The Catoctin School of Music

What instruments are taught in the woodwinds studio?
CSM's woodwind studio is comprised of our flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone lessons.

Why study a woodwind instrument?
Private music instruction is a great way to supplement and enhance the training woodwind students are getting from a school band class or give your child instruction if their school does not offer music in the curriculum. Through the personalized guidance of a private instructor, good habits can be formed from the start. As a result, students won't have the hassle of correcting early habits of posture, hand position, and fingerings. Lessons help to foster comfort in performing, grow your sight-reading skills, and give you the tools to have successful auditions. Typical lessons include scales or technique exercises, standard solos from the repertoire, jazz improvisation, and even modern music.

What is the minimum age for woodwind lessons?
Unlike string instruments that come in ¼ size, ½ size, etc., woodwinds come in a one-size-fits-all instrument, and in actuality, they certainly do NOT fit all! For this reason, we do not recommend starting a child on a woodwind instrument before the age of 10. Younger students may be admitted after an evaluation by our faculty. To schedule an evaluation, please email CSM's Studio Manager.

What materials are required and how do I obtain an instrument?
Materials needed for lessons are:
Your instrument. You have the option to rent or buy, and any local music store can help you through this process. (Check below for some of our recommendations for starter instruments.)
For clarinet, saxophone, oboe, and bassoon lessons, you will need a handful of reeds to get started. (Check below for more info on reeds.)
You will need an instrument swab to keep the instrument clean after practice sessions.
For flute lessons, you will also need a cleaning rod and cloth. (A handkerchief makes a perfect cleaning cloth!)
Also, plan to purchase a music stand for home practice, a metronome, and sheet music.

If you are taking clarinet, oboe, or bassoon lessons you will need reeds. Having a good reed is the best way for a student to achieve a good sound, plain and simple. It’s important to have 2-3 good reeds in your case at all times to be ready for when one reed needs to be retired. With that said, the cheapest way to buy reeds is in bulk—try not to buy only one at a time, because your student WILL go through a lot of these. Our instructors recommend the following for new beginners:

Clarinet: For purchase we recommend you look into: Solist CL3209 Student Clarinet  To rent: Yamaha or Vito student model clarinet. Or a Buffet B12.
Saxophone: 2 or 2.5 Rico or Van Doren
Oboe: Lesher medium
Bassoon: Jones Brand medium soft to medium

Recommended instruments:
Flute: Armstrong, Gemeinhardt, Yamaha closed-hole, beginner models
Clarinet: Yamaha or Bundy student models
Oboe: Fox student model (recommend renting, as they are expensive)
Bassoon: Fox Renard student model (recommend renting, as they are expensive)
Saxophone: Yamaha student models

If you are interested in starting Woodwinds lessons, please click HERE.