I am a firm believer that hard work and dedication are more important than talent. Someone with less talent who works hard, practices regularly, and truly wants to be the best they can be will always outperform someone with more talent who lacks dedication and who does not practice regularly. With hard work, perseverance, and a little guidance from their teachers, parents, and peers, anyone can become an accomplished musician!
Schoology: All assignments, lessons, music, resources, etc. for our music classes this year will be communicated via Schoology. As a parent, you have access to view your child’s Schoology courses and assignments. If you do not know how to access Schoology, contact the Main Office.
Zoom: All live instruction will be conducted via Zoom. Information on how and when to join Zoom classes is published on Schoology. Students do not need to have a Zoom account in order to join classes. In fact, they cannot have a Zoom account without your permission.
Class Website: Please bookmark this website where you can review the syllabus, calendar, Music Booster meeting minutes, and other important information.
New Parent Orientation Meeting: Is this your first year as a Benton Band or Orchestra parent? This meeting is for you! Monday, August 24th at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. I will send a separate email with the Zoom login info.
Back to School Night is Tuesday, August 25th. More details forthcoming.
More Information About Band & Orchestra: Check out BePartofTheMusic.org for videos about Band, Orchestra, and all the different instruments your child can learn at Benton, especially if they are not sure what instrument they want to play yet!
Choosing an Instrument:
The instruments offered in Orchestra are (click on the link for a video about each instrument):
Obtaining an Instrument:
Instruments for Orchestra are generally provided by the school on a first come, first served basis. Instruments may also be obtained by renting from a local music vendor such as Morey’s Music. High-quality student models are available at a very reasonable price, often with an option to “rent to own.” Most music vendors also offer free repair services.
It is not recommended to purchase an instrument for your student until you are sure they are going to continue, as even the most affordable string instruments cost several hundred dollars. If a new instrument is suspiciously cheap, there is a reason for that. Buyer beware!
Please confer with Mr. Summers prior to renting to make sure you are renting or purchasing the correct instrument!