Each late autumn or early winter the Maltby 6th grade band students begin a unit of study working on solo and small group work. This unit is very much student driven as very little class time is dedicated to in class preparation. This allows the students to encounter a different type of musical experience and also allows them to put into practice the what they have learned in the large ensemble setting. All band students are expected to prepare a solo or a duet for evaluation. For a participation fee students may register to perform in the Solo and Duet Festival which occurs on an evening in February. At the festival students will perform for a professional on their instrument who will give the students direct feedback and suggestions on what they did well and what they can continue to work on to improve further. Awards are given based on their performance with some students being selected as the honored performers who then get a chance to perform their event at one of the March Concerts. More information about this event will be distributed and posted in late fall, around the time or slightly after the December concerts.