FAQs

PING! is open to students enrolled in instrumental music in 4th-12th
grade.You are eligible for PING! if your student is enrolled in instrumental music classes or lessons in D90, D97, or D200, and one of the following describes your family situation:

• Eligible for the federal free/reduced lunch program or Fee Waiver status
• Foster children
• Student being raised by guardian or family member other than a parent
• Families with exceptional circumstances at the time (single parent, temporary job loss/transition, family health issues, housing issues, special needs)
• Families whose current income makes renting an instrument a significant financial burden that would prohibit the student from participating

The cost of participating in the PING! program is $20 per family per year. Each family completes a contract by providing contact information and signing a statement accepting responsibility for proper care of the instrument and attendance at music classes and concerts. PING! pays for general wear-and-tear repairs on the instruments. PING! also pays for all enrichment activities.

An instrumental music education benefits a student in many ways, in addition to musicianship. Playing in a band or orchestra is similar to playing on a sports team—teaching responsibility, collaboration, work ethic, and pulling your weight for the team. Practicing and performing improve confidence and require time management skills. A music class also provides an opportunity for hands-on learning, which many students prefer.

In middle school and high school, playing in a band or orchestra also provides a supportive community for students within the school. This sense of community and the friendships created often support student success in the higher grades.

In the Oak Park and River Forest public schools students MUST start in band or orchestra in 4th or 5th grade to be able to play in middle school or high school. It is not possible to start in 6th grade because students would be too far behind to keep up with the group. PING! encourages all students to sign up for instrumental music in 4th or 5th grade to try it and see if they like it.

First-time elementary students usually register for PING! in early September, at the same time as general instrument sign-ups in D90 and D97.

Each spring, PING! allows all currently participating students to renew their contract for the following year. If you renew in the spring, you do not have to attend instrumental sign-up night in the fall and you can keep your instrument over the summer for practicing and camps!

PING! loans the band and orchestra instruments (brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion) so that students can participate in the band/orchestra class instruction in D90, D97, and D200. The school district teachers provide the instruction. PING! also provide some after-school and summer music enrichment to help students succeed in music and stay on par with their peers.

Life happens and instruments need on-going attention. Clarinet keypads fall off, violin strings break, trumpet slides get stuck, drumsticks need replacing. When these sorts of things happen, you should take the instrument to Austin Music Center at 6815 North Avenue, Oak Park. Tell them you are a PING! family and they will make the repair and bill PING!, not you. If the instrument is damaged because of poor care or an accident, we will request a meeting with you and your student to determine what happened and what we can do going forward to avoid such accidents.

If your student needs supplies for their instrument (reeds, rosin, sticks, cork grease, etc.) go to Austin Music Center. Tell them you are a PING! family and you will receive the PING! discount on your purchase.

NOTE: Summer Instrument Maintenance. It is important for your student’s instrument to be assessed at LEAST once per year. Renewing PING! students will receive a certificate for Austin Music Center so you can have this done over the summer. The instrument will be assessed, repaired if needed, tuned, and resupplied at no cost to you.

Kids grow! String instruments need to grow with them. When a student grows out of a smaller violin, viola, cello, or double bass, the music teacher will alert PING! that it’s time for a switch. PING! will deliver the larger instrument and retrieve the old one, usually on a day when the student has a lesson so we can do the swap in one visit. The new instrument will not be left at school until the old one is retrieved.

If you renew in the spring (we usually have two opportunities to do so in April–May each year), then, yes, your student can keep the instrument over the summer in order to practice and take part in summer music camps.  By renewing in the spring, they will also be ready for music classes in the fall. In order to renew with PING! in the spring, middle school and high school PING! students MUST enroll in band/orchestra class when they choose their courses for the upcoming year in January-February. Families are notified by email, text, and the PING! website about renewal dates and times.

For D97 Families: When your student enters 6th grade they select only ONE elective from several options, including band/orchestra. If your student chooses an elective other than band/orchestra for 6th grade they cannot then do band/orchestra in 7th or 8th grade because they will be too far behind their classmates. Choosing to stay in music in 6th grade also allows them to participate in PING!’s mentoring program and be eligible for summer music camp scholarships while in middle school.   It’s important to remember that many activities that students are interested in, such as robotics or art, are offered as after-school clubs at the middle schools so students can explore these areas while keeping band or orchestra in their daily class schedule.

 

For D90 Families: 4^th-grade-8^th-grade students have group lessons specific to their instrument and level at least once each week during the school day with the band or orchestra directors.  In addition, students meet twice a week before school to rehearse as an ensemble.  Beginning students are initially placed in the entry level programs and are advanced as they demonstrate proficiency by passing performance “levels.”  D90 has three bands and three orchestras and also offers a jazz ensemble.  The program also provides opportunities for solo performances. Band and orchestra students may also choose to participate in the school chorus, which is also an extracurricular program but structured so that its meeting times do not conflict with the instrumental music programs.

It IS possible for your student to take music classes all 4 years at OPRF High School.  Check out these sample schedules How to take performing arts at OPRFHS.

You can use these tips to start a discussion with your student’s advisor about an academic schedule to meet your student’s needs and interests.   Remember that to remain in PING! and keep the loaned instruments during high school, your student must be enrolled in band/orchestra class at school.

To switch instruments, a student must first receive permission from the band/orchestra teacher for the change.  Once a teacher informs PING! of their permission and PING! has the requested instrument available, PING! will facilitate the change.

With instrument switches, PING! will collect the old instrument at the same time we deliver the new instrument.  The new instrument will not be left at school until the old one is retrieved.

Typically, instrument switches occur at the end of one year or the beginning of the next school year, but exceptions can be made. If the student is switching instruments at the beginning of the following school year, the teacher may require the student to start in the beginner band/orchestra in order to ensure success with the new instrument.  In any case, extra practice time and possibly one-on-one help from the music teacher will be necessary in order to get the student on-level with peers.

PING! sometimes loans a second instrument to a student, especially if the student is going to play in another ensemble such as jazz band or marching band, so this usually doesn’t happen until middle school or high school and often only with a recommendation from the music teacher.  If PING!, parents, and the teacher come to an agreement we will deliver the second instrument.  We also may provide some additional support to bring the student up to par on the second instrument, depending on PING!’s resources to do so.

The PING! Mentor Program is for PING! middle-school students interested in receiving additional after-school instruction on their instrument.  The program is taught by advanced OPRF high-school musicians who are paired with a middle-school student who plays the same instrument.  Private one-hour lessons are given to the middle schoolers every other week.  The lessons are taught at the middle schools directly after school.

In late summer, PING! mails and emails a letter to all PING! rising 6th-8th graders to find out if they are interested in participating in the Mentoring Program.  If your student is interested in mentoring, contact PING! when you receive the letter, and we will arrange a mentor and lesson schedule for your student.  If an eligible student is new to PING! in middle school, we will explain the mentoring program to them at the time of instrument sign-up.

PING! provides scholarships for summer music camps.  These camps may be day camps in Chicago, D90 or D97, or week-long summer camps in adjacent states. Students can also apply for scholarships to help with the D97 middle-school music tour, D90 music-related trips, OPRFHS marching band camp, marching band trips, jazz band trips, and other music-related travel and enrichment opportunities. PING! also provides guidance to scholarships provided by other organizations. Click here to see a complete listing of scholarship opportunities.

PING! students who attend OPRFHS are eligible for scholarships for private music lessons with local teachers.

Contact PING! as soon as you know so we can arrange to collect the instrument.

PING! often needs volunteer help with clerical work, instrument
maintenance, driving for mentor program, and more. In addition, we
can also use volunteers that have specific expertise in certain areas
(such as graphic design, fundraising, etc.). Please email us if you can
help out.