Woodwinds and Brass Ensemble
Teaching Musical Excellence and Community
Program Overview | Fees and Instructions | Education
News & Events | Member Families
Program Overview
The Woodwind and Brass Ensemble Program accommodates 40–50 students (grades 4 through 12). The instruments taught in this program include: flute, oboe, clarinet, tenor and alto saxophone, French horn, trumpet, and trombone. The program offers basic classical training, encompassing scales, tone, fingering, transposition, rhythm, harmony, melody, breathing, sight-reading, eartraining, notation, and various key signatures. Once students have mastered fundamental instrumental techniques, they will broaden their musical horizon and begin to develop a repertoire that includes jazz, blues, and classical music. Students will
also have an opportunity to perform their own original compositions.
Fees and Instructions
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Students in the program start off with an introductory theory class and 60-minute instrumental private/semi-private studio lessons each Saturday. As
students progress, they are able to add 60-minute advanced theory classes as well as 1-hour weekly ensemble classes. The most advanced players are encouraged to audition for membership in NEC Preparatory School youth ensembles and orchestras.
NEC provides instruments (on a loan basis) and underwrites 85– 90% of the program’s actual costs. Parents are asked to pay $490 (plus a $30 registration fee) per 15-week semester, for the introductory theory and the 1-hour instrumental studio lessons.
Parents of intermediate students will be asked to pay $590 (plus a $30 registration
fee) per 15-week semester, for ensemble classes, instrumental instruction, and advanced theory.
Financial aid is available through the Tuition Assistance Program for Boston Residents.
Education
All students attend one hour weekly studio lessons throughout the 15-week semester.
With private lessons our goal is a building musicianship. Students will use ear training and singing as a foundation for playing expressively, with good intonation and a pleasant time. For accuracy and technique, lesson will heavily focus on: carriage, pasture, beating, embouchure, fingering, or slide positions, and reading skills.
For enrichment, our students will attend live concerts and build their own performance experiences playing music of a varied repertoire frequently at New England Conservatory, NEC, and throughout the community. Specific musical skills addressed in lessons also include development of a characteristic tone quality, scales, tonguing, rhythm, and practicing techniques.
The basic outline for one semester of class instruction includes:
- Basic instrumental techniques
- Reading and writing music notation
- Ensemble skills.
- Interpreting, improvising, and composing music
- Theory instruction
News & Events
2003 Recital Celebrates Achievement
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The Woodwinds & Brass Ensemble program holds a recital that celebrates students' achievement in the spring. This year our youngest participate just started the flute two months before our summer recital.
Our youngest participant eight-year-old Aletta Pride Thomas played flute with the ensemble and as a soloist.
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Member Families
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| Parent and photographer Michael E. Thomas captured the standing room only presence of parents and supporters. |
The Woodwind and Brass Ensemble Program includes the Parents Support
Group as an essential element of the overall activity. Parents are required to participate!
Family members join together not only to celebrate their children's achievements, they also come together to form a parent group. Our parent group assists in orchestrating and supporting our annual events, and the fundraising efforts of the Office for Community Collaborations program develpment activity. Parents, guardians, and others who support our participants are invited to lend a hand.
In fact, parent, Rochelle O'Neal-Thorpe coordinated the content for the Woodwind and Brass Web site.
To support, or make a donation contact Director of Annual Giving, Joanne Coluccio by e-mail or by calling her at (617) 585-1156.
To get involved, feel free to contact Director, Calvin Hicks via email or by phone.
Community Collaborations Program
Director: Calvin L. Hicks
(617) 585-1136 (P)
(617) 585-1135 (F)