If you want to give your band a great gift, spend time on how your young musicians attack and release their tone. Have them form their embouchure before the attack and have them remain very still while releasing the air and creating the tone. A Common mistake is to “chew” the note by scooping the embouchure on the attack. Another common mistake is to put the horn down or move the sticks (hand position) before the tone is released. Once your students’ attack and release become more consistent, they will start to command the instrument better and produce a more stable characteristic sound.