More than meets the eyes and ears

When students think about Band classes, they generally have a view of students marching in a parade, playing an instrument and dressed in a special uniform. Band students know that there is so much more.

There are different levels of Band. The Concert Band class (6730) is offered at all three high schools, but students are expected to share their skills through an audition. When students can prove that they have a level of skill on an instrument, they can take the class and score a level of F on the A-G scale. This is something that is open for students from 9 – 12 grades.

“Concert band is a performance-based group designed to cover both contemporary literature from a high school intermediate performance level as well as instrumental fundamentals. Students will perform a variety of wind literature and musical styles in many different performance venues that include concerts as required by district curriculum. This course is strongly recommended for incoming freshmen/sophomores. One year of experience is required for this course,” reads the Course Catalog.

Concert Band is also offered at Armijo, Fairfield and Rodriguez High Schools. Like Concert Band, Jazz Band is a performance-based group, but in this case it is one “designed to cover different styles of jazz and popular music,” says the Course Catalog. “Students perform a variety of jazz literature. Performance at concerts and jazz festivals are a course requirement.  Students must have had at least two years of playing experience on the saxophone, trumpet, trombone, drum set, guitar, bass, or piano.  Auditions are held at the beginning of the school year.”

Armijo doesn’t offer Band Symphonic (6740), but it is available at Fairfield and Rodriguez High Schools. “Symphonic band is a performance-based group designed to cover both contemporary wind literature at the advanced high school level and advanced instrumental techniques. Students will perform a variety of literature and musical styles in many different performance venues that will include concerts as required by district curriculum. Students enrolled in this class will participate in the marching band, prep band, and other musical extra-curricular groups if they meet district minimum qualifications,” the Course Catalog explains. Students who are advanced at these schools can later take Band Symphonic Advanced, which also qualifies as a G requirement through the A-G expectations for California Universities.

Armijo does offer Band Wind Ensemble Advanced (6760), as does Fairfield High School. Enrollment in this class requires an audition ““that demonstrates the interpretation and execution of a student’s skill on an instrument required for this type of band or ensemble,” according to the Course Catalog.

This course covers “both contemporary literature as well as instrumental fundamentals. Students will perform a variety of literature and styles in many different performance venues that will include concerts as required by district curriculum. Students enrolled in this class will be actively involved in co-curricular performances, both on and off campus, marching band, pep band, and other musical groups if they meet minimum district qualifications and have the consent of the instructor.”

Anyone who is going to participate in this course at Armijo will be working with Ms. Louise Jacob, who has been teaching on the campus since 1996. On Spirit Days, members of the band traditionally share their talents with the entire student body as they march through the campus, and during the games band members play to support the teams on the field.

The Armijo Superband has been earning awards for decades. A visit to https://twitter.com/ArmijoBand will demonstrate the variety of skills that Armijo’s musicians are capable of, and plenty of reasons to consider this award-winning class for future opportunities in education.