Concert Bands at Notre Dame Collegiate are our main instrumental program. We host four concert bands; Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9, and Senior (Grades 10 through 12). Each of our Concert Bands meet during the school day, but their programs increase in challenge and depth of musicking. These programs are instructed by the lead instructor in the Fine Arts, Joel Windsor.
In the 2019/2020 School Year, the Grade 7 Concert Band has three significant "units" of study. For the first semester they focus on fundamental performance skill and musical knowledge through instruction using the Sound Innovations method, culminating in their performance at Christmas. As they transition to the second semester, they move toward a festival focus, honing some of their skills to an art form. They compete at the Airdrie Performing Arts Festival with a stop at Studio Bell in Calgary. Following festival season is Marching Band season, where they learn some basics of marching band including enhanced breathing and coordination, and learn about the athleticism of musicians in a more direct way. They march in the Little Britches Parade and the Okotoks Parade to conclude this unit of study.
The Grade 8 and Grade 9 Concert Bands focus not only on fundamental group performance skills and musical knowledge, but also places greater emphasis on individual skill using the Royal Conservatory of Music resources. They enjoy a camp a the University of Lethbridge, and perform in the Lethbridge & District Music Festival. In addition to this, just like all other concert bands, they develop their creativity through the study of theory and composition, and also study musicking from a perspective of engaging a target audience.
The Senior Concert Bands integrates as many aspects of musicianship into their curriculum. In the 2019-2020 School Year they will be working with residents at Seasons Retirement Community to connect with music of our heritage. They will also take a 4-day 3-night trip to Toronto to participate in the Heritage Music Festival there in May of 2020. By the end of their high school career, Senior Concert Band students will be able to test and receive at least a Grade 4 level certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music, an opportunity extended to few other schools in western Canada.
In the 2019/2020 School Year, the Grade 7 Concert Band has three significant "units" of study. For the first semester they focus on fundamental performance skill and musical knowledge through instruction using the Sound Innovations method, culminating in their performance at Christmas. As they transition to the second semester, they move toward a festival focus, honing some of their skills to an art form. They compete at the Airdrie Performing Arts Festival with a stop at Studio Bell in Calgary. Following festival season is Marching Band season, where they learn some basics of marching band including enhanced breathing and coordination, and learn about the athleticism of musicians in a more direct way. They march in the Little Britches Parade and the Okotoks Parade to conclude this unit of study.
The Grade 8 and Grade 9 Concert Bands focus not only on fundamental group performance skills and musical knowledge, but also places greater emphasis on individual skill using the Royal Conservatory of Music resources. They enjoy a camp a the University of Lethbridge, and perform in the Lethbridge & District Music Festival. In addition to this, just like all other concert bands, they develop their creativity through the study of theory and composition, and also study musicking from a perspective of engaging a target audience.
The Senior Concert Bands integrates as many aspects of musicianship into their curriculum. In the 2019-2020 School Year they will be working with residents at Seasons Retirement Community to connect with music of our heritage. They will also take a 4-day 3-night trip to Toronto to participate in the Heritage Music Festival there in May of 2020. By the end of their high school career, Senior Concert Band students will be able to test and receive at least a Grade 4 level certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music, an opportunity extended to few other schools in western Canada.
Jazz Bands, sometimes referred to as Stage Bands, are known as the Woodshedders. At the junior high grade levels, these students participate in a Big Band format similar in instrumentation made popular by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. They will often play some rock, pop, swing and even latin tunes arranged for their group. Senior high students will elect to play either in a Big Band, or rather in small jazz combos characteristic of coffee shops or blues club venues. While both age levels have a strong focus on improvisation, the senior students in jazz combos are constantly improvising by reading from the Real Books of jazz standards, as well as transcribing their own musical selections. These students are also instructed by Joel Windsor.
Along with the Steel Pan Ensembles, Jazz Bands take their first out-of-province excursion in the 2019-2020 School Year to the Sun Peaks Cantando Festival in British Columbia. You may also see them perform in local coffee shops and for local art shows.
Along with the Steel Pan Ensembles, Jazz Bands take their first out-of-province excursion in the 2019-2020 School Year to the Sun Peaks Cantando Festival in British Columbia. You may also see them perform in local coffee shops and for local art shows.
Notre Dame Collegiate is one of only a handful of educational institutions, high school or post-secondary, that have an active Steel Pan program. Panorama is our student ensemble with students from Grades 7 through 12. This ensemble is an award-winning ensemble, and is in high demand in our community and area for live performances. Along with the Jazz Bands, Panorama will take it's first out-of-province excursion to the Sun Peaks Cantando Festival in British Columbia in April of 2020.
Notre Dame Collegiate is also one of only a handful of secondary schools that have an active Strings program in Alberta. The St. Cecilia String Ensemble was made possible through a Band-Aid Grant from MusiCounts, and Notre Dame Collegiate is very grateful for this contribution. The St. Cecilia String Ensemble consists of individuals in Grades 7 through 12 playing violin, viola, cello or double bass. As the 2019-2020 is this group's first full year of activities, the ensemble is developing its repertoire, and will be participating in workshops and smaller festivals this year.
Music Ministry is our vocal opportunity for students at Notre Dame Collegiate. It focuses mainly on Soprano and Alto voices with the occasional Tenor/Baritone, but also includes some rhythm and harmony instruments such as guitar, ukulele, piano, hand percussion and drums. It leads the musical components of our faith activities at our school under the direction of Shelli McCallum and Ryan Fox, with contributions from Chan Phu and Joel Windsor.
Other Biannual Programs
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We work hard at Notre Dame Collegiate to ensure there is a musical opportunity for every type of musician. On occassion we also offer unique musicking opportunities. Rock & Pop has a curriculum designed specifically for our school, and Music Through Technology uses largely computers, DJ equipment, and other audio processing tools to produce music. For more information about these programs, contact us.
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