RELIVE THE MEMORIES WITH US!!! ♥️ (2025 Spring Concert)
“Well, there goes another one… the kids heard this one during our Sappy Time but there’s something truly special about seeing your students go from knowing nothing to surpassing you in the blink of an eye. Every student achieved, struggled, persevered, and achieved some more and there’s not a day that’ll go by that I’ll forget who they are and what they mean to me. I hope this feeling never gets any easier, because it’s the toughest things that are worth working for - like seeing the best people be created each and every day. ❤️ Thank you to all of the students of the 2024-2025 version of HMSIM, thank you for making me better, for challenging me, and for allowing me to be a part of your life, no matter how long or short. Our memories this year are timeless and what you’ve accomplished here will forever be etched in your many accolades and in our hearts and minds. Don’t ever forget where you came from and what you’ve built here! I promise I won’t let you down ❤️🔥 I love you all ❤️” - Mr. Yee
We don’t join music to be great at it, music is great and we want to be a part of it.
2025-2026 incoming, only thing left is to go even further beyond 🔥
Our purpose within the Hillside Instrumental Music Program is to provide an environment for students to feel welcome, create relationships, and be musically challenged in their pursuit of joy and performance. We seek to provide a place for all involved students to find potential passions and to be able to express themselves fully through the medium of great music.
"We do not join music to be great at music. Music is amazing and we want to be a part of it..."
Take a Bow!
Concert Time! CMEA Bound!
Our groups have performed in multiple spaces with ranging audiences! We've attended festivals such as SCSBOA and the SSHS District Festival. We put on two yearly concerts that the kids practice for all year. We also give the kids opportunities to showcase their skills in more casual settings such as Jazz Madness with Royal High School and lunchtime concerts on campus for their classmates and teachers. Our kids also have the responsibility of performing elementary school outreach with our program, where we travel to local elementary schools and introduce them to the Instrumental Music Program
Unanimous Superior Rating (2024) in SCSBOA Competition for Orchestra!
SCSBOA Superior Distinction for both Band and Orchestra (2025)
This year, the Hillside Concert Strings will be traveling to Sonoma, California to perform among other selected ensembles for the 2025 California Music Educators Association Band and Orchestra Festival!
Classes we Offer
Concert Band/Concert Strings/Jazz Orchestra
The requirements for these ensembles are all audition-based. Each student who has been accepted into either of these three has demonstrated sufficient ability and desire to perform music at the highest level. As such, these students have greater commitment expectations such as:
After-school rehearsals (with prior notice of at least one day)
Field trips OUTSIDE of school hours (i.e. Festivals, concert performances, elementary school recruitment assemblies, etc.)
Inclusion in public events (i.e. Open House, intramural sports, celebration rallies, etc.)
These students act as the face of the program and therefore will be challenged to the utmost degree of their musical ability, to prepare them to succeed well beyond high school.
Beginning Band/Beginning Strings
These ensembles are intended for students with little to no typical music experience, with intent towards training students to love and cherish the music-creating activity to ultimately become the future members of their respective Concert Ensemble. The pace of these courses will begin introductory and slow however, students should be advised that things will quickly become more complicated based on the rate of success and comprehension of individuals within the ensembles. Over the year, all students will have the opportunity based on their level of ability and work ethic/determination, to perform alongside any of the Concert Ensembles, should Mr. Yee deem them ready.
HMS Winterguard
The Colorguard/Winterguard is our pageantry-arts based ensemble where students learn skills of dance, equipment manipulation, and team-based performance, in preparation for opportunities available to them at the high school level. Students and parents should be advised that participation within this ensemble requires a great level of time commitment that involves, but is not limited to:
After-school practices, lasting up to 3 hours (in preparation for the Winter competition season)
Weekends spent with the team, competing at various locations across Southern California
Practice location transfers, depending on the availability of open space at HMS
Long evenings (with open communication and prior notice) for visibility performances