Students in Middle School or High School who show interest in learning an instrument should enroll in one of the Beginning Band courses. In these courses, students learn about the different instruments, choose an instrument to play, and develop foundational individual and ensemble skills. In addition, students learn how to self-assess, peer-review, plan and achieve goals, and work in a performance-based environment. Students in Middle School and High School Beginning Band are prepared throughout the year to join our Intermediate Band (MS) and Wind Ensemble (HS) the following year.

In Contemporary Music Group, or CMG, students learn how to authentically perform a variety of rock, funk, hip-hop, and pop styles from 1950 to current-day. The CMG performs their set-list at a variety of school events. This is an audition-based group.

Students who have an interest in jazz are encouraged to join HS Jazz Lab, a fundamental zero-hour course designed to introduce students to jazz style, articulation, music theory, improvisation, and performance.

In Intermediate Band, students continue to develop their musical skills and work with others to perform a wide variety of concert band literature. Students in Intermediate Band also take part in many music opportunities, such as the Bishop DuBourg Honor Band, Metro District 8 Honor Band and Honor Jazz Band, The Annual Chaminade Middle School Band Festival, and the Chaminade Middle School Solo and Ensemble Competition. On some years the Intermediate Band competes at the Music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags in the Spring semester.

High School students who wish to further develop their concepts of harmony, form, improvisation and ensemble playing are encouraged to audition for our zero-hour Jazz Combo. This group focuses on learning some of the core repertoire of great Jazz composers such as Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver as well as Jazz standards that are frequently used in professional settings.

In Jazz Ensemble, high school students intensively develop a variety of skills related to the jazz idiom. Tone, Style, Time-feel, Harmony, History, and Improvisation are all taught in this course through the context of big band literature. As of 2018, Jazz Ensemble is a full credit class that takes place during the school day.

All high school students are also members of the Pep Band, which performs at football games, basketball games, and other school functions.

Chaminade Bands offers a zero hour Men’s Chorus for young men interested in vocal pedagogy and singing a variety of choral works in 2-part and 3-part harmony.

Middle School Band members who plan to join Jazz Ensemble in high school are strongly encouraged to join Middle School Jazz Band, an after school activity designed to give students the opportunity to perform Jazz, Rock and other musical styles in a big-band setting.

The Wind Ensemble is the premier performing ensemble at Chaminade. Students in the ensemble perform at formal school concerts, events and ceremonies. In addition, the Wind Ensemble has performed at the MSHSAA Large Ensemble Festival annually for over 35 years and has traveled for the past 20 years to competitions, festivals and universities. Students perform a wide variety of wind band literature in an ensemble of 40-50 other students, and they work with local, regional and nationally recognized conductors, musicians and composers.