How High School Band Works
Congratulations on your student’s transition to high school! This is an exciting time filled with new opportunities and development in your child’s music education. The Lakeville North Band is a comprehensive program meant to fulfill your child’s interest in music. Our core ensembles are Concert Band (9th grade), Symphonic Band (10-12th grade), and Jazz Band (saxes, trumpets, trombones, and rhythm section instruments in all grades). These groups perform four main concert each year (October, December, March, and May).
Our extracurricular ensemble includes Summer Parade Band, which entertains crowds at festival parades during June and July. Our co-curricular ensembles include the LNHS Panther Marching Band and Pep Band. The marching band performs for crowds during the home football games and culminates the season with a Fall Indoor Marching Band Concert. Most of the marching instruction is done during school time, with only several evening practices scheduled in September and October. Students also have the opportunity to perform at several pep band games each semester that help support our winter sports teams. In addition to regular band instruction, percussion students will also have an opportunity to receive special sectional instruction from a professional instructor.
Concert Band
Concert Band is a year-long class that meets daily. Students receive a grade for performance and various class assignments throughout the year. All students register for concert band and then are placed into specific bands by the director. 9th graders are all in Concert Band, 10-12 graders are in Symphonic Band.
Concert band classes have 4-5 concerts throughout the year.
Marching Band
Marching Band takes place during the beginning of the school year. All members of the Lakeville North Band participate in marching band. Most students are nervous about marching because it is new to them, but most end up loving marching band! It is a great ensemble that builds a sense of our band family, discipline, and serves our school and community.
The majority of rehearsal takes place during the school day. Most of the marching instruction is done during school time, with only several evening practices scheduled in September and October (see the band calendar for those specific dates). We perform at halftime and during the game at all the home football games and travel with the team to US Bank Stadium for playoff games. The season culminates in an evening Indoor Marching Band Concert where the band performs highlights from the season.
Pep Band
Students also have the opportunity to perform at several pep band games each semester that help support our winter sports teams. Students are required to attend half the pep band games each year, which averages 5-10 games. Students sign up for specific pep band games, which provides flexibility with other activities.
The majority of rehearsal takes place during the school day. Most of the marching instruction is done during school time, with only several evening practices scheduled in September and October (see the band calendar for those specific dates). We perform at halftime and during the game at all the home football games and travel wGeneral rehearsal schedules are below, a full schedule can be found in the google calendar to the right. We highly suggest students participate in marching band their freshmen year to learn what it is about. Most students are nervous about joining because it is new to them, but most end up loving the marching arts! They are great ensembles to build a sense of our band family, build discipline and serve our school and community.
Jazz Band
Jazz Band is a year-long class that meets daily during early bird period (7-7:55AM). Students receive a grade for performance and various class assignments throughout the year. Students can not register for jazz ensemble, but should ask a director for materials that must be played for entry into jazz band. Once these materials have been performed, the directors will add jazz band to the student’s schedule. Jazz Ensemble is open to students who play saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, piano and drum set.
Jazz Ensembles have 4-5 concerts throughout the year.
Percussion Ensemble
Percussion Ensemble is an extra performance opportunity for students. It meets during regular band time and is led by our Percussion & Drum Line instructor, Matt Nielsen. In this ensemble students have the opportunity to learn a variety of percussion instruments and new techniques. They perform three times a year on concerts with the concert bands.
Leadership Team
“Success is not an accident, success is actually a choice.”
-Stephen Curry
Student leadership in the Lakeville North Band is the backbone of the program. You have an opportunity to change lives! The purpose of the leadership team is to get to know your fellow bandies and create a great band experience for everyone. You help teach your fellow peers musical, marching, and life skills. You help develop and spread the proper mindset, attitude, and focus of the band. There are three different types of leadership positions open to students in 10-12th grade, which are listed below.
Drum Major:
The drum majors are the highest ranking student leaders in the band. They serve as field assistants during rehearsal and help to teach fundamentals, as well as correct individual errors and style problems throughout the season. Additionally, the drum majors will help in conducting the band during half-time performances.
Section Leader:
The concept of the total sound of the Panther Band is developed through communication between section leaders and Dr. Wanken. Section leaders are responsible for the musical performance of their section. This includes accuracy of rhythms, promoting a section sound with matched tone and pitch, consistency of musical style, uniformity of articulation, and proper care and maintenance of instruments and equipment. Section leaders will conduct sectionals, as well as warm-up and tune their section prior to performances. For larger sections, multiple people can be chosen for this position. Section leaders CAN serve dual roles as rank captains.
Rank Captain:
Squad leaders are primarily responsible for the marching precision of their squads in drill maneuvers and parade marching. Each squad leader should communicate with the drum majors and Dr. Wanken about any members having special problems in marching and/or playing. The squad leaders will correct drill assignment errors and enforce the marking of individual drill assignments on each person’s music.
To apply for a leadership position, please fill out the following form and return it to Dr. Wanken: