Instrumental Music Courses / Ensembles and Activities / Students and Parents / Tri-M / CHS Music Boosters
Approximately 100 students are enrolled in Instrumental Music at Coventry High School representing 20% of the High School Population. Students in the Band Program participate in nearly every sport, club, and activity offered at Coventry High School. Many of these students perform regularly as members of the CHS Concert Band and are enrolled in daily music classes ranging from a number of Independent Studies up to larger ensemble-style classes. Students in the Concert Band meet as a full ensemble on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 o’clock. The CHS Jazz Ensemble, which is made up of many students from the Concert Band as well as additional students not enrolled in Concert Band, became a regular class during the school day in the Fall of 2013. These ensembles perform, on average, 4 to 5 large concerts a year and each student will have performed approximately 15 to 20 pieces of concert repertoire each year in addition to any musical side-projects they take on.
Students in the CHS Music Program have the opportunity to participate in the CT Music Educator’s Association Eastern Region Music Festival as well the CMEA All-State Festival, both of which provide an individual audition environment for placement in honors ensembles. Students from CHS also participate in the Charter Oak Music Festival and ASBDA High School Honors Festival which both occur in the Fall of each year with local high schools from CT. Over the last five years, the CHS Band has traveled to and performed in Baltimore, MD; Virginia Beach; and Cleveland, OH. Events in Coventry have included the Coventry Jazz Festival, Valentine’s Danceband, as well as numerous town and community events. In the Fall of 2012, the Town of Coventry’s 300th Anniversary Parade committee awarded the CHS Band with a “Community Pride Award.” The Band also performs at all varsity home football games. The students of the CHS Band are fortunate to have worked with numerous guest artists including the Red Satin Band, Dr. Matthew Aubin (Music Professor, Washington State University), Martin Piecuch (Saxophone Artist), Dr. David Mills (Director of Bands, UConn), as well as the many clinicians that they have encountered while travelling. Together with the CHS Music Boosters, the Band seeks to encourage attendance at live music, most recently including performances of the Cleveland Orchestra and Boston Symphony. Past performances have included Tommy Iggoe and The Birdland Big Band and Kodo Drumming, both at Jorgensen Theater.
