PARENTS - Please have students available with you to fill out this and go through this survey.
***There is a 20-minute video about instrument selection to watch to help your student decide their top 4 instrument choices (link in section 5).


Dear Future Arbor Creek Band Members and Family Members,

We are so excited for your student to be a member of the ACMS Band!!! This is the first step for us to help your student decide which instrument they will play next year.

In February we will be sending out a Sign-Up Genius link for our student Instrument Selection Meetings. The meetings will be done in a socially distant safe environment with one of our very own ACMS Band Directors. Instrument Selection Meetings will occur on February 27th, March 5th, March 6th and March 8th. Parents will be able to sign up for the date and time that their student is available to meet.

Every instrument is necessary for the band. Completing this correct ratio of each instrument is called INSTRUMENTATION.  We must have proper instrumentation (the correct ratio of each instrument) for our bands to perform the required literature for our UIL standards for the state of Texas. When band programs have proper instrumentation, ALL students enjoy their experience and can be successful.
Very much like any sports team, we need each position filled in order to have a complete team.

Students will be tested on their first choice instrument during our instrument selection meeting.  If the student has a hard time on that, we will try them on their second choice, and so forth, until we find the appropriate instrument for your child.
PLEASE TRUST US - we want your student on an instrument that they can be extremely successful playing, for a long time. They may THINK they want a certain instrument, but we may guide them to a better fit - after all, they likely know just as much about what they THINK they want to play as they will what we suggest they play.

Some less popular instruments are actually easier and offer more opportunities if they are a good fit, so don't forget about Oboe, Bassoon, & Tuba! Saxophone & Percussion are very popular choices for some reason, and those classes are capped off at a certain number. About 10-14 students will be selected for Saxophone, and only about 12 will be selected for Percussion. Please make sure your SECOND CHOICES are well-thought out if Saxophone or Percussion is your first choice.
As a side note, we offer a JAZZ BAND in 7th & 8th grade open to ALL instruments! Please support the band directors in this process.  

Please know that all of the information we collect in this survey will be kept private and confidential. Our only goal is to find out as much we can so we can find the perfect instrument for your child when we meet during our instrument selection meeting!

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out regarding any questions. Take care!