Halifax Regional Arts has 4 bands that rehearse within the Dartmouth Campus, 2 bands at Halifax Campus (Halifax Central Jr High) bands at Cole Harbour High, Auburn Drive High Sackville High and Musquodoboit Rural High.  

Please scroll below for our individual band descriptions and their schedules.

​ 

The HRA Junior Band meets at the Dartmouth Campus on Monday evenings from 4:30 to 5:45 pm.  This band is open to any grade 7 student who wants to play, provided you are participating in your current school’s band program.  You can join at any time in the school year.  This is a training band and is an excellent opportunity to meet students with similar interests from all over Dartmouth and beyond.  The band may open its doors to excelling grade 6 band students in late January, with the recommendation of their school band teacher.

HRA Intermediate Band is a non-auditioned concert band open to all students enrolled in their school band in grades 8-12, who are looking for an extra challenge in addition to their regular school band program. Typically,  the band plays 3-4 concerts and takes part in a Music Festival each year. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 6:00-7:30 pm from September-June at the Dartmouth Campus.  

HRA Pop-Rock  Band is a new addition for the 2025-26 school year. It is a collaborative group, offered to musicians from grade 8-12 who are interested in playing pop and rock music. Any instrument (wind, brass, strings, keys, percussion) and singers are welcome, but it is expected that musicians can already read music (standard notation and/or chords for guitar players) with some proficiency. Not sure if you're a good fit? Reach out! Musicians help select and arrange the tunes that we are learning to suit our needs and musical desires. Get ready to rock... And pop!      

They rehearse every Thursday from 4:30 to 6:00 at Sackville High. 

HRA Studio "A" Jazz is a big band that rehearses on Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:00pm from September-June at the Dartmouth Campus. We are a non-auditioned group from grades 8-12. Talented musicians from Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville and Nova Scotia's beautiful Eastern Shore give us our eclectic sound.

We play many styles ranging from blues to swing, funk and Latin jazz. HRA Studio "A" Jazz Band has provided music for many events and conferences throughout the last decade. We continue to offer our services to local events. 

HRA Symphonic Band rehearses on Tuesday evenings 6:15-8:15pm from September-June at the Dartmouth Campus.  We are a non-auditioned group from grades 10-12.  We are comprised of school band students primarily from Dartmouth, Cole Harbour, Eastern Shore, Fall River, and Sackville, though we are open to ANY Grade 10-12 high school band student in HRCE. 

We play diverse selections that include pop, festival, seasonal, broadway musicals, and classic wind ensemble rep.  You're sure to find enjoyment in rehearsing a variety of styles with other students who share your excitement for fun and challenging music. 

​​

Mrs. Paddock is the director of the HRA Forest Hills Band.  The band is split between 2 sites:  Site A is Auburn Drive High and Site C is Cole Harbour High.  They combine for events and performances.

The Auburn Site is open to any student at Auburn Drive High that has previous band experience from either junior or senior high school.  It is also open to any grade 9 student who is currently in a band program at one of the junior feeder schools for Cole Harbour or Auburn Drive. 

The Auburn Site rehearses  from 3:35 to 5:10 on Wednesdays after school in the band room of Auburn Drive High. 

The Cole Harbour Site is open to any student in Cole Harbour High that has previous band experience from either junior or senior high school.   

The band rehearses Mondays after school on the CHDHS stage from 1:50 to 3:10. 

Mr. Froude is the director of the HRA Halifax Jazz Band. It is open to students in grades 8-12 and meets every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:00pm at Halifax Central Jr High. Come and have an authentic jazz experience that is fun, challenging and supportive!

Big Band instrumentation (saxophones, trumpets, trombones and rhythm section instruments) is preferred. 

Register online to show interest. Members will be accepted after a successful audition in which they will be asked to perform a prepared piece of their choice and to sight read excerpts from the jazz repertoire. Auditions will be scheduled for the fall.