Frequently Asked Questions

Band and orchestra differ primarily in the types of instruments present in each ensemble. Band uses wind instruments (e.g. flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone) as well as percussion. Orchestra uses bowed string instruments (violin, viola, cello, bass). Paradise Valley High School offers both band and orchestra classes under the direction of Mrs. Sherri Lindsey. 

Visit our Music Ensembles page for more details about our class offerings!

Nearly all of our performances* are FREE to attend and even include complementary refreshments provided by our wonderful Boosters! Feel free to invite friends and family to enjoy our wonderful concerts. 

*The only exceptions to this are our Evening of Music in May, and our Tri-M Charity Concert benefitting Make-a-Wish Arizona. The band council charges 5 dollars a ticket to help raise funds for these programs.*

If you are interested in helping us keep our concerts free, please visit our Fundraising page!

Absolutely! Historically, many of PV's best musicians have also been enrolled in CREST. It is entirely possible for a student to be enrolled in both CREST and instrumental music courses. Mrs. Lindsey is learning her way around CREST scheduling, and is more than happy to help you find a way to fit music into your schedule. Contact information may be found in the page footer below, or on our Staff page.

CREST Scheduling Guides may be located on our Forms & Info page.

No, but a student can still participate in Band or Orchestra year-round! Due to Paradise Valley High School's block schedule system, our band and orchestra are split into two different courses for 1st and 2nd Semester. Orchestra will have the Fall Orchestra class in 1st semester and the Spring Orchestra class in 2nd semester. Band will have Marching Band in 1st semester and Concert Band in 2nd semester. Thanks to our 86 minute block schedule, a PVHS student will spend more time each day in band & orchestra class than any other student in the district! Because of this, students are encouraged to enroll in both semester courses to get the most out of our block schedule time and improve more as musicians.

Marching band is our 1st semester band class. In marching band, students work on rehearsing and perfecting a field show to perform at Friday night football games and Saturday competitions as well as pop tunes to play in the stands during football games. In a field show, students perform music while marching in formation on the field. Percussionists will either be playing marching drums on the field or mallet instruments at the front of the field. Marching band rehearses during the 1st block of the school day as well as MANDATORY after school rehearsals from 5:30-8:30pm on TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. These rehearsals end after the final Marching Band Competition in mid-November. Percussionists should enroll in the 5th block Percussion class during first semester to have a class focused soley on marching percussion. Any student enrolled in the Marching Band or Percussion Class is considered part of the Pride of Paradise regardless of which class they are in. 

Concert Band is a much more traditional band setting, similar to your student's elementary and middle school band. Here, students will rehearse a variety of music for concerts in March and May as well as our graduation ceremony. Students also perform in a smaller chamber ensemble setting, providing them with a unique team-building experience. Honor events like District Honor Band, Regionals, All-State, and Solo & Ensemble all take place during Concert Band.

Students are encouraged to enroll in BOTH Marching Band and Concert Band, as both classes offer unique, unforgettable opportunities for students to grow as musicians, leaders, and individuals.

YES. Marching Band Rehearsals are mandatory. Marching band rehearses after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Students are expected to attend ALL rehearsals for their entire duration. Should conflicts arise, students are expected to fill out the rehearsal attendance form (located in Google Classroom) as soon as they become aware of the conflict. Catching up on schoolwork is not considered a valid excuse for missing rehearsal.

If you have a regular scheduling conflict (another sport, boy/girl scouts, religious services/obligations, etc.), Mrs. Lindsey is happy to discuss and come to a compromise so that you may still participate in the Marching Band experience! 

Marching Band Competitions are competitive events where our band travels to another high school to performs in front of a panel of judges. The judges rank bands based on how well or "clean" their performance is. Competitions take place on Saturdays and are day-long events. After we compete, our band heads to the stands to watch other bands perform. This is typically one of the most fun parts of the season!

Our amazing Band Boosters will provide the band with a delicious meal before each competition and provide snacks after our performances. The Pride of Paradise is known for having some of the most delicious pre-competition meals in the district. Students are also encouraged to bring $10-25 in cash incase they get hungry or want to buy merchandise at a competition. Competitions typically have a food truck section with plenty of genres of food to choose from! 

Yes. Both band and orchestra have fees. You can the required fees and payment instructions on our Forms & Info page. These fees are not for profit and help fund our yearly music activities, including, but not limited to: band/orchestra trips, competition fees, instrument repairs, instrument purchases, transportation costs, and more.

If, for whatever reason, you are unable to pay the fees, please contact Mrs. Lindsey ASAP. The PV Instrumental Music program will never let money get in the way of a student's music education, so Mrs. Lindsey is always more than happy to help. 

Yes, but only with a form signed by parents and Mrs. Lindsey at the event. After your student's commitment to an event is done, you can find Mrs. Lindsey and sign your student out. No student is to leave an out-of-school event without parental permission. Furthermore, only PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS may sign a student out of an event. All of these rules are in accordance with PVUSD Policy.

Our Band and Orchestra parents matter as much as our students. PV is proud to have a thriving Band & Orchestra Booster organizations that provides parents with the opportunities to help their students succeed in all aspects of our music program. Our Booster family is kind and caring, coming from a variety of different backgrounds and offering open arms to all new parents who wish to join! 

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