Welcome to the SOA Band Experience!

All beginning band students/parents are required to participate in our instrument fitting session on Tuesday May 26, 2026. We will enlist the help of professional musicians/teachers to test each student on the eight different instrument choices in our band. Students/parents will receive an email with explicit instructions and a designated time (between 4-7 pm) to arrive on campus that day.

Note that it is necessary to maintain strict instrumentation guidelines in order to create a functional band with the limited amount of students admitted each year to our program. This process is designed to place students on the instruments for which they are best suited and will benefit the band.

After the instrument fitting, you will be contacted to confirm your student's selected instrument and provided details and options for procuring an instrument.

Alice Aldredge

Director of Bands

Email: alice_aldredge@charleston.k12.sc.us
Website: https://charlestoncountysoabands.com
Location: 5109 West Enterprise Street, North Charleston, SC 29405

Alice Adkins Aldredge is a member of the South Carolina Band Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, Women Band Directors International, and the prestigious American School Band Directors Association. She most recently served as Past President of the North Carolina Band Masters Association before moving to South Carolina in 2018. She has worked as a clinician and adjudicator for marching and concert bands in Texas, Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Before relocating to SC, she was the director of bands at Northwest Cabarrus Middle School outside Charlotte, NC. Other teaching experience includes nine years working as the Director of Bands at Croatan High School in Carteret County, as well as in Scotland and Robeson counties. Professional accolades include the NCBA Award of Excellence Award for the Southeastern District and Teacher of the Year awards from Carver Middle School and Northwest Cabarrus Middle School.

Her bands have received consistent superior ratings in Grades II, III, IV, V, and VI literature, and her ensembles have performed for the North Carolina Music Educators In-Service Conference, Bands of America Regional Concert Band Festival, Bands of America Regional and Grand National Marching Band Championships, and Winterguard International Regional and World Championships. Mrs. Aldredge has continually placed students in All-District and Region Bands, North Carolina All-State Honors Band, North Carolina All-State Honors Orchestra, North Carolina Eastern Region Jazz Ensemble and the North Carolina All-State Jazz Ensemble.

The flute is the smallest of the beginner instruments.

Personality: Careful & Studious

Physical Characteristics: Flute players should have a slight “frown” to the upper lip with NO tear drop shape in the middle. Flute tones are produced by being able to focus an extremely small air stream to an exact location on the tone hole. The tear-drop-shaped lip will make it difficult to direct the air so precisely. Flute players should also have agile fingers for moving this multi-keyed instrument through a fast musical passage. Students with extreme overbites (receded jaw) should avoid choosing flute as this makes it difficult to produce quality sounds. Flexible lower lip desirable.

Other Considerations: Students with double-jointed fingers should avoid selecting flute as double-jointedness can cause lack of agility in the fingers.

The oboe is a small woodwind instrument that is similar to a clarinet. It uses a double reed.

Personality: Patient & Scholarly

Physical Characteristics: Oboe players usually have small to medium size lips that cover the teeth. Fingers should be long and agile. Other Considerations: Students with double-jointed fingers should avoid selecting oboe as this condition can cause lack of agility in the fingers. The oboe takes a lot more time to master than some of the other instruments. Students who like a challenge are a good fit for the oboe. Some orthodontia ok.

The bassoon is a large woodwind instrument that is unique in that it reads bass clef. It uses a double reed.

Personality: Patient & Scholarly

Physical Characteristics: Bassoon players usually have small to medium size lips that cover the teeth. Fingers should be long and agile. The bassoon requires more use of the thumbs to engage keys than any other instrument. Other Considerations: Students with double-jointed fingers should avoid selecting bassoon as this condition can cause lack of agility in the fingers. The bassoon takes a lot more time to master than some of the other instruments. Students who like a challenge are a good fit for the bassoon. Some orthodontia is ok.

The clarinet uses a “single reed” and a mouthpiece to produce the sound. Clarinet is a popular instrument each year and many students will want the opportunity to play.

Personality: Diligent & Focused

Physical Characteristics: One necessity of clarinet tone production is the ability to make the chin flat. Other Considerations: Students who have difficulty remembering a series of instructions should avoid playing clarinet. Clarinet players are also responsible for maintaining a working stock of 4-6 quality reeds.

The saxophone is a woodwind instrument. It uses a single reed. They come in different sizes: alto (small), tenor (medium), and baritone (large).

Personality: Jazzy & Outgoing

Physical Characteristics: Since the balance of the saxophone is maintained by the use of a neck strap, it is extremely important that students be able to sit up completely straight when asked to.

Other Considerations: Saxophone players are responsible for maintaining a working stock of 4-6 quality reeds.

The trumpet is the smallest member of the brass family. The sound on the trumpet is produced by buzzing into a small cup-shaped mouthpiece. This is a popular instrument.

Personality: Confident & Daring

Physical Characteristics: While orthodontia is somewhat troublesome to a cornet/trumpet player, it is not impossible to make good sounds with braces. A slight overbite is okay, but an underbite can severely hinder progress on cornet/trumpet. Trumpet players come in all shapes and sizes.

Other Considerations: Trumpet parts usually have the melody (recognizable) part. Therefore, students who choose and are selected for trumpet should exhibit a confident demeanor, strong personality, and demonstrate a high level of self-motivation.

The French Horn is a member of the brass family. The sound of the French Horn is produced by buzzing into a small mouthpiece similar to a trumpet. Students with good musical ears (such as piano/guitar players) should consider French Horn.

Personality: Academic, Brave, Risk-taker

Physical Characteristics: While orthodontia is somewhat troublesome to a French Horn player, it is not impossible to make good sounds with braces. A slight overbite is okay, but an underbite can severely hinder progress on French Horn. The French Horn’s valves are manipulated with the LEFT hand.

Other Considerations: Because of the difficult nature of French Horn notes (mentioned above), students should exhibit GREAT ability to match sung or played pitches by humming or singing. This is a good instrument choice for students who have participated in piano/guitar lessons or organized choirs.

Trombone players should have good “musical ears." The trombone is played like the other brass instruments (buzzing into a cup-shaped mouthpiece), but uses a slide instead of valves. The slide is not marked or notched and players rely on their memory and listening skills to tell if they are in the EXACT proper location. Students with good musical ears should consider Trombone.

Personality: Sense of Humor & Good Ear for Music

Physical Characteristics: While some might think that trombone players must have long arms, the truth is there are numerous accommodations that make it possible for students of all shapes and sizes to play. Trombone players should have slightly fuller lips than average.

Other Considerations: Great trombone playing takes good concentration and study. Many quiet academicians have excelled at trombone.

The euphonium (you-PHONE-knee-yum) is sometimes known as the baritone. It is a member of the brass family and looks like a small version of a tuba. Its sound is similar to that of a trombone, but it uses valves like a trumpet instead of a slide.

Personality: Artistic

Physical Characteristics: Euphonium players should have moderately full lips, but not too full. A SLIGHT overbite is okay, but an under bite would hinder a good sound. The euphonium requires a medium-sized hand span to reach the valves and students should have an above average lung capacity.

Other Considerations: Students with an above average amount of orthodontia will find the mouthpiece of the euphonium a bit more comfortable than trumpet or French horn.

The tuba is the largest instrument in the band and provides the foundation to our sound.

Personality: Unique & Fun Loving

Physical Characteristics: Tuba players need to have full lips and a large lung capacity. While the size of the student doesn’t matter TOO much, a long torso (upper body) helps a student reach the mouthpiece of the tuba while resting the bottom of the tuba on the edge of their chair or across the thighs.

Other Considerations: Instruments can be difficult to transport – truck with cover for bed or SUV are recommended vehicles. Braces ok.

Just because you are always tapping on things does not mean you are a natural percussionist (drummer)! In fact, the percussion section is the most select, hand-picked section of the band. ONLY students with the highest grades, lowest discipline problems, backgrounds in piano lessons, and extremely high gross and fine motor skills will be considered for percussion.

Personality: Coordinated & organized

Physical Characteristics: Students should exhibit a great deal of coordination in gross and fine motor skills.

Other Considerations: The study of percussion includes bells, triangle, tambourine, maracas, claves, bells, xylophone, marimba, and timpani among many other instruments.