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Basic Band

The basic band course is designed to give the student musician a strong foundation in performance on a brass or woodwind instrument. Each student will be given very detailed daily instruction on sound production, articulation, tone, tuning, and playing in tune. The goal of the course is to prepare the student for participation in the Concert Band. Membership is extended to all students who wish to play in brass or woodwind instrument, and have no experience playing in a method book.

 

Concert (Intermediate) Band

The concert band course is designed to reinforce the foundational elements of creating music through the wind instruments, as introduced in the basic band course, or in elementary or middle school band. Membership is extended to all students who have successfully completed book one of a standard band method book. Members of this ensemble comprise many of the musicians in the Panthers Marching Band.​

 

Symphonic (Advanced) Band

The symphonic band course offers a brass or woodwind musician the opportunity to play literature at a very high level. Membership is extended to all students who have successfully completed book two of a standard band method book. Symphonic band students are expected to know all twelve major scales and the chromatic scale from memory. Students should also be able to use readily use varying articulations and alternate fingerings, as applicable, in performance. Members of this ensemble comprise many of the musicians in the Panthers Marching Band and Symphony Orchestra.​

 

String (Intermediate) Orchestra

The Intermediate Orchestra course is designed to reinforce foundational elements of creating music through the traditional orchestral string instruments: violin, viola, (violon)cello, and double bass. Students are given instruction on tuning, intonation, bowing, vibrato, and scale techniques. Membership is extended to all students who have successfully completed book one of a standard orchestral method book. The highest performing members of the String Orchestra form the string sections in the PHS Symphony and/or String Quartet/Quintet.

 

Percussion

The percussion class is designed to introduce and refine performance on all the battery and melodic percussion instruments. Specific emphasis will be placed on mallet percussion, such as xylophone and orchestra bells. Members of this class will comprise most of the PHS (marching) Drumline and Percussion Ensemble. Percussion students will be placed, according to ability, within the Basic, Concert, or Symphonic Bands, and/or Symphony Orchestra for concert performances. The class is open to beginners, but all percussion students must possess a strong desire to learn all aspects of the percussive idiom of creating music.

 

Co-Curricular Ensembles (after school):

 

Symphony Orchestra

The PHS Symphony Orchestra consists of the highest performing members of the String Orchestra and Symphonic Band. This ensemble will perform a very exciting variety of literature.

 

Marching Panthers

The Panthers Marching Band is an exciting ensemble that requires a high degree of musical, physical, and mental training. It is one of the most visible of the ensembles that are offered at Parkdale, and is featured at most home football games, parades, and marching band competitions throughout the fall. The music performed by this group will consist of marches, traditional band literature, and music from some of the hottest artists on the radio. Band managers will assist the band by taking care of logistics (water, podium, yard markers, etc.) under the direction of the director or his designee. The primary auxiliary units of the Marching Panthers are the Diamond Dancers Dance Team and PHS Flag Line.

 

Jazz Ensemble

The Parkdale Jazz Ensemble is another advanced ensemble that allows the student musician to explore various styles and jazz and blues music in a “big band” format. Standard instrumentation includes 4 (or 5) trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 alto saxes, 2 tenor saxes, and 1 bari sax, drum set, piano, bass, and guitar.

 

PHS String Quartet/Quintet

The string quartet/quintet consists of the highest performing students from each section in the string orchestra. The quartet/quintet will play literature from all musical periods from the Renaissance to the present. This ensemble also performs outside of the traditional concert schedule.

 

Pep Band

The Parkdale pep band is an ensemble that plays at many home basketball games. The majority of the pep band is made up of members from the Marching Panthers, but other instrumentalists are encouraged to play with the ensemble, especially if they were not able to commit to marching band for the fall.

 

Other:

There will be many other opportunities for small group performance, including Flute Choir, Woodwind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble. Other small group ensembles will include duets, trios, and quartets. All musicians in the program are encouraged to find friends they enjoy playing with (especially in similar instrument families) and find literature that they can play together. This leads to a higher level of musical independence for the student, and a much more musically proficient ensemble. See the director for help in selecting appropriate literature.

 

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