Required Materials
In addition to their instruments, students should come to each rehearsal and lesson with:

1) An instrument identification tag
2) A pencil
3) A one-inch three-ring binder with view front and at least 25 sheet protectors
4) A method book (for the appropriate instrument):
          6th Grade Band: Essential Elements, Book 1
          7th Grade Band: Essential Elements, Book 1
          8th Grade Band: Essential Elements, Book 1 AND Book 2
5) Miscellaneous supplies from the list below depending on instrument

*All students should have their own music stands for home practice.*

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Flute
A cleaning rod and cloth (an old, clean t-shirt about four inches by four inches works best.)

Clarinet/Saxophone
·   A tube of cork grease (the most inexpensive brand will work well.)
·   A “step-up” mouthpiece. Please do not play on the mouthpiece that comes with the instrument. Suggested step up mouthpieces:
     o      Vandoren M13 Lyre or J & D Hite Premiere for Clarinet
     o      Selmer C Star (C*) or Yamaha 4C for Saxophone
·   Three clean, unchipped reeds.
     o      Rico Royal, Hemke (strength 3 or 3.5), and Vandoren (strength              2.5 or 3)  brands are recommended for saxophone.  
     o      Mitchell Lurie (strenght 3 or 3.5) brand reeds are                                 recommended for clarinet.
·   A reed case for storage when reeds are not in use (The D'Addario Woodwinds Reed Guard is a good, inexpensive case.)
·   A clarinet or saxophone swab is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to keep the instrument in good working order.
   
 Trumpet
·   A bottle of valve oil (Al Cass brand valve oil is recommended.)
·   A container of tuning slide grease (Schilke Slide Grease is recommended.)
·   A cleaning snake and slide brushes for semi-annual cleaning of the instrument (may be purchased as part of a Trumpet Cleaning Kit)

Trombone
·   Superslick Slick-It ​Trombone Kit ( includes liquid, cream,  and spray  bottle)
·   A container of tuning slide grease (Schilke Slide Grease is recommended.)
·   A cleaning snake and slide brushes for semi-annual cleaning of the instrument (may be purchased as part of a Trombone Cleaning Kit)



Percussion
·   The Vic Firth EP2 Intermediate Education Pack, which includes:
     o      Drum sticks (Vic Firth SD2 Bolero American Custom Maple-Tip Sticks)
     o      Timpani mallets (T3 Staccato)
     o      Marimba/Vibraphone Mallets (M3 Yarn-Covered)
     o      Bell/Xylophone Mallets (Hard Rubber

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Percussion players must also have a bell kit and practice pad or snare drum for home practice.

  

Many of materials can be purchased through the Higgins Band Store. They can also be found online and at local music stores.
Please contact Mr. Giannopolo for a list of local music retailers.