Hello all! This message is about our after school ensembles and rentals from NDC. First, I must apologize for not providing you the NDC Rental rates in my last email, an oversight on my part entirely. *Please have your instruments rented as soon as possible to ensure we can play music sooner!* You can see my recommendations in [[Welcome to the 2026-2027 Music Program at NDC#Instrument Rentals|my previous post.]] Below you will see ways students can join the after school bands, as well as when they are scheduled and when they'll start. # In this post: - [[#After School Bands]] - [[#Junior Jazz Band]] - [[#Senior Jazz Band]] - [[#Junior Panorama]] - [[#Senior Panorama]] - [[#St. Cecilia String Orchestra]] - [[#NDC Instrument Rental Rates]] - [[#2026-2027 School Year Rates]] - [[#Secondary Instruments]] - [[#No Insurance or Extended Service Plans]] # After School Bands We have 3 different types of after school ensembles; Jazz Band, Steel Pans, and Strings. Today we had our meeting organizing their schedule. **We are looking for students to enroll in these bands.** Students enroll by joining the Google Classroom. They can join the Google Classroom either from the links below, or by clicking the link available in their regular band's Google Classroom. ## Junior Jazz Band *Starts September 21, 2026* To Join - https://classroom.google.com/c/ODc3NTY0MDg0NzEy?cjc=j67jk6lt This is best described as rock band, but with saxophones, trombones and trumpets instead of electric guitars. This band runs after school on Mondays from 3:20 to 4:50 PM. It includes saxophones, trombones, trumpets, drumset, piano and bass. **But my student does play one of those instruments.** They can! Notre Dame Collegiate rents jazz band instruments for only $50 for the year if they are the student's [[#Secondary Instruments]]. So a clarinet player in Concert Band can rent a tenor saxophone for $50 to play it in Jazz band. ## Senior Jazz Band *Starts September 17, 2026* To Join - https://classroom.google.com/c/ODc3NTY0OTgwNTYw?cjc=tps4xdhn Senior Jazz Band will rehearse on Thursdays after school from 3:20 to 4:50 PM. ## Junior Panorama *Starts September 9, 2026* To Join - https://classroom.google.com/c/ODc3NTY2MDk2NDU1?cjc=k7qs6fvs Notre Dame Collegiate is one of only a few schools in Western Canada with a Steel Pans program. It is a truly unique ensemble of percussion instruments. We need 12 to 15 students to operate a Junior Panorama group on Wednesdays from 3;20 PM to 4:50 PM. We will need at least one of those students to be willing to play drumset, and another to play bass guitar. ## Senior Panorama *Starts September 9, 2026* To Join - https://classroom.google.com/c/ODcyNjgzNjk1MjM2?cjc=nptxg2pu Senior Panorama will rehearse on Wednesdays from 5;30 PM to 7:00 PM. Students will need to arrive between 5:20 PM and 5:30 PM as the doors will only be unlocked at that time for security purposes. ## St. Cecilia String Orchestra *Starts September 15, 2026* To Join - https://classroom.google.com/c/ODc3NTY4NzkxNTU0?cjc=i26v4uu5 St. Cecilia String Orchestra includes violin, viola (just like a violin but with lower strings to play notes in the middle of the orchestra), cello and double bass players, and accepts students from all grade levels. They will meet on Tuesdays after school from 3:20 PM to 4:50 PM. If renting a violin or viola from Long & McQuade, consider the following; - If you are relatively small, rent a 3/4 size version of the violin or viola. Otherwise, go for a 4/4 size instrument. - Always get a shoulder rest. They do not come with the instrument, but you need one. If renting a cello from Long & McQuade, please make sure you also get an endpin rest. # NDC Instrument Rental Rates Again, my apologies for not providing these rates earlier. Students intending on renting from Notre Dame Collegiate can fill out the forms with Mr. Windsor on Monday at lunch if necessary. ## 2026-2027 School Year Rates | Instrument(s) | Rate (Year-long Rental) | | --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Oboe | $200/year, does not include reeds or care kit | | Bassoon, Tenor Saxophone | $225/year, does not include reeds, strap or care kit. Tenor saxophones are available as secondary instruments, see below. | | Baritone, Euphonium | $225/year, does not include care kit. Students who are smaller in stature are recommended to get a Baritone instead of a Euphonium.<br>Baritone/Euphonium players are also eligible to play in Jazz Bands, and if they choose to do so, would be provided access to a valve trombone on a free rental. | | Double French Horn | $225/year, does not include rotor oil or care kit. | | Alto Clarinet | $250/year, extremely specialized, ask Mr. Windsor for eligibility. | | Cello | $250/year, first-come-first-served, does not include endpin rest | | Electric or Double Bass | $275/year, includes Electronic Equipment Usage Fee, first-come-first-served. | | Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone | $300/year, does not include reeds, strap or care kit | | Tuba | $325/year, does not include care kit. Includes an at-home tuba for practice as well as an at-school tuba, but only one mouthpiece that should be transported back and forth. | | Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet | Not eligible to rent from Notre Dame Collegiate as primary instruments. | | Steel Pans Usage Fee | $75/year, includes mallet use and Percussion and Electronic Equipment Usage. | | Percussion and Electronic Equipment Usage Fee | $50/year, permits shared access to pianos, electric guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers, percussion equipment and accessories, and any other electronic equipment.<br>Percussionists are expected to use their own drumsticks, yarn mallets, hard plastic mallets and timpani mallets. Mallets will no longer be made available from the school. | ## Secondary Instruments Secondary Instruments are instruments a student plays in addition to their regular Concert Band instrument, usually for performance in Jazz Bands. Eligible secondary instruments include: - Alto saxophone - Tenor saxophone - Baritone saxophone - Trombone - Trumpet Such instruments are rented at a very low rate, $50 per year. Students remain responsible for the maintenance of the instruments. ## No Insurance or Extended Service Plans Notre Dame Collegiate instruments are rented as-is. In the event an instrument must go in for repairs, Notre Dame Collegiate will bear the responsibility of everyday wear-and-tear maintenance, however students and their families will be responsible for abnormal maintenance requirements. The permitted vendors for repairs and maintenance are Long & McQuade and St. John's Music in Calgary.