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Instrumental Music: Band & Jazz Ensemble

Fantastic Festivals 2026 Group

At Sherman School, our instrumental music program provides an exceptional pathway for students to develop discipline, teamwork, and artistic mastery. We believe that playing an instrument transforms a student’s concentration, spatial reasoning, and creative confidence. From our very youngest beginners to our award-winning middle schoolers, our band program is a source of immense pride for the entire Sherman community.

Our Instrumental Pathway

Grade 4: The Beginner Band Program

Our instrumental journey begins in Grade 4, where students pick up their woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments for the very first time. In this foundational year, students focus on tone production, instrument care, and reading basic sheet music.

  • The Mentor Partnership: To accelerate their growth and build a strong sense of community, our fourth graders regularly get to play alongside Grade 5 mentor musicians. These older peers attend rehearsals to sit side-by-side with the beginners, modeling proper technique and providing invaluable encouragement.

Grade 5: The Crucial Intermediary Step

Grade 5 serves as a unique bridge in our music department. While fifth graders are officially part of the Middle School by grade level, their musical development spans both worlds:

  • Peer Mentorship: Grade 5 musicians regularly join Grade 4 rehearsals whenever possible. In this role, they serve as mentor musicians—sitting side-by-side with the beginners to model proper embouchure, posture, and rhythm.

  • Middle School Prep: Simultaneously, fifth-grade band students begin tackling more sophisticated ensemble routines, preparing them for the advanced musical expectations, complex time signatures, and rigorous repertoire they will encounter in the upper grades.

Concert Band

Grades 6–8: The Award-Winning Middle School Band

Comprising our upper-grade musicians, the Middle School Band shifts focus to advanced ensemble blending, complex time signatures, and collegiate-level dynamics. This group performs rigorous repertoire and has established a reputation for absolute excellence throughout the region.

A Tradition of Honors: Our middle school musicians have won numerous regional awards. Most notably, our ensemble was named the #1 Concert Band at the prestigious Fabulous Festival 2026 competition, a testament to the dedication, talent, and work ethic of our students and faculty.

Fostering Student Leadership & Ownership

A hallmark of our middle school program is its commitment to building student leadership. We formally incorporate Section Leaders for each instrument family within our ensembles. These student leaders step into roles of authentic responsibility, taking deep ownership of the learning process by:

  • Directly leading the full ensemble or individual sections through rehearsal warm-ups.

  • Assisting peers with challenging fingerings, rhythms, and posture during sectionals.

  • Collaborating with the director to review the score and collectively determine which specific musical excerpts will be utilized for the end-of-year performance assessments.

Jazz Band

The Jazz Band Option: Taking it to the Next Level

For middle school musicians looking to push their skills even further, Sherman School offers the option to audition and participate in our Jazz Band. This specialized, highly talented ensemble dives deep into the rich traditions of American jazz, swing, blues, and funk. Students in the Jazz Band explore:

  • The fundamentals of improvisation and taking spontaneous musical solos.

  • Syncopated rhythms and complex jazz chord progressions.

  • High-energy community performances and regional jazz clinics.

Partnering at Home: Tips for Families

  • Establish a Practice Routine: Help your child set up a quiet, dedicated space at home for practicing. Just 10 to 15 minutes of regular practice yields far better results than a single long session right before rehearsal.

  • Be an Active Audience: Encourage your child to play a "mini-concert" for you at home. Celebrate their progress and the courage it takes to learn an instrument.

  • Prioritize Instrument Care: Help your child remember their instrument on lesson days, and encourage them to perform routine maintenance to keep their instrument in peak playing condition.