The South Side Area Concert Band is the cornerstone piece of our band program! Students in Grades 9-12 create this ensemble (class) that meets DAILY for 42 minutes ALL YEAR LONG! Students work hard to become fantastic musicians each day as the band continues to grow in numbers and, more importantly, quality. Students in this ensemble are not only challenged on a technical level but also on a high level of music making. There is a strong emphasis on ensemble fundamentals, individual growth, and making appropriate musical decisions to create a high quality, high level product.
The Concert Band performs 3 concerts per year: December, March, and May, participates in Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Music Performance Assessments, and performs each year for small events such as Holiday Music in the school lobbies in December and High School Graduation in June.
Extra Musical Opportunities Available to Students in High School Concert Band:
The Concert Band performs 3 concerts per year: December, March, and May, participates in Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Music Performance Assessments, and performs each year for small events such as Holiday Music in the school lobbies in December and High School Graduation in June.
Extra Musical Opportunities Available to Students in High School Concert Band:
- Pit Orchestra: Students in High School Band can perform as part of the Pit Orchestra for South Side Musical Productions. This group meets after school for 3 hours a week for 10-12 weeks leading up to the performance. Students must sign a commitment contract to be a part of this ensemble. Instrumentation for the musical changes from year to year and can affect a student's ability to be part of the ensemble.
- Beaver County Band: Students submit an interest form and selected students participate in a band created with High School Musicians from schools in Beaver County over a 2 day period and perform a concert to display their accomplishment! Students also get to work with a Guest Conductor chosen just for them! This is a GREAT opportunity for younger students to get a feel for festival ensembles!
- Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Events:
- South Side Area School District belongs to PMEA District 5, which consists of schools in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties. Throughout the year, students have the opportunity to pursue many extra-musical opportunities through PMEA. Depending on the festival, the requirements vary greatly in terms of required materials (audition or not) and grades (Some festivals are grade level restricted). PMEA Events are EXCELLENT opportunities for students and are always HIGH LEVEL ensembles made of the best students from the 4 counties in our PMEA District.
- PMEA District 5 Honors Band: Students may audition for PMEA Honors Band each year in November. The audition requires a student to learn a full piece of music throughout the summer and fall and then go and do a BLIND Audition (judges face walls, students assigned numbers) each November. The audition experience includes being given 2+ excerpts from the required piece and a short sight reading excerpt to do after the required music. Auditions take approximately 5 minutes per student. Students who make the ensemble work with a nationally recognized guest conductor and are part of THE BEST ensemble that can be made in PMEA District 5. The Festival consists of 2 full days and a half day that includes a concert to display the student's achievement.
- PMEA District 5 Band: Students submit interest forms to Mr. Sisler for consideration for this festival ensemble and this ensemble is restircted to students in Grades 10 - 12. Similar to Honors Band, the festival consists of students from Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties and will have a Guest Conductor. The festival occurs over a 3 day period, 2 full days and a half day with a concert to display the student's achievements. Students can be automatically selected for this ensemble by auditioning as the First Chair Player at PMEA District 5 Honors Band. Otherwise, the students are submitted into the selection process and must wait to see if they are selected. Selected students receive a folder of music to prepare leading up the to the festival. Once students arrive at the festival, they complete an audition that consists of excerpts selected from the music they have prepared. Students who scored high enough in their sections (usually 1st or 2nd chair) move onto PMEA Region Band (Consists of PMEA District 5, District 1 East and West), which repeats the same process. If a student auditions high enough at Region Band, they make All State Band.
- PMEA Freshman Concert Band: Due to students in Grade 9 not being eligible for PMEA District 5 Band, PMEA Freshman Concert Band is consisted of ONLY 9th grade students in PMEA District 5. This festival happens at the same time as PMEA Junior High Band Fest (7th and 8th Grade Audition Only Honors Band) and happens over a 1 day session with a Guest Conductor. Students submit interest forms to Mr. Sisler for consideration for this festival ensemble.
- PMEA District 5 Jazz: The District 5 Jazz Festival occurs each January/February at Slippery Rock University. This ensemble is an audition only ensemble consisting of students who play the following instruments: Saxophone (ATB), Trombone, Trumpet, Guitar, Bass, and Percussion (Drums, Aux, Mallets) from Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer Counties. The audition requirements include: 1 Prepared Etude, 1 Sight reading, and a short improvisation. Selected students participate in one of three Jazz Ensembles, each with their own guest conductor, over a 2 day period. The students are in traditional, full instrumentation, jazz ensembles.
- South Side Area School District belongs to PMEA District 5, which consists of schools in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties. Throughout the year, students have the opportunity to pursue many extra-musical opportunities through PMEA. Depending on the festival, the requirements vary greatly in terms of required materials (audition or not) and grades (Some festivals are grade level restricted). PMEA Events are EXCELLENT opportunities for students and are always HIGH LEVEL ensembles made of the best students from the 4 counties in our PMEA District.