SCPA Band

There are four concert bands and two jazz bands at St. Croix Prep.

5th Grade Band

Students may start playing in band in 5th Grade. Students learn about all instruments during their time in the lower school general music class, but during their 4th grade year, they receive special visits from older students who are in band. At these times, they get to see the instruments up close, hear how they sound, and talk to the upper and middle school students who visit them. In March, all 4th graders see a demonstration of their choices of music for the following year. In April, students have the opportunity to try the wind and string instruments, and by May they register for band, choir, or orchestra.

In 5th grade band, students may play flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, or baritone. The full group rehearses every other day for about 45 minutes. Each student also has a weekly, 15-minute pull-out lesson in a small group. The 5th grade band performs at three concerts during the school year.

6th Grade Band

In 6th grade band, students typically continue to play flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, or baritone. Interested students may make a transition in the summer after 5th grade to another instrument with the permission of the director. These include oboe, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, horn, tuba, and percussion. As in 5th grade band, the full group rehearses every other day for about 45 minutes. Each student also has a weekly, 15-minute pull-out lesson in a small group. The 6th grade band performs at three concerts during the school year.

Symphonic Band (Grades 7-8-9)

Students in Symphonic Band enjoy rehearsing daily for about 45 minutes and continue to have weekly, 15-minute pull-out lesson in small groups. This ensemble moves through much more music and perform three concerts at school as well as traveling outside of school for an additional performance. In the past, this ensemble has performed at the MMEA Midwinter Clinic and MMEA Middle Level Festival. At least one quarter of the year the students work on chamber music in their lessons and may play at Solo and Ensemble hosted at SCPA.

Concert Band (Grades 9-12)

The Concert Band has grown from around 20 students in its first year to more than 40 students. It performs high-quality literature at three concerts at SCPA as well as a performance at the MSHSL Contest. Students from this group also perform solos and ensembles at contest, and a percussion ensembles is a regular pull-out from the main class. Concert Band rehearses daily for 50 minutes and includes weekly sectionals.

Students in Concert Band may enroll in Honors Concert Band to earn weighted credit for their GPA. This option is available to all 10th, 11th, and 12th graders as well as to 9th graders who are taking private lessons on their instrument. Besides the differences listed in the chart below, students considering Honors Concert Band should be involved in one or more of the following ways: taking private lessons on their instrument, tutoring younger students, playing in an outside of school ensemble, and/or showing positive leadership within their section and the band as a whole.

Jazz Band

Starting in the 2014-15 school year, Jazz Band became a curricular offering at St. Croix Prep. It now rehearses as a zero hour class on Mondays and Wednesdays with an optional Friday meeting for weighted credit. Students in the jazz band have received Outstanding Soloist Citations at the Eau Claire Jazz Festival for several years straight, and the group performs several concerts at school as well as in the community. Students in this group also have the opportunity to play in a combo setting.

Jazz Band II

Jazz Band II is an extracurricular open to students on any instrument in grades 6 and up. Started in 2014, the goal of this ensemble is to expose students to jazz music so that they appreciate it and want to continue playing and listening to it. It rehearses once or twice a week starting in December and ending in April.