Beginning Band Procedures

School is in full swing, and beginning band has just begun or will begin soon. Now is the time to implement and stick to procedures that will benefit your beginning musicians throughout their first year. Your beginning band students will be more successful later if you focus on establishing clear procedures now. Every student should know what is expected of them when they walk into the band classroom. This foundation will create more instructional time later in the year to progress further and learn musical concepts instead of reteaching basic classroom management.

Essential Questions for Developing Your Procedures
When developing your beginning band processes, these are a few of the many questions to consider:

Room Entry and Setup:
● How do you want students to enter the room? Will they need to line up outside of the band room when they arrive, or can they walk in as they reach the room?
● What level of talking is appropriate during setup time?
● Do you want students to play on their instruments before formal instruction time begins?

Equipment and Storage:
● Where will students store their cases?
● Where should they unpack their instruments? Should all students unpack at their seats, or will some use another designated area?
● Is there adequate room for students to unpack in front of their seats?
● Do you want clarinet and saxophone players to put a reed in their mouth immediately upon unpacking?

The Challenge of Implementation
The hardest part of implementing procedures is following through consistently. Beginners are excited to learn their first notes, and many directors want to rush through these important foundational steps to get to the "fun stuff." However, spending time now teaching procedures thoroughly will save countless hours later. Without this investment, you'll find yourself going over the same basic expectations again and again—and time that could be spent making music. 

 

Remember: procedures taught well today become habits that support musical learning all year long.