Instrumental Music

Concert Orchestra is a 9th-12th grade class that will have high standards for performance and include fundamentals and enhancing of orchestra playing, including violin, viola, cello, and bass.  Students will learn the fundamentals of music in relation to rhythm and note reading, recognition of key signatures, articulations, musical styles, and overall performance techniques on their string instrument.  Emphasis will be placed on learning music in a variety of styles that will apply these skills.  Students in Concert Orchestra will meet five class periods per week and students will receive an individual or small group lesson each week.  Participation is required at concerts.

Philharmonic Orchestra is a 10th-12th grade class that will have high standards for performance and include fundamentals and enhancing of orchestra playing, including violin, viola, cello, and bass. Students will learn the advanced techniques related to performance on their string instrument. Emphasis will be placed on learning music in a variety of styles that will apply these skills. Students in the Philharmonic Orchestra will meet five class periods per week and students will receive an individual or small group lesson each week. Participation is required at concerts.  Audition is required.

Chamber Orchestra is a 9th-12th grade co-curricular orchestra class that seeks to provide orchestra students with advanced instruction on their string instruments in a small group setting.  Literature for chamber orchestra will include a wide variety of composers and styles in order to enhance student understanding of styles and tone.  Participation in concerts and an audition are required.  Audition is required.

Wind Symphony is the top performance ensemble e in the Central Band Program.  It is open to students in grades 10 through 12 through audition.

Wind Symphony provides students with a balanced comprehensive study of music through the concert band, which develops skills in the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains. Instruction is designed so that students are enabled to connect, examine, imagine, define, try, extend, refine, and integrate music study into other subject areas. Ensemble and solo activities are designed to develop elements of musicianship including, but not limited to: (1) tone production, (2) technical skills, (3) intonation, (4) music reading skills, (5) listening skills (6) analyzing music and (7) studying historically significant styles of literature.

The Central Concert Bands have performed at the Iowa Bandmaster Association Conference and The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic multiple times. The Davenport Central Band Program was named to the John Phillip Sousa Foundation's Historic Roll of Honor of High School Concert Bands that "Recognizes Historic High School Concert Bands of Very Particular Musical Excellence."  

Wind Ensemble is a premier performance ensemble in the Central Band Program.  It is open to students in grades 10 through 12 through audition.

Wind Ensemble provides students with a balanced comprehensive study of music through the concert band, which develops skills in the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains. Instruction is designed so that students are enabled to connect, examine, imagine, define, try, extend, refine, and integrate music study into other subject areas. Ensemble and solo activities are designed to develop elements of musicianship including, but not limited to: (1) tone production, (2) technical skills, (3) intonation, (4) music reading skills, (5) listening skills (6) analyzing music and (7) studying historically significant styles of literature.

Experiences include, but are not limited to, improvising, conducting, playing by ear and sight-reading. Students develop the ability to understand and convey the composer’s intent in order to connect the performer with the audience. Students experience live performances by professionals during and outside of the school day. Time outside of the school day may be scheduled for dress rehearsals and performances. A limited number of public performances may serve as a culmination of daily rehearsal and musical goals. Students are required to participate in performance opportunities, outside of the school day, that support and extend learning in the classroom.

Symphonic Band provide students with a balanced comprehensive study of music through the concert band, which develops skills in the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains. Instruction is designed so that students are enabled to connect, examine, imagine, define, try, extend, refine, and integrate music study into other subject areas. Ensemble and solo activities are designed to develop elements of musicianship including, but not limited to: (1) tone production, (2) technical skills, (3) intonation, (4) music reading skills, (5) listening skills (6) analyzing music and (7) studying historically significant styles of literature.

Experiences include, but are not limited to, improvising, conducting, playing by ear and sight-reading. Students develop the ability to understand and convey the composer’s intent in order to connect the performer with the audience. Students experience live performances by professionals during and outside of the school day. Time outside of the school day may be scheduled for dress rehearsals and performances. A limited number of public performances may serve as a culmination of daily rehearsal and musical goals. Students are required to participate in performance opportunities, outside of the school day, that support and extend learning in the classroom.

This course is open to 9th grade wind players and percussionists only. Students taking this course are provided with a balanced comprehensive study of music through the concert band, which develops skills in the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains. Instruction is designed to enable students to connect, examine, imagine, define, try, extend, refine and integrate music study into other subject areas. Ensemble and solo activities are designed to develop elements of musicianship including, but not limited to: (1) tone production, (2) technical skills, (3) intonation, (4) music reading skills, (5) listening skills, (6) analyzing music, and (7) studying historically significant styles of literature. Experience includes, but are not limited to, improvising, conducting, playing by ear, and sight-reading. Students are given opportunities to develop the ability to understand and convey the composer’s intent in order to connect the performer with the audience.

Students also have the opportunity to experience live performances by professionals during and outside of the school day. Time outside of the school day may be scheduled for dress rehearsal and performance. A limited number of public performances may serve as a culmination of daily rehearsal and musical goals. Students are required to participate in performance opportunities, outside of the school day, that support and extend learning in the classroom.

This is a course intended for students who may pursue a career or advanced degree in music. The course will introduce music history, aural training skills, including rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic dictation and sight singing. The course takes a beginning approach to the concepts of theory and analysis, with references to historical context. 

Topics include notation, rhythm, scales, key signatures, intervals, chords, beginning level melodic and rhythm dictation, ear-training and sight singing skills.

This course will be introducing and developing the student in musicianship, theory, musical materials, and procedures. The course will focus on a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, form, musical analysis, elementary composition, and, to some extent, history and style. Musicianship skills such as dictation and other listening skills, sight-singing, and keyboard harmony are considered an important part of the theory course, and will be developed over the course of the school year. 

The student’s ability to read and write musical notation is fundamental and required in order for this success in this course. The pace of this course is largely dependent upon the comprehension of topics by the class as a whole. 

Modeled after an introductory music theory course at the collegiate level, this class can and will require daily note-taking and neat handwriting skills. Students are expected to take the AP Music Theory Exam in May in efforts of earning a score of 3 – 5, which may yield credit towards music theory college courses.