Our thriving music department offers many opportunities!

Instrumental music department courses include Concert Band 8, Concert Band 9, Senior Concert Band, Intermediate Jazz Band, and High Performance (HP) Jazz Band.  Along with offering several performing opportunities for students, enrichment opportunities may include performances in local, regional, or national level festivals and/or performance in local, provincial, or national level honour ensembles. Involvement in our Jazz Combo ensembles or our SKSS Student Music Council is also available to students in our music program.

SKSS Concert Band / Jazz Band

Most performances take place in the beautiful Sagebrush Theatre, which is connected to our school, and there are often opportunities for field trips and other enrichment activities within all of our instrumental courses. 

Band 8 

This course is for Grade 8 students who would like to begin/continue their musical journey in a fun setting, while playing in an ensemble. Although most Band 8 students will have previous playing experience; beginning instrumentalists are welcome, and the basic fundamentals of reading music notation and playing an instrument will be taught and reviewed. With extra assistance, and a willingness to put in the effort, our beginners can make a positive contribution to the team and have fun learning a new instrument. All players will have the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation for a variety of musical styles, contribute to the community’s rich musical life, and perform music demonstrating mastery of relevant technical and musical skills. There will be an opportunity to perform in elementary school shows, a concert band festival, and an SKSS Music Department's Showcase concert. 

Intermediate Concert Band 9

Prerequisite: For grade 9's with at least one year of concert band experience.

This course builds upon previous musical knowledge and is generally for students in grade nine. Students will develop an understanding and appreciation for a variety of musical styles, contribute to the community’s rich musical life, and perform music demonstrating mastery of relevant technical and musical skills. There will be an opportunity to perform in elementary school shows, a concert band festival, and an SKSS Music Department Showcase concert. 

Senior Concert Band 10/11/12

Prerequisite: For senior players with at least two years of concert band experience. 

The course is designed for students of advanced playing ability who have thorough knowledge of upper level music rudiments. Students will continue to develop an understanding and appreciation for a variety of musical styles, contribute to the community's rich musical life, and perform music demonstrating mastery of relevant technical and musical skill. There will be an opportunity for travel and to perform in local (and perhaps regional/ national level) concert band festivals, as well as our SKSS Music Department Showcase concert in June. 

Intermediate Jazz Band ​

Prerequisite:   One year playing experience, must be registered in concert band.

This course is designed to introduce instrumentalists to concepts of commercial musical styles including swing, jazz, rock, Latin, Dixieland, and jazz ballads. Students should be comfortable playing their instruments and have basic playing ability. All concert band instrumentation is welcome in Intermediate Jazz; however, instrumentation is restricted at the HP Jazz Band level (the next level up). Instrumentalists will be encouraged to develop their improvisation skills (creating solos over chord progressions). Students must be registered in concert band; however, exceptions may be made for guitar, bass guitar, and piano players with the teacher's permission. ​This course is a linear, ninth course in the timetable and runs outside of regular school hours with two classes per week, either before or after school. There will be an opportunity to perform in elementary school shows, a concert band festival, and two of our SKSS Music Department Showcase concerts (December and June). 

High Performance (HP) Jazz Band ​

Prerequisite:   Advanced musical skill required.

This is a high-performance, enrichment course for instrumentalists who are dedicated to their performance art. Instrumentation is restricted to standard jazz band instrumentation including: saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, guitar and drums. Students will continue their study of commercial musical styles including swing, jazz, rock, Latin, Dixieland, and jazz ballads. Students will also be encouraged to develop their improvisation skills (creating solos over chord progressions). Students must have teacher permission to be enrolled in the course and should be registered in concert band. Exceptions will be made for guitar, bass guitar, and piano players with the teacher's permission. ​This course is a linear, ninth course in the timetable and runs outside of regular school hours with two early mornings classes per week. HP jazz students will perform in elementary school shows, two SKSS Music Department Showcase concerts, and other performing opportunities will arise throughout the year. There will be travel for a spring trip, likely to attend regional (and possibly national) level festival.