Johnsburg High School offers five bad ensembles for students to join. to learn about what each ensemble does, please click below.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.Q. Why should my child participate in Band?
A. At Johnsburg High School, we strongly believe that music has the ability to enrich every person’s life in unique and powerful ways. Thus, our primary goal is to foster the development of a life-long relationship with music in every student. Whether our students go on to become symphony musicians, doctors who play in a community band one night a week, or they simply continue to be music fans, our goal is for them to have a love, appreciation of music and music-making.
Beyond the purely musical goals of the program, we also aim to develop students’ interpersonal and intra-personal skills. Teamwork is a requirement for both Concert Band and Marching Band. There are no “second-string” players in a band. Instead, each individual in the ensemble - down to the last chair player - plays a vital role in the quality of the whole. The band is only as strong as its weakest player, therefore we focus on every individual student to succeed. We aim to improve and seek ways to improve our musicianship and life skills. Each musical performance is unique and can never be perfect. Even the best professional musicians spend their entire lives reaching for perfection, never quite attaining it. These two characteristics separate music from other subjects and are what make it is such an irreplaceable aspect of a student’s education.
Given all of this, we are not in the business of producing only “conservatory players” who have ambitions to pursue music as a profession. We are - very much - in the business, however, of developing a life-long relationship with music in every student. Along the way we will also be providing and encouraging positive interactions and personal growth through the medium of music. The road towards these goals is extremely rewarding, yet very challenging. Only through positive effort on the part of everybody involved in the program can true excellence be achieved.
2.Q. Does my child have to participate in Marching Band in order to be in Jazz and/or Concert Band?
A. Yes, Marching Band and Concert Band are required in order to participate in Jazz and/or Concert Band.
3.Q. What is the purpose of JHS Music Boosters?
A. The purpose of JHS Music Boosters is to aid the Music Department to succeed in any actions needing assistance.
The group meets the first Monday of each month at 7:00pm in the JHS Conference Room. Please check the Calendar for specific dates.
4.Q. My child has to miss a rehearsal and/or performance. Will this effect their grade, and how may they be excused?
A. The student will be excused from the absence ONLY if they turn in an ABSENCE REQUEST FORM. This must be approved ahead of time by the band director. This must be received at least a week before the performance and three days before a rehearsal. Failure to turn in an absence request form will deduct points from the student's grade. Only emergencies will be excused if form is not turned in. Absence request forms are at the bottom of the page.
5.Q. What are your guidelines and rules for the Band?
A. Band Hand Book attached below.
absence_request.pdf |
2014-15_band_handbook.doc |
"Music can name the unnameable, and communicate the unknowable." - Leonard Bernstein