This child just started learning bassoon and I'm about to lose my mind. When she practices she keeps taking the mouthpiece off and just making shrieking noises with it (you know how mother mice eat their babies if they squeak in a certain maddening range? It's like that). I told her to stop and just practice with the fully assembled bassoon, but she insists that her teacher says it's absolutely necessary for her to do this. To be clear, her teacher does NOT play bassoon. She is a middle school band teacher teaching music in general to an entire class of kids all playing different instruments. Jack of all trades, master of none. Consequently I have suspicions that the child is lying, or the teacher is wrong (or being misinterpreted). Actual bassoon players, is it necessary for this child to summon Cthulu with her unattached mouthpiece? Or can I safely tell her to knock it off?

Normally the player gives the reed a 'squawk' before playing just to get it vibrating. After that there shouldn't be any need unless you want to annoy someone.

My first clarinet teacher also insisted I shriek with just my mouth piece. (This is not how she put it, but it's what it amounted to.) This went on for several lessons and then occurred again sometime later (possibly with my second clarinet teacher, who held a doctorate and in clarinet and was highly qualified--I don't remember for sure). I eventually took to wearing ear plugs when attempting this. In any case, your child is not lying, but if you don't trust her teacher because her teacher does not play bassoon herself (obviously not an ideal situation), you can always pay for private bassoon lessons in addition to her school band (or orchestra, whatever it is)--and you can wear ear plugs.

Re: "To be clear, her teacher does NOT play bassoon. She is a middle school band teacher teaching music in general to an entire class of kids all playing different instruments. Jack of all trades, master of none." To be fair, it's very likely she is indeed a master (mistress?), more or less, of at least one instrument. It's also likely that she knows someone who is particularly an accomplished bassoonist. Rather than asking for anonymous help on the Internet, largely populated as it is and has always been with people who tend to have idea what the hell they're babbling about, your first step ought to have been to discuss this with child's teacher.

Erratum: Last sentence above should read: "Rather than asking for anonymous help on the Internet, largely populated as it is and has always been with people who tend to have no idea what the hell they're babbling about, your first step ought to have been to discuss this with child's teacher.

The teacher's instructions are probably to the whole class of woodwind players. It is definitely important above many things to get the embouchure (how one shapes their mouth while playing bassoon). This is the intention of this excersize: to get used to playing with a good embouchure but not worrying about the buttons yet.

If it is possible and if your kid work hard based on advice from a private lessons teacher, a private lessons teacher will be invaluable in the bassoon-learning process.