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 #0

Aug 1, 2026

Dear YHS Band Students and Parents/Guardians,

I hope this letter finds you well, enjoying the summer, and looking forward to the coming school year. I am eager to continue our work together – building on our musicianship, citizenship, and friendship! The following information will help your student prepare for (and get excited about!) their successful participation in our YHS Band program.

YHS BAND RETREAT & ICE CREAM SOCIAL ~ Thursday 8/27 from 3pm-8pm

All YHS Band students are requested to attend. You will need your instrument. I look forward to welcoming our freshman and welcoming back our returning students!

  • 3-5:30pm – Small and large group rehearsals and team building
  • 5:30pm – Pizza dinner
  • 6-8pm – 24th annual YHS Music Dept. Ice Cream Social

YHS BAND REGISTRATION

Parents and students, please register at our website. Help us keep you and your family in-the-know regarding all things Band (events, lessons, e-mail updates, etc). We want every student to experience success!

New YHS Band Students – Go to register.yhsbands.com

Returning YHS Band Students – login to your Dashboard at my.yhsbands.com and confirm/update your info.

Reminder: Your login is the first part of your @yorktown.org address (ex. [email protected] would be “john.smith”). Forgot your password? Change it at login.

NEW MUSIC ON DASHBOARD!

Once your registration is complete, students will have access to our sheet music and recordings for Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Pep Band. Log in to see what songs we will be rehearsing at our Band Retreat (and this fall in general). Have fun practicing!

INSTRUMENT RENTALS

Please secure your instrument now to ensure your student has it in time to participate in our 8/27 Band Retreat. Suggested rental companies:

**For students who play tuba, euphonium, trombone, tenor sax, bari sax, bass clarinet, bassoon, French horn, or oboe, YHS-owned equipment is available. The rental fee is $150, checks made payable to YCSD. To reserve, please e-mail me your child’s name and instrument.

REQUIRED SUPPLIES

Required musical supplies can be purchased online, or at a local music store.

All YHS Band students are required to own our polo shirt for use at events and performances.

Click here for the official Supply List.

YHS BAND SUMMER SOCIAL ~ Sunday 9/7 ~ West Point Labor Day Celebration

Join me as I bring my own family to enjoy this amazing (and free!) West Point concert at Trophy Point park – a gorgeous outdoor venue overlooking the Hudson. Bring a blanket, a picnic, and arrive early to get through security. Check out their website for more details.

E-mail me if you are planning to attend and you’d like to sit with our group – we will have a YHS Band section!

PEP BAND REHEARSALS AND FIRST PERFORMANCE!

Let’s get ready for our first Varsity Football Pep Band performance of the season! Please join us for two after school rehearsals – where we will play fun pop music, have snacks (because Band = Food), and enjoy time together.

  • Pep Band Rehearsals: Wednesday 9/2 and Wednesday 9/9, 1:45-3:15pm in the Band Room. Bring your instrument and charged cell phone. Music and snacks will be provided. Late buses are available at 3:30.
  • Pep Band Performance #1: Thursday 9/10. Report at 5:30pm in the Band Room. Bring your instrument and charged cell phone. Music and Snacks will be provided. The football game will run from 7-10:00pm.

Questions? I’m happy to help. Enjoy the rest of the summer and I look forward to working with you all!

Musically Yours,
Ms. Emily Kluga
Director of Bands

PS – Freshmen parents are encouraged to attend our Ice Cream Social on Thursday, 8/27 from 6-8pm. We would love to meet you! Please stop by and introduce yourself to me and to our awesome group of band parent helpers. Find out about our music program from a parent perspective, and ways you can help.

Our Next Event:

No current Lesson Schedule found. Please visit the Student Dashboard for the latest information.