are auditioned. As listed in the calendar, District Ensembles Auditions

are required by all members of the studio and State Ensembles are required of

those who can audition (Sophomore or older and made a District Ensemble).

There are 3 Ensembles at each level the student can audition for: Jazz,

Orchestra, and Band, but they can only participate in at each level. The Audition

music will be worked on in lessons and the students high school band director will

be in charge of signed students up who want to audition, so make sure to talk to

them about auditioning.

 Solo & Small Ensemble Festival

Every spring the Kansas High School Activity Association (KSHAA) hosts

both a Regional Solo & Small Ensemble Festival and a State Solo & Small

Ensemble Festival. It is a requirement of the studio to participate in the Regional

Solo & Small Ensemble Festival and if the student is in a Trombone quartet they

are required to play in that as well. If the student scores well enough in the

Regional Festival then they will play their solo at the State Festival in front of

different judges.

Once again, the students high school band director is in charge of signing

students up to participate in the Festival, so make sure to talk to the about

participating. If you have any questions about it do not hesitate to ask.

 Masterclasses

Occasionally, myself or the surrounding colleges will bring in guest artists to

give lectures or masterclasses about the trombone, brass instruments, performing,

or any other musical topic. I will give this information to the student and make

sure they are able to make it to the masterclass if they want to attend. If the Artist

is brought in by me it is required for all studio members to attend.

There are many different options when it comes to trombone equipment but here

are my suggestions.

Instruments

There are many different options when purchasing a trombone but I suggest
the following manufacturers.
 Yamaha (best instrument for the money)
 Conn
 Bach

No matter what you are thinking about buying, please tell me. I can give
more tips and pointers on what to stay away from and how to test it.

Mouthpieces

The mouthpiece that comes with the instrument probably won’t be the best
fit for the student. Within lessons using my cabinet of mouthpieces, the student and
I will find one that works for the student and ask that they purchase it.
 Maintenance

All instruments require some tender love and care occasionally but here are

some things that you can do to make your trombone last longer and stay playing

like new. All of these things will be gone over in lessons.

Lubrication

Students will need to purchase slide oil and tuning slide grease to apply to
their instrument. I suggest the Yamaha Slide Lubricant (liquid not cream) or the
Slide-O-Mix for slide grease. And Hetman’s Synthetic tuning slide grease. All
can be purchased at the local music store.
The student needs to apply Slide Oil to their inner slide every 3-4 hours of
playing or once a day if the student doesn’t play for that long in a day. The student
will need to apply Tuning Slide Grease once a week to all tuning slides

Cleaning the Trombone

There are two parts to cleaning the trombone weekly cleaning and monthly
cleaning and yearly cleaning. For weekly cleaning the student will need a couple
of things: 9 sq. ft of cheese cloth (can be purchased at Dillions), and a cleaning rod
(3 ft long and should have come with the instrument). The student will need to
swab the inside of the outer slide and wipe off the outside of the inner slide at least
once a week.
 For month cleaning the student will need the same supplies as weekly
cleaning with the addition of warm water and a little bit of dish soap. The
following in the procedure
 Put about 3 inches of warm water with a touch of dish soap in a deep sink.
 Plug one side of the slide and place end into the water
 Move slide back and forth sucking water up into the slide
 Repeat plugging other side
 Drain Sink
 Repeat all steps without soap in the sink
 Swab out the inside of both the inner and outer slide (but be very careful)
 Wipe down the outside of the inner slide
 Leave out to air dry for about 30 minutes
 Put back together and enjoy playing

All of this will be gone over in lessons.

For yearly cleaning the trombone needs to go into a music repair shop for a
deep clean. They will take everything apart, clean and polish the instrument and
put it back together. I suggest taking it to BAC in Kansas City to get this done.
With these few cleaning sessions, your trombone will last much longer and it
will continue to play well for a long time.
 Student and Parent Signature

Through the Handbook I hope I have made it clear what the expectations of the

Trombone Studio are and that either the parent or the student shouldn’t hesitate to

call or email me for more information. To ensure that I have a document that can

hold both the student and the parent accountable for the items in the handbook I

request that both the student and the parent sign this sheet at the bottom.

Student Signature ______________________________________________

Parent Signature ________________________________________________

 References

Allen High School -

https://www.tmea.org/assets/pdf/educator_toolkit/Allen_Band_HB.pdf

Holdenville High School

http://www.holdenville.k12.ok.us/HANDBOOKS/BAND/Band_Hndbk.pdf

Norwell High School

https://nhsmusic.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/2017-18-handbook.pdf

Metea High School

http://www.meteamusic.org/uploads/4/7/9/7/47978763/mv_music_department_han

dbook_16-17.pdf

Goddard High School

http://www.ksmea.org/_site2/assets/newteachers/docs/Goddard%20HS%20Band%

206A.pdf