Our band program is a long-established tradition at SJB School. Alumnae of our band has gone on to play at local private and public high schools and has continued to develop their musical skills well beyond graduation. 

The band instructor is Ms. Mortera. You can email  Ms. Mortera at kmortera@sjbschool.org for more information.

 A bit of information about the band…

Who Can Sign Up for Band:  Any student who will be in the 4th-8th Grade during the 2018-19 school year.

Joining the band is a three-step process.  

Step1:  Students will come to a demonstration day to see and hear the various instruments that they can start on in-band – flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone & percussion.  

Step 2:  Students will be fitted (try out instruments) for an instrument that suits their physical characteristics.  

Step 3:  Parents will come to a band sign-up night to register their child for band/rent an instrument.

Where/When:  Lessons will be held at St. John Brebeuf School once per week on Tuesdays.  Students would be scheduled into small groups for lessons on like instruments. Band lessons are a pull-out program. They are approximately 30 minutes and are scheduled on a rotational basis so that students are not pulled out of the same part of class more than every 5-8 weeks. Additionally, full band rehearsals for returning students will be added before school (on Tuesdays) for roughly 45 minutes before the bell rings. Beginners will meet for about 40 minutes for full group rehearsals (on Tuesdays) after school. Full group practices will begin after we have a number of weeks of small group lessons under our belts.

Fees:    Tuition for the band is $50.00/month. For beginning students, I do ask for a four-month commitment. This will give your musician several months (Sept.-Dec.) to experience lessons, rehearsals as well as a Christmas Concert. Students benefit from a short-term commitment so they can experience the full cycle of the band before making any decisions on further instruction. In January, if you wish to continue, you would go on a month-to-month basis and the payments would be $50.00/month.

Annual (once per year) Activity Fee:  $55.00 - There is no Band budget at St. John Brebeuf. Rather than doing various fund-raising activities, we will ask families for an annual Band Activity Fee to cover general expenses (band music, contest fees, solos, school inst. maintenance, minor supplies, etc.).  

Getting an Instrument:  If you need to obtain an instrument I recommend Quinlan & Fabish Music Co. They are a reputable company that rents/sells high-quality student instruments that stand up to student use. They offer a rent-to-own program at very reasonable, competitive rates. A feature of their rental program that I really like is the maintenance/replacement coverage as it protects against theft, loss, and damage. Also if your instrument would ever need repair or adjustment, there is a representative from the company that would visit us weekly and takes instruments in that might need servicing. Additionally, he would bring out a loaner instrument for your child to use in the event it does need to go into the shop. I recommend and have used Quinlan & Fabish as my instrumental rental company for over 20 years and have grown to trust them because I know they are honest and do right by the families that I work with.

For your convenience, Quinlan & Fabish will be at the band sign-up night at school.  At the sign-up night, you can speak with me, get more information, rent an instrument and get any supplies you might need for a start-up.

Performance Commitments:  We will have three main performance goals for the band during the year. The first is our Christmas Concert in December. The Second is a Solo Festival in March or April & the third, is our Spring Concert in May. Additionally, I like to bring in other experienced band directors to do clinics with our students. It is beneficial for students to hear and get input from other master teachers in our area as a part of their musical education. The dates of our events are yet to be determined, but I will get those to you as soon as possible.