Featuring Arturo Fuerte and his Brass for Beginners general music programs in two Fullerton School District (CA) elemetary schools.
About the Program
In this program, students use the natural trumpet as a tool to explore how brass instruments work and to gain an introduction to the brass family. Around 60 students across two elementary schools participate, meeting once a week for a 40-minute class. Each student is assigned an instrument and mouthpiece that stays at school. Even with this limited weekly time, the class quickly becomes something students look forward to.
Teaching Goals
The goal of the program is to help students understand how brass instruments work through a hands-on approach. Students also explore how brass instruments developed historically through the BFB interdisciplinary curriculum.
One thing that has surprised Arturo is how quickly students are able to produce a sound. The concept of buzzing the lips is absorbed very quickly, and most students are making their first notes right away.
Student Experience
Students react with great excitement when they first try the instruments. Arturo uses online resources alongside the curriculum to help tell the story and guide practice in the classroom.
One of the moments students enjoy most comes during the story when Ragnar's sound scares a bear away—a moment that sparks curiosity about what will happen next and informs early uses of lip-blown sounds tools. Another common reaction comes from the physical sensation of playing: students sometime say, “My lips are tingly!”—a classic first experience for new brass players.
For Arturo, one of the most memorable moments happens every year when students produce their very first note on the natural trumpet. “The first note ever on the natural trumpet is always impressive and exciting,” he says. “I look forward to that every year.”
First Notes at Raymond Elementary
Woodcrest Elementary. Chapter 2: "Sound the Alarm": Sing, buzz, and play
Funding the Program
Mr. Fuerte’s program was funded through a Strike Up the Band grant from the Orange County Philharmonic Society, which supports school instrumental music programs through the purchase of instruments and teaching materials. According to Mr. Fuerte, the funders were especially interested in the fact that the program reaches every student in the grade levels where it is offered. They also appreciated its hands-on approach and the way it connects brass playing with the historical development of the instruments. Programs specifically designed to introduce beginners to brass instruments are relatively rare, which made this project stand out.
Meet the Instructor
Arturo is a general music teacher in the Fullerton Elementary School District in Southern California, where he designs music programs that give students meaningful opportunities to perform, collaborate, and explore many styles of music. While teaching in Chicago and Evanston/Skokie Public Schools, he developed a nationally recognized modern band program at Willard Elementary as part of an Orff-based curriculum that also included chorus, musicals, and multiple student bands. He introduced students to brass instruments through the Brass for Beginners program, allowing young musicians to start playing together in an ensemble from the very beginning. His students performed regularly across Chicago and participated in events such as the Little Kids Rock Jamfest. His work has been recognized with honors including being named a finalist for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching in Illinois and a quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award.
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