Instrumental

Our students love to make beautiful music.

The instrumental program offers orchestral, wind ensemble, guitar, and group piano classes. Students of all skill levels are welcome, including beginners. Private lessons, rehearsal rooms, private practice facilities, numerous performance opportunities and daily practice times give student musicians the resources to develop into serious artists. Visiting instructors and master classes are invited throughout the year to give students access to a wide range of teaching styles, methods, and skills. The fundamentals of pitch, rhythm, tone, balance, and blend are stressed from the start. Students perform solo, duet and ensemble works each term, and every participant is strengthened by the collaborative experience.

Upper School Chamber Orchestra:

The Chamber Orchestra is open to all intermediate – advanced string students (violin, viola, cello, and bass.) This course emphasizes the works of the great classical and contemporary composers and utilizes a wide variety of musical styles. Music theory and music history are regular topics as new pieces are introduced and rehearsed. As with all orchestras, a high priority is placed on individual musicianship; especially tone production, technique, intonation, and interpretation. Students have many opportunities throughout the course of the year to join forces with the Wind Ensemble to create a Full Symphonic Orchestra.  

Upper School Wind Ensemble:

The Wind Ensemble is open to all wind and percussion students in 9-12 grade. These students explore the rich repertoire of the American wind ensemble, from transcriptions of Renaissance music to modern compositions written with non-traditional notation, and a little bit of everything in-between. 

The Instrumental Music program includes:

• Full Orchestra
• Wind Ensemble
• String Chamber Orchestra
• Guitar Class
• Piano Class
• Private lessons on all instruments and in music composition
• Interdisciplinary arts collaboration
• Varied performance opportunities 
• State of the art composition and recording software and equipment
• Master Classes with professional musicians
• Concert attendance of local colleges and professional ensembles and productions
• Opportunity for state wide honors ensembles and competitions