Music - Instrumental Course Descriptions

With the exception of beginning students in Concert Band, students enrolled in the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and  Percussion courses are required to participate in the Marching Band and Pep Band activities. This includes, but is not limited to, home football or basketball games, parades or other pep events, and festivals. One evening, Marching Band rehearsals are held once a week, and a required week-long camp is held each summer. At the director’s discretion, Students may be excused from rehearsal, parade, or marching/pep event if they are involved in another high school-sponsored activity where that activity’s performance directly conflicts with those of the Marching or Pep Band. 

1111 Concert Band    

• Grade Level: 9-12

• Credits Earned: 1.0

• Prerequisite: Instructor consent

Description: This year-long course is for instrumental musicians with beginning or basic performance skills. Students are highly encouraged to take private lessons. Music is chosen from various musical periods, covering a broad spectrum of styles, and will be performed at four formal concerts and contest/festival activities. As part of the course, all students, except beginners, are required to participate in the Marching band, and all students will be required to participate in the pep band and any potential before-school sectionals.

Major Topics or Themes: (additional topics may be covered)

• Identify elements of traditional music notation and describe how they work

• Discover practice and rehearsal strategies to improve instrumental performance.

• Develop instrumental performance skills to perform basic-level music.

• Describe the context and purpose of the pieces of music being studied.

• Evaluation of musical performances based on technical and expressive aspects.

• Develop marching techniques for parades & performances.

State Course Code: 05102A000, Concert Band

1112 Symphonic Band   

• Grade Level: 9-12

• Credits Earned: 1.0

• Prerequisite: Audition

Description: This year-long course is for instrumental musicians with intermediate performance skills. Students are also highly encouraged to take private lessons. Music is chosen from various musical periods, covering a broad spectrum of styles, and will be performed at four formal concerts and contest/festival activities. As a part of the course, all students are required to participate in the Marching band (marching band and pep band) and before-school sectionals.

Major Topics or Themes: (additional topics may be covered)

• Identify how traditional music notation can influence performances.

• Develop practice and rehearsal strategies to improve instrumental performance.

• Develop instrumental performance skills to perform intermediate-level music.

• Understand the composer’s intent and meaning of the pieces of music studied.

• Evaluation of musical performances based on technical and expressive aspects, as well as meaning and intent.

• Develop marching techniques for parades & performances.

State Course: 05102A000, Concert Band

1114 Jazz Ensemble    

• Grade Level: 9-12

• Credits Earned: 1.0

• Prerequisite: Audition

Description: This year-long course is for musicians interested in learning about jazz performance and techniques. This course will emphasize improvisation, development, and performance in the jazz style through formal concerts, a variety of competitions/festivals, outreach events, and mini concerts. As a co-requirement of this course, all members must be enrolled in one of the concert or percussion ensembles, with exceptions being made by discretion based on instrumentation.

Major Topics or Themes: (additional topics may be covered)

• Develop improvisation techniques and understandings to create and perform within a performance.

• Identify how traditional music notation can influence performances.

• Develop instrumental performance skills to perform advanced music in the Jazz genre.

• Evaluation of musical interpretations of a varied repertoire.

• Using research to evaluate musical performances based on personal and class-developed criteria.

State course: 05105A000, Contemporary Band

1115 Percussion   

• Grade Level: 9-12

• Credits Earned: 1.0

• Prerequisite: Audition

Description: This year-long course is for percussion instrumentalists with intermediate to advanced performance skills. Students are highly encouraged to take private lessons. This course will be divided into ability-based sections to combine with the other band courses in the study and performance of their materials at four formal concerts and contest/festival activities, while also emphasizing percussion skills and techniques. As a part of the course, all students are required to participate in the Marching band (marching band and pep band) and before-school sectionals.

Major Topics or Themes: (additional topics may be covered)

• Identify how traditional music notation can influence performances.

• Develop practice and rehearsal strategies to improve instrumental performance.

• Develop percussion technique and performance skills to be able to perform intermediate or advanced level music.

• Evaluation of musical performances based on technical and expressive aspects, as well as meaning and intent.

• Refine marching techniques for parades & performances.

State Course: 05102A000, Concert Band

1116 Wind Ensemble    

• Grade Level: 9-12

• Credits Earned: 1.0

• Prerequisite: Audition

Description: This year-long course is for instrumental musicians with advanced performance skills. Students are also highly encouraged to take private lessons. Ensemble instrumentation is based on the traditional Wind Ensemble model, and music is chosen from various musical periods, covering a broad spectrum of styles. It will be performed at four formal concerts and contest/festival activities. As part of the course, all students are required to participate in the Marching band (marching and pep bands) and before-school sectionals.

Major Topics or Themes: (additional topics may be covered)

• Identify how traditional music notation can influence performances.

• Develop practice and rehearsal strategies to improve instrumental performance.

• Develop instrumental performance skills to perform advanced-level music.

• Determine how to select music appropriately for performances.

• Evaluation of musical interpretations of a varied repertoire.

• Using research to evaluate musical performances based on personal and class-developed criteria.

• Refine marching techniques for parades & performances.

State Course: 05106A000, Instrumental Ensembles

1117 Percussion 2   

• Grade Level: 9-12

• Credits Earned: 1.0

• Prerequisite: Audition

Description: This year-long course is for percussion instrumentalists with intermediate to advanced performance skills. Students are highly encouraged to take private lessons. This course will be divided into ability-based sections to combine with the other band courses in the study and performance of their materials at four formal concerts and contest/festival activities, while also emphasizing percussion skills and techniques. As part of the course, all students are required to participate in the Marching band (marching and pep bands) and before-school sectionals.

Major Topics or Themes: (additional topics may be covered)

• Identify how traditional music notation can influence performances.

• Develop practice and rehearsal strategies to improve instrumental performance.

• Develop percussion technique and performance skills to perform intermediate- or advanced-level music.

• Evaluation of musical performances based on technical and expressive aspects, as well as meaning and intent.

• Refine marching techniques for parades & performances.

State Course: 05102A000, Concert Band