Instrumental music students find that playing in a group gives them skills that transfer to other areas of learning and skill development.
Our performing groups provide a rich culturally interesting and diverse environment that requires focus and collaboration: students have to see together, hear together, and move together in real-time to make great music together. This rapidly develops their executive function skills and scholastic aptitude.
We currently have 4 bands at NCA. With Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, Advanced Band and a select zero-hour Jazz Ensemble for our students to grow in. Students will learn to play a variety of musical styles while developing technical proficiency with their instruments.
Fifth-grade Beginning Band meets twice a week, focusing on first steps and fundamentals. No experience necessary! Primary instruments of the Beginning Band are Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Percussion and Electric Bass. Oboe and French horn can also be chosen if the student is willing to take private lessons. Fifth grade is a transition year into Middle School and the Bands offers continuity and community that will last all the way through eighth grade.
Sixth-grade Intermediate Band follows Beginning Band. We continue to develop the fundamentals, yet explore a lot of concert music. This is also a year some students transition to Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, Bass Clarinet, and French horn.
Advanced Band is our premier band with students from the seventh and eighth grades. We continue to build on the fundamentals, including volume three of the method book series we started with in Beginning Band. The concert music is more challenging and includes transcriptions of classical and sacred music as well as arrangements of movie soundtracks and shows.
Jazz Ensemble meets two days a week before school. This highly competitive group has a lot of fun playing a variety of jazz and contemporary music styles. Jazz Ensemble is open to all middle school students by audition and with director approval.
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Northshore Christian Academy is known for more than just our amazing curriculum, we also have one of the most incredible private school campuses in Washington State. See it for yourself.