Community House Middle School Instrumental Programs
Courtney Guthrie (Orchestra) and Kati Shives (Band) are presented with a poster announcement to commemorate the Symphony Orchestra's selection for A Musical Showcase.
Welcome to Band and Orchestra!
Band and Orchestra are year-long courses offered at Community House. The programs have received numerous awards and were selected three years in a row to perform in the Charlotte Concerts Series "A Musical Showcase!" at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Both programs perform at local festivals, Carowinds Music Festival, and an 8th grade overnight trip. In the past, our 8th grade band and orchestra students have participated in the Disney Young Artists clinic as well as the Universal Studios Sound Design and the Art of Foley Workshop. Our students are active performers and regularly participate in CMS Honors Orchestra, CMS Honors Band, Western Region Orchestra, All District Band, All State Band, and All State Orchestra. We offer a full Symphony Orchestra by audition as well as a before school Jazz Band. We can't wait to have you join us!
Because our program builds on skills each year, students must start band or orchestra in the sixth grade. We can’t accept new band or orchestra students in seventh or eighth grade. So if you’re considering playing an instrument at Community House, now’s the time!
Why Instrumental Music?
The benefits of instrumental music are endless. Students learn an art that will teach them creativity--a necessity in our ever-changing world. Through instrumental music, students are able to practice fine-motor skills and engage their brain in ways that no other activity or course allows them to do.
"In an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students, researchers found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12." This observation holds true regardless of students' socio-economic status, and differences in those who are involved with instrumental music vs. those who are not is more significant over time."
Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga. "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and Theater Arts." Los Angeles, CA: The Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, 1999.
"Students with band and orchestra experience attend college at a rate twice the national average."
Bands Across the USA.
Follow us on Instagram: @chmsbandorchestra
and on Facebook: CHMS Band and Orchestra
“A grounding in the arts will help our children to see; to bring a uniquely human perspective to science and technology. In short, it will help them as they grow smarter to also grow wiser.”
– Robert E. Allen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Corporation