Welcome to the MAD Band!
Jennifer Ashworth, MAD Band Director
Dear parents and students, August 19, 2021
The MAD Band is back on campus! We have been a part of the School of the Madeleine since 1998 as an after-school program, teaching kids starting in 4th grade their choice of instrument: C Flute, B-flat Clarinet, E-flat Alto Sax, B-flat Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone and Drums. We will be holding all lessons outdoors for as long as the weather holds-- outdoor activities have been shown to be the safest! Lessons are in a group, usually 2-5 students, one lesson per week. If you’ve never played one of these instruments before, you will be in the Beginning Band. If you have played before, be sure to let me know via email!
Since we couldn't teach beginning students last year, we will be opening Beginning Band to all 4th graders AND 5th graders. Students 6th - 8th grades are encouraged to return to the MAD Band, if you played with us last year. If you fall in the cracks between those two definitions (played in 6th grade but not in 7th, played at another school, want to change instruments, etc.), drop me a note: jashworth@mad.band and we can talk about the best way to introduce you to the MAD Band.
The MAD Band teachers are: Sonia Gill-Arroyo, Flute & Beginning Clarinet; Jim Thorne, Drums; Roberto Ruiz, Trumpet; and yours truly teaching Trombone/ Baritone, Saxophone and Upper Clarinet.
In order to rejoin Band, all you need to do is respond to the email that I sent out August 19. Tell me your child’s name, grade, instrument choice and days of the week that he or she is busy. I try to schedule lesson times around kids’ existing after-school activities. Keep in mind that I will have ~85 students to schedule, so please give me more than one option for a lesson time!
However, bear in mind that some instruments already have a set lesson day:
Flutes and Beginning Clarinets (Sonia Gill, teacher)— Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays
Trumpets (Roberto Ruiz, teacher)— Mondays (6th - 8th trumpets) and Wednesdays (beginning trumpets)
Drums (Jim Thorne, teacher)—Wednesdays
Saxophones, 6th-8th grade Clarinets, Trombones and Baritones (Jennifer Ashworth, teacher) —Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays
Once lessons are set, this will be your permanent lesson time for the year— I can’t make changes without affecting 10-20 other kids, so please plan around your lesson time. Once the schedule is set, I will post it on SchoolSpeak, and on the Band website mad.band
Beginning Band: you have a special week of lessons the week of 9/13. You may choose your two times here: https://doodle.com/poll/an84b8r4fadks4xh?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link
Each student will have two private, 15-minute introductory lessons to demonstrate the proper way to assemble the instrument, care for and clean it. These are the ONLY lessons that will be private— group lessons at your permanent lesson time will start the week of 9/20. Percussion students will have one private lesson with Jim on Wednesday 9/15. These lessons will be scheduled at the Virtual Open House on Friday 8/27, 6:00 pm:
Topic: MAD Band Virtual Open House 8/27, 6:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3463619138
Meeting ID: 346 361 9138
Returning students will eventually be meeting in large groups outside on Wednesdays, starting in October-- in general, 7th and 8th grade may consider themselves Advanced Band, 6th graders will meet as Intermediate Band. 4th and 5th graders won't have Wednesday Band for quite a while, so don't worry about that right now :)
Students are encouraged to practice 15 minutes every day, and are required to come prepared to their weekly lesson, so please keep that in mind as you add the MAD Band to your child’s schedule. Once their lesson time is set, it is permanent for the year. I have very little ability to make changes once all 85 kids are entered into the schedule! Sonia Gill-Aroyo is collecting schedules, her email is: sonia@mad.band
Private lessons are $35. Group lessons, regardless of how many kids, are $20. There is a Parents Association fee of $85 that goes toward covering scholarships and Wednesday Band rehearsals (especially as we get closer to concert time in February and June).
We have a collection of instruments available for loan— Beginning students get first choice. Students borrowing one of these Loaner Instruments must pay a one-time Loaner Fee of $30, and that can happen at the Open House 8/27, or you can send a check in to the first lesson. Drummers, I do not have instruments to go home with each of you, and you will instead pay a $10 wear-and-tear fee for the drums you will use at school. Drummers will also need to purchase sticks and a practice pad, which will be provided at their first lesson (about $20).
Clarinets and Saxophones have the added cost of reeds, which run ~$20 for a box of 10, which should easily last all year and then some.
If you want to provide your own instrument, they can be rented or purchased at The Starving Musician, Music Works in El Cerrito or Forrest’s Music in Berkeley, to name just a few stores. Most places offer 3-, 6-, and 9-month leases with an option to buy. Amazon.com also has a huge selection for purchase, but beware of Chinese imports— they are very inexpensive, but you get what you pay for, and they are impossible to repair!
If you have any questions, please email me at jashworth@mad.band, and return your schedules to sonia@mad.band ASAP
I'm looking forward to seeing all of you again soon!
Jennifer Ashworth, MAD Band Director