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We're talking about a standard concert band (sort of). Instruments would include:

• Brass: Trumpets/Cornets (possibly Flugelhorns) in B-flat, French Horns in F, Tenor (slide) trombones, Bass trombone, Baritone Horn/Euphonium and Tuba.

• Woodwinds: Flutes, Oboe, English Horn, Bassoon, Clarinet in B-flat, and Saxophones (Alto and Baritone in E-flat, Tenor in B-flat).

• Percussion: The usual array of things which make noise when hit. We may or may not use percussion depending on where we practice.

• Since we are a learning band and really want to appeal to as wide a group as possible we also welcome bowed strings (violins, cellos, etc.)

Life would be wonderful if we end up with a full array of instruments. This is very unlikely. So, we'll have to improvise. I think we'll have lots of flutes, clarinets, saxes and trumpets. A trombone can help with bass parts. And if really needed, a bass (electric) guitar could be used.

When it comes to what instrument you should play ... well, that is completely up to you. I'm really not concerned with having too many of the same instrument. Pick something you want to play and is comfortable for you.

I highly recommend that you consider renting an instrument. Monty Anderson has a good array of the standards. If you let him know you're coming, he'll let you try different things (like, can you really make notes on a french horn? How much does a tenor sax weigh?)

Here's youtube link of some high schoolers demonstrating various instruments. Have a listen! And, if you want to see some “better” players, have a look at this one from the The U.S. Army Field Band.

If you're buying a used instrument (from a neighbor, on-line store, classified ad, or a pawn shop) please be careful. There is a lot of junk for sale, and you'll not have a lot of fun trying to play a non-playable horn. We'll have little joy telling you that we really don't have parts for C-sax (mind you, you could play oboe parts for a start), Db-piccolo, etc. Worse yet are older horns which can't be tuned to modern pitches ... in the early part of the nineteenth century some instruments were produced in “high pitch”. For the most part these just can't be used in a modern ensemble; on some there is a “H” after the serial number, but not always (here's an interesting article about high pitch saxes: http://www.saxontheweb.net/Resources/Pitch.html). So, check with someone who knows before you buy.