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THE BANDS @ ANDOVER
THE BANDS @ ANDOVER
🎵 Discover Your Sound at Andover High School! 🎵
At Andover High School, our band program offers something for every musician—whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your skills to the next level. Join a community where music, creativity, and school spirit come alive!
CURRICULAR BANDS
Varsity Band & Symphonic Band – Perfect for students at all experience levels! These ensembles focus on developing musical skills while enjoying a collaborative, fun, and welcoming environment.
Concert Band – For musicians ready to take on a challenge! Admission is by audition and director approval, offering advanced repertoire and performance opportunities for dedicated students.
JAZZ ENSEMBLES - Step into the world of jazz, from your first swing to advanced improvisation:
Jazz Lab – Learn the basics of jazz in a supportive, beginner-friendly setting.
Jazz Too – Take your improvisation and ensemble skills to the next level with this intermediate ensemble.
Jazz One – Our top jazz group for advanced players, audition required. Experience high-level performance and the thrill of jazz mastery!
Marching Band kicks off in early May and runs through the summer, concluding at the end of October. Students perform dynamic field shows, parades, and halftime performances at football games. The ensemble competes across Minnesota throughout the fall season, culminating in the Youth in Music Competition the second weekend in October. Marching Band is an exciting opportunity to develop musical, marching, and leadership skills while building school spirit!
Pep Band is a fun and energetic ensemble that supports our teams at home games as well as section and state tournaments. It’s always one of the highlights of the band experience—we get into games for free, play exciting music, hang out with friends, and just have a great time! While participating in games can fulfill the grade requirement for the third trimester, students can also earn points toward a band letter by going above and beyond the required performances.
Pit Orchestra runs from late March through early May, select musicians have the opportunity to perform in the Pit Orchestra for Andover High School musicals. Past productions have included Matilda, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Freaky Friday, and The Addams Family. This ensemble features top musicians performing professional-grade music and is a highlight for those looking for a high-level, collaborative musical experience.
🎶 Join us and be part of something extraordinary—where music meets passion, creativity, and school pride! 🎶
PERFORMING ENSEMBLES
PERFORMING ENSEMBLES
Varsity Band
Varsity Band
Period 1
Course Registration Name:
Level I Band
Registration:
Open to all 9th graders
Performances:
All six band concerts (Fall, Holiday, Marathon, Winter, Band-o-rama, Spring)
Four required pep bands (pick from eight total games)
Expectations:
Varsity Band is our “entry level” band made up of incoming ninth grade band members from the middle schools. Since the director(s) do not yet know the students at the beginning of the school year, this is where they get familiar with your playing abilities and work ethic. Students may discover that there is lots of competition for the instrument they play. If students have ever considered trying a new instrument, this is a great band to do so.
The purpose of this band is to bring the talents from various middle school backgrounds to build a unified group of musicians. 9th Grade Band students should commit to about 20 minutes a day of practice a week in order to prepare their material for concerts and assessments.
Symphonic Band
Symphonic Band
Period 3
Course Registration Name:
Level II Band
Registration:
10th-12th Graders, Open to everyone!
Performances:
All six band concerts (Fall, Holiday, Marathon, Winter, Band-o-rama, Spring)
Four required pep bands (pick from eight total games)
Section 7AA Solo/Ensemble (MSHSL event)
Section 7AA Category 2 Large Group Contest (MSHSL event)
Trip (every two years)
Expectations:
Symphonic Band is open for anyone in 10-12th grade that has already been previously enrolled in either Level 1 Band or Beginning Band. Symphonic Band members are made up of mostly 10th graders or students in 11th and 12th grade that are looking/ready for the rigor of the Honors Level 3 Ensemble.
The purpose of the group is to assemble students and musicians to display the talents within the Andover High School Band program. The potential of any group is determined by the contribution of each member. To meet the potential of this group, we must create a healthy and positive environment which nurtures a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Students cannot be a member of the Level II Honors Band without first participating in Level I Band or Beginning Band.
Concert Band
Concert Band
Period 2
Course Registration Name:
Honors Level III Band
Registration:
10th-12th Graders, Director approval
Performances:
Seven band concerts (Fall, Holiday, Marathon, NWSC Preview Concert, Winter, Band-o-rama, Spring)
Veterans Day concert
NWSC Festival
Section 7AA Category 1 Large Group Contest (MSHSL event)
Section 7AA Solo/Ensemble (MSHSL event)
Trip (every two years)
Four required pep bands (pick from eight total games)
Expectations:
Wind Ensemble is an “honors course” which can boost your GPA. Therefore, there are higher expectations and responsibilities in this band, but also greater privileges and performing opportunities. Wind Ensemble members must practice regularly at home to master their music for their performances.
The purpose of the group is to assemble the best musicians to display the talents within the Andover High School Band program. The potential of any group is determined by the contribution of each member. To meet the potential of this group, we must create a healthy and positive environment which nurtures a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Students cannot be a member of the Level III Honors Band without doing an audition and the directors approval.
Pep Band
Pep Band
Outside of the School Day
The Pep Band is part of the curricular band class. Students play fun/energizing music to get the crowd/team excited! We currently have about 30 different pep tunes that we perform and are constantly updating our pep folders. If we are performing at a game, we get in for free, play fun music and have a great time!
Fall Pep Band plays for some Football and Soccer games (open to members of Marching Band and all 10-12th Graders). Winter Pep Band performs for Boys/Girls Hockey and Boys/Girls Basketball (open to all 9-12th Graders). Winter Pep Band has a requirement to fulfill a portion of their grade. To fulfill this, students are required to attend half of total amount of scheduled games in the Winter Season. Often times there are games that go beyond their regular season and into the tournament season, signups and information regarding these games will be sent out about a week before-hand.
EXTRACURRICULAR ENSEMBLES
EXTRACURRICULAR ENSEMBLES
FESTIVALS & CAMPS
FESTIVALS & CAMPS
College Honor Bands/Festivals
College Honor Bands/Festivals
Colleges offer honor bands throughout the year. See Mr. Peterson for more details. Local/in-state colleges that offer high school honor bands include:
University of Minnesota, Duluth
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter
Winona State University,
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
St. Olaf College, Northfield
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Concordia College, Moorehead
St. Cloud State University
Summer Camps
Summer Camps
While there are many band camps that students can attend over the summer, here are some that Mr. Peterson recommends...
Helpful Band Links
Calendar PDF (Varsity Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band)
Calendar PDF (Jazz Ensembles) COMING SOON!
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