Welcome to the YHS Bands!

A character education program within itself, the YHS Band experience is centered around three key components: musicianship, citizenship, and friendship. Through these, and the magic of music making, we strive to build community and musical excellence!

MUSICIANSHIP

We take great pride in our tradition of musical excellence and service! Daily classes include Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and weekly pull-out lessons. Jazz Band rehearses one evening a week, with a weekly sectional. Pep Band fires up the crowd at Varsity Football games, and Chamber ensembles rehearse after school. Major ensembles compete in regional festivals, and students shine at the NYSSMA Solo Festival. Highlights include our Winter and Spring Concerts; the Swing Dance Concert (students explore Jazz, improvisation, musical icons, and the pop culture of the Swing Era, learn to dance, and present a full community Swing Dance!); “Bandapalooza” (our district-wide band festival); and musical enrichment with local clinicians.

CITIZENSHIP

A pillar of the YHS Band program is character education; finding ways to make our community better through musical outreach, peer-leadership, and expressing gratitude are all lessons learned in the YHS Band Room. Highlights include: musically honoring our Veterans and First Responders, visiting with local nursing homes and children with special needs, hosting our community at our Swing Dance Concert, hosting 500+ students at our annual district-wide band festival, supporting our music programs through community fundraisers, using part of our fundraising to sponsor a needy child at holiday time, fostering a strong peer-tutoring program and a very active student executive board.

FRIENDSHIP

We strive to create a welcoming and supportive community for all students! Through team-building activities, social events, and the shared joy of making music together, we cultivate a true sense of Family within the Band and across our Music Department. Students form friendships, build leadership skills, and learn teamwork, dedication, and school spirit. Highlights include annual apple picking and ice skating outings, pep rallies, and celebrations. We also strengthen connections through mentoring and shared traditions that keep our community close-knit. Above all, we celebrate the countless “bandtastic” memories that make our program a place where everyone belongs and feels proud to share their talents!

YHS BAND UPDATE #24

Mar 9, 2026

Dear YHS Band Parents and Students,

March is Music in Our Schools Month!  In celebration, we had a weekend filled with YHS performing arts highlights!

BRAVO WOZ TEAM!

Our YHS musical The Wizard of Oz was this weekend, and I sincerely hope you were able to catch one of their performances. BRAVO to the cast, pit, and crew!  I am so proud of our students, and so thankful for our awesome YCSD music program and the opportunities we are able to offer!

INTERMEDIATE ALL COUNTY BAND CONGRATS!

Congratulations to our YHS Music students who represented Yorktown as members of Intermediate All-County this weekend; honor ensembles made up of the best student musicians in the county.

Bravo to freshmen Ethan Lam (tenor sax), and Imogen McGill-Dial (horn) on their concert performance with the IAC Concert Band!

MS. KLUGA PRESENTS AT NYSBDA

Also this weekend, Ms. Kluga was invited to attend the NY State Band Directors Association conference in Syracuse to present a clinic highlighting the jazz education benefits of our Swing Dance Concert.

Also, while at the conference she got to meet Randall Standridge (a rock star in the band composer world!) and hear a world premiere of his new piece Second Wind. It was awesome!

EVENTS THIS WEEK:

DAILY: BRING HEADPHONES TO CLASS

We will be using some of our class time to study your individual NYSSMA Solo. Please pack headphones for the next 5 weeks. Thanks!

MARCH LESSON CALENDAR ATTACHED

FYI

THURSDAY 3/12: JAZZ BAND REHEARSAL ~ 6:50-8:30pm

Our music and recordings are posted on Dashboard. Happy practicing!

*Please also sign and return your Jazz Band calendar (attached), and attend your sectional

Monday 3/9JB Sax & Rhythm p.10
Tuesday 3/10JB Trombone, JB Trumpets p.9 & p.10
Wednesday 3/11 
Thursday 3/12 
Friday 3/13 

MAKE TIME TO PRACTICE

It’s time to reinforce the practice habits we have been speaking about all year!! 

Step 1: Bring your instrument home
Step 2: Take it out of the case 🙂
Step 3: Practice! 

Assignments are posted on Classroom and all materials are available on Dashboard.

YHS BAND SPRING DATE REMINDERS

Please mark your calendars and note two new dates!

3/26 (Thurs) @5pm  Bandapalooza – District Band Festival – 2 CONCERTS!     

4/14 (Tues) 6-9pm     Wind Ensemble festival rehearsal at Sleepy Hollow HS

4/20-22 (Mon-Wed)   Wind Ensemble Festival Trip to Boston

4/27-5/1 (Mon-Fri)     ’26-‘27 Wind Ensemble Auditions

5/9 (Sat)                      YHS Concert Band, Orchestra, Choir Festival Trip to Six Flags NJ

5/12 (Tues) @7pm     YHS Spring Band Concert

5/25 (Mon) @10am   Memorial Day Parade and Annual YHS Band BBQ

5/29 (Fri)                    Jazz Band performs at Relay for Life (Evening)

5/29-30 (Fri-Sat)        Up-County NYSSMA Solo Festival @ Somers HS

6/25 (Thurs) 6:30pm Graduation (Wind Ensemble 26-27 students will perform)

BANDAPALOOZA XI

On Thursday, March 26th the YCSD Band Program will host our 11th Annual District Band Concert in the YHS Gym.  All band students grades 5-12 will participate.  There is a new two-concert format this year. Please see this letter from Dr. Hattar with important information.

Our goal is to create a safe, successful and inspiring experience for all YCSD Band students and their families; fostering positive relationships and allowing our youngest Band students and their parents to see the full progression of our Band program. Please contact me with any questions. 

Parent and student volunteers will be needed to make this event a success. Look for an e-mail in the coming weeks with how you can help.

WIND ENSEMBLE BOSTON FESTIVAL – PAYMENT #2 was DUE Friday 3/6

Please send in a check for $250, made payable to the YHS Music Boosters.

CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL & TRIP TO SIX FLAGS – FINAL PAYMENT INFO COMING UP

We are looking for parent chaperones to spend the day with us! If you are interested, please e-mail me. Itinerary details and paperwork for payment #2 will be distributed this week.

2026 NYSSMA SOLO FESTIVAL INFORMATION – APPLICATION DUE 3/13

NYSSMA information was reviewed in class before break. The NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) solo festival is a wonderful opportunity for your student to grow as a musician! To participate, students prepare scales (or rudiments for snare drummers), a solo and sight-reading.  At the festival, students perform for a judge who will give them a score and comments. 

This week, all YHS Band students will begin learning NYSSMA skills as part of their lesson homework.  If your student is interested in participating in NYSSMA, or auditioning for Wind Ensemble, they will have the necessary tools to do so.

Additional information and forms are attached. The due date for NYSSMA forms and payments is FRIDAY, 3/13.

HONORS CREDIT AVAILABLE

In addition to the musical opportunity NYSSMA provides, students are able to receive honors credit for Concert Band or Wind Ensemble by earning a score of 95 or above on a level 6 solo/ensemble, or a score of 97 or above on a level 5 solo/ensemble. 

WIND ENSEMBLE AUDITIONS – APPLICATION DUE 3/13

Auditions for the 2026-2027 Wind Ensemble will take place the last week of April.  Students wishing to audition should review the audition information sheet (attached).  I strongly suggest that interested students also participate in NYSSMA.  The Wind Ensemble audition information sheet/permission slip is attached and is also available in the band room.

*Students currently in the ’25-’26 Wind Ensemble do not need to re-audition.  Please fill out and return the attached form and be sure your guidance counselor adds Wind Ensemble to your class schedule.*

MUSIC & DANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Flyers are attached for your review and listed below. Some interesting musical opportunities for our students!

·      Swing Dance Lessons in Peekskill with Kelly and Tank!

·      Bennett Conservatory – Summer Jazz Institute

·      Summer Music Camps

·      Jazz Forum – Westchester’s premier Jazz club, located in Tarrytown, NY. Free tickets for students – use the code STFREE at checkout to redeem the tickets at www.jazzforumarts.org/events.

Please contact me with any questions and thank you for your help and support! 

Always Musically Yours, 

Ms. Kluga

Our Next Event:

YHS BANDS: BANDAPALOOZA XI

On Thursday, March 26th the YCSD Band Program will host our 11th Annual District Band Concert in the YHS Gym.  All band students grades 5-12...

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YHS Band Lesson Schedule - DECEMBER 25