WHEN CURIOSITY LEADS TO PASSION: GRADE 5 BEGINNER BAND

By Sophie Holbrook, Band Director

Teaching the Grade 5 Beginner Band is one of my absolute favorite times of the week. As a band director who teaches several ranges and levels of band instruction, there’s something special about the beginners. I love the pure and raw energy that they bring to the class; it is often a controlled form of chaos, but it all comes from a place of genuine excitement. The students have so many questions, a wide range of initial sounds that they create, and such unabashed joy. Every lesson demonstrates leaps and bounds of growth, both in their ability to perform on their instrument and in their understanding of what being in an ensemble means. What I’ve noticed over the years is that the curiosity shown by the youngest members of the band program is what drives their energy and enthusiasm. That is what motivates their practice and incentive to put in the hard work to improve.

Like anything, the desire to learn comes from a natural curiosity to want to know more. Throughout time, this simple idea of curiosity has been the genesis for many of the greatest inventions and discoveries. When introduced to something new, there is often a spark that fuels future ideas. It is this initial spark that I see in Beginner Band when introducing the 5th graders to instruments and ensemble music. There are 14 instruments from which to choose, some of them with funny names and all of them with interesting sounds. Some are shiny, some are wooden, some are huge while others are small. The students are introduced to pitch, range, and timbre within the woodwind, brass, and percussion families. This is a whole new world of music that the students embark upon in their first lesson of the year. From there, students visit the ‘instrument petting zoo’ where they get to touch and hold all of the instrument options. This spurs on even more questions – Why is the tuba so heavy but feels light to play? Why is the flute so small but feels heavy to play? Why is the saxophone part of the woodwind family but it’s actually made out of brass? Why is it called bass clarinet but baritone saxophone… is there a bass saxophone and a baritone clarinet? How does a trombone change notes if they only have a slide? And on and on and on. Our one hour class could easily turn into many hours of exploration and inquiry. Alas, they take their questions home and start to think about which instrument is the right match for them to play for the duration of the school year.

Once the students are appointed their instrument, they attend Beginner Band Day which is always a highlight of the year. Students receive their instrument, have lessons with instrumental experts on how to play the first five notes, then come together as a full 88-member band to form the annual Grade 5 Beginner Band. After some entertaining first sounds, I am always amazed that in a few hours time, the students are playing several songs and even perform a mini-concert for the parent community as the culmination of their Beginner Band Day. Every year I have doubts, yet every year it works. Then, on goes the school year and the students practice at home, some more diligently than others, and the 5th graders begin finding their voice in the band. They perform two concerts, Christmas and Spring, and at the end of 5th grade they make a choice on what music class to take the following year. Many continue in the band program while others move to different music subject areas or types of ensembles. No matter what they choose for the following year, I am always thankful for getting to be their teacher during 5th grade. It is such a formative time of life and I consider myself privileged to teach them for a snippet of their educational journey. The students who continue to stay with the band program, however, remain in my classes for many years to come. It is those students whom I have asked to contribute to this article. What made them stick with it through middle and high school? At what point did their initial curiosity turn into a passion?

This is my 7th year teaching at SFS and my first group of 5th graders is now in their junior year of high school. We have been through a lot together. With several of the high schoolers and my wonderful colleague Josh Yaniw, we have traveled to India, Japan, and Hong Kong for AMIS and APAC band festivals, performed countless school concerts together, gone to local music festivals, played Christmas carols in the middle school atrium, worn band masks to get through Covid, participated in the pit orchestra for the high school musical, rocked out in jazz band, and sometimes just hung out in the band room to chat. I myself was curious to find out from the current high schoolers who did beginner band with me - what kept you in the band program for all these years? The responses I received filled nearly 10 pages of single space text written almost as testimonials to why they’re involved in the band program. I couldn’t help but smile and feel immensely proud as I read their words, imagining their 5th grade childish faces, even though the words were clearly coming from the mature high schoolers that they are now. They, along with their peers who joined Band in the following years, as well as the hundreds of younger students in the program, are at the very heart of my profession. Seeing a number of high school students come back each year to Beginner Band Day to help the 5th graders who play their same instrument comes full circle. Being with the students on their journey of curiosity, and perhaps even helping them find a passion, is what guides my lessons every day.

Curiosity was one of the main aspects that motivated me to practice and engage with the band program. With my growing curiosity, I sought ways to answer questions [about my instrument] on my own, which helped me significantly enhance my skills and performance. Band was an especially exciting class because I could visibly see and hear the improvement over time. The tangibility of such growth inspired me to continue pursuing and extending my experience with my instrument.

- Yune Hur, Grade 10, Horn

Through time, I think my curiosity has shifted from a single instrument to the entire band. As you get more experience in one instrument, you start to listen for the other players in the band. Picking out certain sections and carefully listening for their own unique sounds, you start to hear every instrument when they all play together.

- Schaeffer Won, Grade 10, Percussion

I believe that music enriches my life in ways that grades alone cannot. Every time I walk into band class, I often feel tired and weighed down by the pressures of schoolwork, but by the time I leave, I feel rejuvenated and energized. There's something very special in music that really cannot be explained.

- Justin Kang, Grade 11, Trumpet

What kept pushing me to play my oboe until high school was the curiosity it SPARKED, not the curiosity I originally HAD. Throughout the year of band class in fifth grade, there were a series of questions that kept following one after another, driving me forward to find the answer. What does an oboe sound like? How do I play this note on the oboe? How do I take care of the reed? How do I control my embouchure? Band was never just an opportunity to play music; it was a place where I learned to embrace curiosity!

- Chloe Jun, Grade 10, Oboe

When we started Band, my initial curiosity as a ten-year-old mostly revolved around my euphonium and how it worked. But as years went by, I was more interested in blending my sounds with others more pleasantly rather than my individual playing. Knowing that an ensemble can only be as good as its worst member, I felt pressed to work harder to raise the standards instead of lowering the quality of our music. Every time I enter L301, I feel privileged to enjoy a class full of fellow students who want to be there, playing music. With each new repertoire, I find something new to learn by listening to the music played by a professional band and sight-reading the sheet. Then, understanding what the composer intended propels me to improve my technical skills to convey the original intent. I always try to hold my attempts to my highest standards, so hearing sounds from my euphonium that I don't like motivates me to practice

Eugenie Wang, Grade 10, Euphonium

When I first started playing the flute, I thought I was going to lose my mind. The tricky fingerings; I've done it before, it was quite similar to the piano. But embouchure?? My lips and tongue felt like they were bruised every time I finished a lesson with my teacher. It was difficult. And I didn't like it. I'm a very goal-oriented person, and so when I dislike something, I will be determined to change it. That determination flared into passion; I started having genuine fun playing the flute. I think that once you dedicate yourself fully to something, it's incredibly difficult to let go. And plus why would you quit something you love when you can just continue getting better?

- Jane Chang, Grade 10, Flute

[In Grade 5], the trumpet immediately caught my attention. As soon as I picked it up during the trial day in the ES classroom, the trumpet was the only instrument that fell perfectly in my hands - like it was meant to be there. Many of my classmates struggled to produce a sound, but when it was my turn I was able to get a relatively clear buzz right away. At that young age, I had a fairly competitive spirit. Seeing that I could do something others found challenging sparked my determination. I thought to myself, "This is it - this is the instrument for me." I was filled with curiosity about what I'd be able to play in the future. The possibilities seemed endless, and I couldn't wait to start my musical journey with the trumpet.

- Olivia Kim, Grade 11, Trumpet

I was most curious about all the opportunities I would be able to get in middle and high school, and now, I would say I'm less curious about those experiences, and more curious how I can improve myself to match the band, like how I can tune better, how I can blend lower notes, or how I can transition from low to high notes with the rest of the flutes. I'm also learning the piccolo again, so I'm also pretty curious on how I can improve that! I was definitely determined to learn as much as I possibly could about the flute so I could fully understand what it meant to play the flute. Seeing other people around me improve and learn new things also pushed me to work harder and practice more. I want to say that people should pick an instrument that they love, and from there, their efforts should come naturally. Treasuring my instrument is what has pushed my efforts this far, and if you love music like I do, I think everything should come naturally to you.

- Jiyu Lee, Grade 10, Flute

I really wanted to do the oboe because it was such a special, yet challenging instrument. And I loved a challenge. Learning the oboe has by far been the most rewarding experience. In all honesty, the thought of me teaching during beginner band day was sort of like a light in the tunnel for me in the first few years of learning the oboe. I admired my high school beginner band teachers so much- I thought they were the coolest people

- Leah Kim Andersen, Grade 10, Oboe

Curiosity can only get you so far, and it is up to you to immerse yourself in the music to reach for the stars. I believe every note has a story behind it. Whether it's to shout, hide, or support others, they have a story. My inspiration to continue comes from the determination to strive to tell that story as close as possible. That accomplished feeling of finally getting to hear the music and what each note is saying is like no other. The beautiful thing about all of this is that music is endless, with each playing session unfolding the story of music to a new level. Ultimately, I will never get bored of band for the very reason that I get to be the storyteller of such intricate and magnificent messages. At the end of the day, when the music is finally finished, it's the people next to you that matter. I've personally met so many amazing people in my time as a Band member, getting to know so many new perspectives. I strongly urge everyone to take part in music outside of Band, whether it'd be through outside activities (e.g. Jazz Band) participating in events, or playing with friends in your free time. The habits people hold as musicians are incredible, and surrounding yourself with other individuals who strive to create music is the prerequisite to success and happiness. Stay curious!

- Jayden Lee, Grade 10, Euphonium