5-12 Band Curriculum
Waukee CSD offers band to students in grades 5-12. The curriculum is rooted in the National Core Arts Standards for Traditional and Emerging Ensembles. It focuses on building musical skills progressively from basic technique to advanced performance and interpretation, based on each student’s grade and proficiency level. Students learn to create, perform, and respond to music thoughtfully while working on understanding musical structure, interpreting intent, and connecting music to personal and cultural contexts. This comprehensive approach encourages students to explore music as individual expression and as part of an ensemble.
Elementary Band
Elementary schools offer an optional exploratory course for 5th-grade students interested in playing the flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, or percussion. Students will engage in a small group lesson during the school day once during each six-day related arts cycle with like instruments focusing on instrument position and posture, embouchure (mouth formation), breath support and tone production, articulation, music notation, rhythmic notation and steady beat, and note-reading in correlation with fingering or slide position recall. Students will also participate in a large band rehearsal with all instruments twice per cycle during the school day to focus on ensemble skills and performance preparation.
Middle School Band (Grades 6-8)
Each level of middle school band builds on the skills and techniques learned in the previous year. The course focuses on proper playing technique on a chosen instrument, tone production, reading of music notation and symbols, music composition, and proper performance practice taught in both large-group ensemble and small-group lesson settings. Students will demonstrate proficiency through performance, creation, and response activities based on their level. New-to-band students in 6th and 7th grades may also be served through an introductory course. In 6th and 7th grade, students take classes every other day. In 8th grade, it shifts to a daily course.
High School Band (Grades 9-12)
In 9th grade, students continue in a concert ensemble. In high school, students are placed in Concert Band or Wind Symphony. Ensembles merge in the fall as the school’s marching band, which involves additional practices outside of the school day. Students may additionally further their studies in Foundations of Individual Musicianship where they will build their independent performance skills. Students interested in pursuing music beyond the high school setting are additionally encouraged to take Music History/Theory. Uniquely, students without instrumental experience may tryout to be on the Color Guard and receive an elective credit for their role in the fall term.
Related Activity Offerings
Curricular band students are welcome to audition for regional and state honor bands including SCIBA Honor Band and the All-State Music Festival. Directors may also select students to participate in additional honor ensembles. Students may participate in various levels of jazz band and various jazz ensembles beginning in 7th grade. Waukee CSD band students in 10th-12th grades will also participate in marching band as a required component of their curricular band experience. Previous marching bands have received national recognition including an invitation to march in the Tournament of Roses Parade in California. Instrumentalists in 9th-12th grade are also welcome to play in show choir bands or join the pit orchestra for the high school musical.
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