Performance Explanations

Main 2025-2026 Performances:

BAND PERFORMANCES and EVENT Explanations

Participation in concerts and festivals scheduled for each band is mandatory per Fairfax County Public Schools regulations. (FCPS Regulation 3866.)  Please check the band calendar in the back of the handbook for your respective performances. Students that miss a performance due to personal illness or a family emergency will be expected to present a note from home upon their return to school and complete a mandatory make-up assignment.

There are also several opportunities throughout the school year for individual students to choose to audition and/or participate in other music activities. Please see below for all information.

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1. Friday, September 19, 2025 – 8th Grade Band Night at South County High School (Open only to 8th Grade Band Members.)  

Each fall, all 8th grade band members have the opportunity to attend and participate in a Varsity home football game at South County High School and play their instruments in the bleachers with award-winning Marching Stallions. “8th Grade Band Night” is designed to educate and inform all students about the marching band in hopes they will sign-up to be a part of the marching band program as 9th graders. 

 “Pep Band Music” or “Stands Tunes” will be provided to the students and will need to be practiced before the event.  All 8th grade students are required to attend their future high school’s game due to it being co-curricular per FCPS Regulation 3866.  All students need to bring their instruments and music. Each student will receive a Middle School Band Night T-shirt that they will need to wear that night.

If a student is unable to make this event, a make-up assignment will be given.

Students need to secure their own transportation to and from South County High School.

Concert Dress is the Black Middle School Band Night T-Shirt and Jeans/Slacks and Tennis Shoes. (No crocs/slides/flip-flops/sandals as students will be marching from the Band Room to the Football Field with the Stallion Band.)

2.) Wednesday, October 8 - Fall Band Concert - 7pm

Intermediate Percussion Ensemble, Advanced Percussion Ensemble, Concert Band Blue, and Symphonic Band perform their Fall Concert program for the overall school community in the Main Gym. Please invite your families, friends, and loved ones to support the students!  

Call time for all students is 6:15pm to the Main Gym. Concert begins at 7:00pm and goes until 7:30pm

Concert dress is either "something nice casual" OR dress up in costume.  SR&R policy applies. 

3.) Wednesday, December 10, 2025 – Winter Holiday Band Concert (All Bands) – 7pm

Mustang Jazz, Concert Band Green, Intermediate Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Percussion Ensemble, Concert Band Blue, and Symphonic Band perform their Winter Concert program for the overall school community in the Main Gym. Please invite your families, friends, and loved ones to support the students!  Students wear their concert band uniforms.

Call time for all students is 6:15pm to the Main Gym. Concert begins at 7:00pm and will conclude by 8:30pm.

Concert Dress is Band Tuxedo, complete with Black Dress Shoes (for all) and black socks (for the guys).

 

4.) TBA - Winter Holiday Assembly (Symphonic Band and Mustang Jazz)

The Advanced Music ensembles of SCMS (Symphonic Band, Mustang Jazz, Chorus, and Symphonic Orchestra perform for the school community during the morning Learning Seminar period to provide the students and staff some welcome holiday cheer. Students may wear something “nice casual”, Santa hats, reindeer antlers, etc.

5.) Tuesday, February 24, 2026 - Pre-Assessment Pyramid Concert {Concert Band Blue (2nd Period)/Symphonic Band (6th Period) only}

Concert Band Blue and Symphonic Band will perform at South County High School for a “Mock-Adjudicated” performance. 

There are TWO Separate Concerts –

1.)    MS Concert Band Blue and HS Concert Band at 5:30pm (Call Time 4:45pm to SCHS Choir Room)

2.)    MS Symphonic Band and HS Symphonic Band at 7:30pm (Call Time 6:45 to SCHS Choir Room). 

All students enter the SCHS Music Wing at Entrance 14 at the front of the school.

Concert Dress is Band Tuxedo, complete with Black Dress Shoes (for all) and black socks (for the guys). 

6.) Friday, March 13, 2026 - State Band Assessment (Concert Band Blue & Symphonic Band only)

            On March 13, 7th and 8th grade bands from Fairfax County middle schools participate in the Virginia Music Educators Association’s District Ten Band Assessment Festival, held at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Alexandria, VA.  All bands prepare and perform three pieces of music, along with sight-reading a newly composed piece of music for a rating from four state-appointed adjudicators (judges).  This performance is the band/music equivalent to the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. Concert Band Blue (with Intermediate Percussion Ensemble) and Symphonic Band (with Advanced Percussion Ensemble) will participate in this festival and is mandatory per FCPS Regulation 3866.

Both Concert Band and Symphonic Band will perform on Friday, March 13. 

Please mark your calendars NOW!  Absences due to having sports games or practices are not considered FCPS-excused for missing any music performance.  

Please hold the entire afternoon and evening open until the exact time is known, which will be in late January 2025.

Concert Dress is Band Tuxedo, complete with Black Dress Shoes (for all) and black socks (for the guys). 

7.) Tuesday, March 24, 2026 – South County Pyramid Band Concert featuring the Elementary Area Honor Band, SCMS and SCHS Percussion Ensembles and SCMS and SCHS Jazz Bands.

8.) Wednesday, April 15, 2026 - Month of the Military Child Breakfast - Mustang Jazz performs. 8:00-9:00am.

 

9.) Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - Spring Band Concert and Awards Night (All Bands)

Mustang Jazz, Concert Band Green, Intermediate Percussion Ensemble, Advanced Percussion Ensemble, Concert Band Blue, and Symphonic Band perform their Spring Concert program for the overall school community in the SCMS Main Gym.  Students will wear their Formal Concert Attire. Student Call Time is 6:15pm.  Concert begins at 7:00pm.  Annual Spring Band Awards will follow at the end of all performances. 

Concert Dress is Band Tuxedo, complete with Black Dress Shoes (for all) and black socks (for the guys). 

10.) Friday, June 12, 2026 - 8th Grade Awards Ceremony Performance (Symphonic Band only)

All Advanced Music ensembles perform at the End-of-the-Year 8th Grade Overall Excellence Awards Ceremony during the last block of the day. Students are expected to wear something “nice casual” for this performance.