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Concert Band

Concert Band PerformingThe FHS Concert Band is a co-curricular course at Foxborough High School. The students in the course receive 1 credit and Concert Band is considered a major subject. The curriculum is extensive and offers students a chance to experience some of the finest wind band literature ever written. The 90 members perform a variety of concerts throughout the year including a December Holiday concert, an April Spring Concert, the Annual Pops concerts in the Gym in May and performances at the annual state concert band Festival sponsored by the Massachusetts Instrumental Conductor's Association - ( MICCA ). The Concert Band is the core curriculum group for the wind program at FHS. All members of all other bands, chamber groups, and jazz groups must first be members in good standing in the Concert Band. The important fundamentals of tone production, ensemble playing, musical interpretation and style, rhythm studies, scale and chord studies, and basic musicianship are all important elements of the Concert Band curriculum.Why is the FHS Concert Band divided into the Symphonic Winds and the Wind Ensemble for part of the school year? It's because of the instrumental curriculum!

The 90 member FHS Concert Band (grades 9 - 12) performs some of the world's best wind literature written for large ensembles. This basic part of our curriculum is ongoing throughout the entire year. However, there is a great deal of special literature composed for one person per part band instrumentation. In addition, many of our less experienced players need the opportunity to play principal parts and solos, and learn how to function as a section leader. Percussionists need to learn how to play all of the varied percussion instruments.
The Symphonic Winds provides the opportunity for these experiences. All students need to learn how to be responsible for their own individual part in ensemble playing. This is a very important step toward becoming a mature musician (and maybe person as well). Our more advanced players in the Wind Ensemble need to study more complex and sophisticated music, and be challenged to experience collegiate level performance standards. The music faculty believes that this two smaller band structure involving the Symphonic Winds and the Wind Ensemble allows us to meet all of these important needs, and also enables students to have positive musical experiences at an appropriate musical difficulty level.
Therefore, the FHS Concert Band is really three different bands, meeting the needs of close to 100 students in grades 9 - 12 in a balanced, sequential, rigorous, varied, concept-based curriculum. When you look at the additional ensembles and chamber groups with access to private lessons with highly qualified professional instructors, one can begin to understand the depth of the instrumental program that is in place.