FLUTE
Instruments
​Yamaha 221 or 222
These are fantastic flutes for developing musicians. Teachers and students highly recommend these. 
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   •     You will need a cleaning rod & cleaning cloth
You could even use a piece an old t-shirt to thread through the cleaning rod
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•     Pad Paper: Helps keep the pads on the keys of the flute clean and working properly

I would recommend a cleaning rod over a cloth with a weight. Cleaning Rods have a notch in them that can be used to align the tuning cork on the flutes head joint! The cloth does not help you tune the flute!

   •     Please be careful not to play directly after eating sugary foods. The pads on the flute keys can become sticky and damaged!
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   •     Without cleaning, the Flute can become a HEALTH HAZARD.
CLARINET
Instruments
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Selmer

Jupiter

​Yamaha 255


•   HARD RUBBER Mouthpiece: Vandoren B45 Hard Rubber Mouthpiece (OPTIONAL)
I have always had success with Vandoren products. Their mouthpieces are great for any level musician and they stay in a manageable price range
Having a good mouthpiece can drastically effect the experience of playing a clarinet. Not all mouthpieces are the same!
Please feel free to reach out before purchasing a mouthpiece!

  •   Ligature: Any Vandoren, Rovner or Selmer Ligature.
Prices on ligatures can get pretty silly. I would avoid purchasing the highest quality ones as they can reach over $100.
For the eighth grade level you do not need to purchase these expensive ligatures.
Any ligature by the listed companies tend to get the job done for a reasonable price. I would spend between $30-$80 for a good ligature.
 
•   Reed Cases: Reed Cases
These are not necessary but will help organize your reeds and potentially increase their life-span.

•     REEDS: You will need at least 3-5 Reeds. You do not want to overuse one reeds as the fibers will decay and it will not work as well!      
   •    Having 3-5 reeds that you can switch between each day will help them last longer and help you play better.
   •    Please refer to the sizes for each brand listed below. Different brands will feel and play differently from each other.

You will need the appropriate size to get the perfect amount of resistance without struggling to make a sound.
The sizes and brands below are suggested for ALL clarinetists.
 
 FOR CLARINET I WOULD RECOMMEND SIZE 2.5 OR HIGHER. You will want enough resistance to make the upper register easier to play!
   •     It is important to take care of your reeds! Unfortunately all of our sound on the instrument comes from one little piece of wood. The more it is cracked or damaged the harder it will be to play.
   •     Please be careful not to play directly after eating sugary foods as the sugar can stick to the reed and become a HEALTH HAZARD.
 
*The Prices on WWBW (Woodwind brass wind) are reasonable prices for reeds. Most local places will match price if they are more expensive and you would like to shop locally. I would use the linked sites as reference for how much you should pay.
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   •     You will need a cleaning Swab. Without cleaning, the clarinet can get very dirty and can become a HEALTH HAZARD.

•     You will need one tube of cork grease.
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SAXOPHONE
Instruments
Selmer
Yamaha
Jupiter
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HARD RUBBER Mouthpiece: (NO METAL MOUTHPIECES PLEASE!)
  •    Selmer S80 C* Hard Rubber (GREAT for classical, though pricy)
  •    Vandoren Optimum AL5 (Good for Classical and Jazz, slightly cheaper than the C*)
  •    Vandoren V16 Hard Rubber, A6 Medium Chamber (GREAT for BOTH classical and JAZZ. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOUTHPIECE)
 
Saxophone Mouthpieces can get pricy. You will want to purchase a mouthpiece that is above $30-$50 in order to see a difference.
Unfortunately most of the stock mouthpieces included with instruments are NOT that good! They can cause frustration playing in the upper and lower registers of the horn.
There are a number of GREAT mouthpieces designed for students that will DRASTICALLY improve your experience playing the saxophone.

  •   Ligature: Any Vandoren, Rovner or Selmer Ligature.
Prices on ligatures can get pretty silly. I would avoid purchasing the highest quality ones as they can reach over $100.
For the eighth grade level you do not need to purchase these expensive ligatures.
Any ligature by the listed companies tend to get the job done for a reasonable price. I would spend between $30-$80 for a good ligature.
 
•   Reed Cases
These are not necessary but will help organize your reeds and potentially increase their life-span. 

•     REEDS: You will need at least 3-5 Reeds. You do not want to overuse one reeds as the fibers will decay and it will not work as well!
​​
•     You will need a cleaning Swab. Without cleaning, the saxophone can get very dirty and can become a HEALTH HAZARD.

•     You will need one tube of cork grease.
 
About Reeds and cleaning:
   •    Having 3-5 reeds that you can switch between each day will help them last longer and help you play better.
   •    Please refer to the sizes for each brand listed below. Different brands will feel and play differently from each other.
You will need the appropriate size to get the perfect amount of resistance without struggling to make a sound. The sizes and brands below are suggested for ALL Saxophonists.

   •     It is important to take care of your reeds! Unfortunately all of our sound on the instrument comes from one little piece of wood. The more it is cracked or damaged the harder it will be to play.

   •     Please be careful not to play directly after eating sugary foods as the sugar can stick to the reed and become a HEALTH HAZARD.
 
*The Prices on WWBW (Woodwind brass wind) are reasonable prices for reeds. Most local places will match price if they are more expensive and you would like to shop locally. I would use the linked sites as reference for how much you should pay. Keep in mind: the way the companies package the reeds differs for each saxophone. Alto Saxophone should get 10 per box, Tenor and Baritone usually get 5 per box.
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   •     I would avoid buying the long fluffy cleaning brushes that fit the length of the horn. These tend to leave moisture in the saxophone after cleaning it and can damage the pads over time. If you use one DO NOT leave it in the saxophone after using it!!