In-school classes
We offer in-school classes for the following instruments:
Brass
Trumpet: Highest sounding in the brass family. Bright, clear sound. Plays lots of melody in the band.
French Horn: Rich, beautiful sound. A little more difficult to start on than the other brass instruments
Trombone: Fun instrument that is very important in concert and jazz band.
Baritone Horn: Maybe the easiest of the brass to begin on. Has a big, full sound.
Euphonium: Very similar to the baritone horn.
Tuba: Big instrument that adds the low foundation notes in a band
Woodwind
Flute: Like the trumpet, the flute gets to play lots of melody in a band. It takes a couple weeks for some students to get a clear sound, but after the initial hurdle is a fun and easy instrument to play.
Clarinet: Great starter instrument. For most students this is the easiest instrument initially to play. A nice mellow sound.
Alto Saxophone: Very popular instrument as it is so versatile. Also a great starter instrument.
Tenor Saxophone: A bigger sax than the alto so has a lower pitch.
Oboe: Also gets quite a bit of melody but uses a double reed that is expensive (around $15). The first one the student gets for free but after that you must purchase. Usually students go through 4 or 5 a year.
Bassoon: Has a nice, rich low sound but also uses a double reed that is expensive (around $15). The first one the student gets for free but after that you must purchase.
Strings
Violin: Highest sounding of the string instruments. Plays mainly the melody sections in an orchestra. A very popular instrument.
Viola: Has a rich, beautiful sound. Is played similar to a violin but has lower sounds.
Cello: Sounds an octave lower than the viola. Has a bigger sound and as you sit with it resting on the ground has a more natural feel to start with than the violin.
Double Bass: Very large instrument that you stand to play with it resting on the ground beside you. Adds the foundation notes to an orchestra
Percussion and Auxiliary Percussion
Percussion students spend most of the time learning fundamentals of rhythm reading and playing. Students will play on the whole family of percussion not just drums so they will learn to play Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Orchestra Bells, Xylophone, Timpani and a variety of hand held, auxiliary percussion instruments
* In-school classes run the third week of September until the Victoria Day weekend in May, with instructors coming to the student's school.
The program is open to all grade three students and above.
There are also after-school ensembles and groups that are open to all students within the NEIM program.
Beginner Strings
Intermediate Strings
Advanced Strings
Beginner Percussion Ensemble
Beginner Band
Intermediate Band
Advanced Band
Flute/Clarinet Ensemble
Jazz Band