Tallmadge
City Schools

Band Supplies

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Middle School Band Equipment/Supplies

All students will need a method book. Our method book this year is Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician by Scott Rush and Jeff Scott. Make sure that you purchase the correct version for your instrument!

Flute

1. Soft polishing cloth

2. Cleaning rod

Clarinet, Saxophones

1. Minimum of three reeds in rotation at all times (2 ½ strength to start, then work your way up to 3½) (we recommend Vandoren, Mitchell Lurie, Rico Royal, or Juno brands)

2. Reed guard/holder

3. Swab

4. Mouthpiece brush

Trumpet, French Horn, Baritone, & Tuba

1. Valve oil (Al Cass or Blue Juice are recommended)

2. Soft polishing cloth

3. Mouthpiece brush

4. Cleaning snake (Vinyl coated if possible)

Trombone

1. Slide Lubricant (Slide-O-Mix or Slide Cream are recommended)

2. Small spray bottle

3. Soft polishing cloth

4. Mouthpiece brush

5. Cleaning snake (Vinyl coated if possible)

Percussion

Each of these items usually comes as part of the beginner percussion kit. We recommend that students set up their bell kit at home and bring their practice pad, sticks, and mallets to school with them.

1. 5A snare sticks (Vic Firth is recommended)

2. Hard rubber bell mallets

3. Practice Pad (Remo RT-0008-00 is recommended)

4. Stand for practice pad

Recommended Equipment/Supplies

The following items are recommended to support each student’s individual musical development. They are:

Metronome
- A separate device can be purchased, but there are also smartphone and tablet apps that work very well. one suggestion is Pro Metronome, which is a free app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Tuner
- As with the Metronome, you can purchase a separate tuner device, but there are free and paid smartphone/tablet apps that also work very well. InsTuner is only for Apple devices, but is free and is excellent. Tuner - Pitched! is free in the Google Play store and is also excellent. Tonal Energy is $3.99 in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, includes a metronome, and is probably the best music app on the market.
Portable Music Stand
Pencils
- It may seem like a no-brainer, but it is always a good idea to have a pencil on-hand whenever you are rehearsing or practicing to make notes and reminders in your music.

Instrument Purchasing Guide

The simplest thing I can say about instrument purchasing is that if it seems too good to be true, it just might be too good to be true. In searching Amazon or other online outlets, I’ve seen several instruments that claim to be high quality and come packaged with a series of accessories coming in with prices of less than $100. They may also come with a replacement plan. In my experience, and in Mr. Culver’s experience, these instruments are more likely to have issues. Flutes, Clarinets and Saxophones can be particularly problematic with their intricate key systems. Non-typically colored instruments, like purple clarinets or green saxophones, are also more likely to have issues.

If you are unsure of a brand, please feel free to contact me or Mr. Culver to get our thoughts. We are here to help, so when in doubt, reach out!

Here are some brands we recommend. There are certainly more good or great quality instrument makers, but in our experience these are the most reliable and consistent in quality:

Armstrong	Gemeinhardt	Pearl
Artley	Getzen	Selmer
Bach	Holton	Vic Firth
Buescher	King	Vito
Bundy	Leblanc	Yamaha
Conn	Ludwig

High School Band Equipment/Supplies

Students will be required to attend all events with all necessary equipment, unless directed otherwise. This will include:

Instrument

If a student must use a school-owned instrument, it will be registered in their and their parent’s or guardian’s name. They will be responsible for maintenance and repairs during the duration of their use.

Appropriate Uniform

Music Binder or Flip Folder

Students are expected to keep their music in a binder or flip folder with sheet protectors

Drill Charts and Coordinate Sheets

Pencil

NOT A PEN

Refillable Water Bottle

Small Hand Towel

Extra Reeds

Valve Oil/Slide Grease