ROXBURY HIGH SCHOOL BAND
The instrumental program at Roxbury High School offers a
wide range of performance opportunities for our
students. Three levels of Concert Ensembles including
the Ninth Symphony, Symphony Band, and Honors
Wind Symphony are available to students by audition
as performance classes. Students are taught the
fundamentals of tone production, sight-reading,
technique, and musicality during these ensemble periods.
Students also have the opportunity to study Music Theory
on both the beginning and advanced levels, focusing on
the aspects of analysis, aural skills, composition, ear
training, dictation, music history, and appreciation.
Students who are a member of the band program also
participate in several select ensembles including the
Marching Gaels, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band, Pit Band,
and various Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion Ensembles.
The
Roxbury Bands have earned an outstanding reputation over
the past ten years. Ensembles from the Roxbury
Instrumental Program have received countless Superior
Ratings at festivals across the state and east coast.
The Honors Wind Symphony has been chosen for the past
ten years to perform in the NJ State Gala Concert. The
Roxbury High School Symphony Band has also received GOLD
Ratings in the Region I Concert Band Festival two years
in a row. In addition the Jazz Ensemble was proud to
represent Region I in the NJ-IAJE State Finals in 2005
and recently placed 3rd in the 2007 NJ
Band Conference Jazz Band Competition.
The
Roxbury Marching Band has also been very successful
amassing numerous awards at various local, state, and
regional festivals. The Marching Gaels recently finished
first in the 2007 Group VI USSBA NJ State
Championship and the 2007 Group VI USSBA Northern
States Championship receiving the award for Best
Music at both venues. The Marching Gaels also finished
second in the 2006 USSBA East Coast Championships -
Group VI, receiving the award for Best Music. The
Marching Band is proud to have participated for the
first time in the Bands of America Regional
Competition this past fall placing 6th in
Finals Performance.
The Roxbury Bands have had the
priviledge to perform with highly acclaimed artists such
as Buddy Baker, Chris Vadala, Eddie Daniels, Fred Mills,
and most recently the Boston Brass. Conductors and
composers have included Dennis Fisher, Dr. John
Whitwell, Dr. William Berz, Dr. Brad Genevro, Dr.
Stanley Saunders, Dr. John Stanley Ross, Bruce Yurko,
Dr. Andrew Boysen, Daniel Ott, and Dr. Mark Scatterday.
The Roxbury Bands have also
commissioned two works for Wind ensemble. "Symphony #3
JFK" composed by Andrew Boysen, and a full scale
symphony dedicated to the school's mascot, the Scottish
Gael. The entire work "Symphnoy of the Gael" was
composed by the legendary British composer, Robert
Farnon.
The Honors Wind Symphony also had
the unique and memorable opportunity to perform at Avery
Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center in May of 2001 and at
Carnegie Hall in March of 2004 and 2007.
A New
Approach to Band Lessons . . .Now
in its fourth year of development, the Instrumental
Program has shifted its teaching direction to a
“Vertically Team Taught” approach. This allows for
every staff member to teach the instrument that is his
or her specialty throughout the district. Students
in the fifth grade will receive one lesson per week from
one of the district instrumental staff member that is a
specialist on that instrument or family of instruments.
Beginning in the seventh grade, band students will
continue with their formal ensemble experience four days
per week and will receive “sectional coaching” from a
teacher who is qualified on that instrument or its
family. As students enter the High School, they
will then audition for an appropriate level ensemble as
a credited course that meets on a daily basis and will
continue to receive coaching on their instrument from
one of five qualified teaching professionals.
The Roxbury Township Public Schools
Instrumental Music Staff
PATRICIA BAGGS
- 7th & 8th Grade Band Director,
Woodwind/Flute Specialist
JO ANN BARTSCHAT
– 5th & 6th Grade Band Director,
Low Brass/Trombone Specialist
JEFF CONRAD
– 7th & 8th Grade Band Director,
Low Brass Specialist
ERIN COOK
– 5th & 6th Grade Band Director,
Woodwind/Clarinet Specialist
JAMES GOODWIN
– District String Specialist
RICHARD HARTSUIKER
– H.S. Associate Director of Bands, Brass/Trumpet
Specialist
SARAH KOVAL
– H.S. Assistant Director of Bands,
Woodwind/Clarinet/Saxophone Specialist
TODD M. NICHOLS
– H.S. Director of Bands, District Percussion Specialist |
