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by Cameron Moore (7th grade)

2023-24  CMS Wind Ensemble, who received a superior rating at the High Note Festival in Allentown. (Credits: Colonial School District)

Do you know about the CMS Band? The band is one of many extracurricular activities here at the middle school, and even though the year has already begun, you can still sign up for the CMS Band!But, what is the band? Run and directed by Mr. O’Neill, the CMS Band is a large part of Colonial School District’s music program, where you can play various instruments and be a part of a big family. Don’t get this confused with the string-oriented Orchestra, however. They are two completely different things.

However, one of the big highlights of the CMS Band is the director, Mr. O’Neill. You may think that the job of a middle school band director is to…well…direct the band and make sure people play their parts right. But it’s much more than that. He said, “managing a Concert Band is very difficult and takes a lot of organization and time.” This stems from finding music to organizing lessons to creating seating charts. He is truly dedicated to the band, and that’s what I love about him. He is truly dedicated to every member of the band, which could even be you!

You may be wondering, however, what instruments you can play in the band? This is what I love about the band; there is so much variety within the band itself. You can go with a woodwind instrument (Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, and Oboe), a brass instrument (Trumpet, Trombone, and French Horn), or percussion (snare drum, bass drum, timpani, xylophone, among others. Percussionists play multiple instruments). Make sure you know about the pros and cons of an instrument before making a final decision.

There are also many instrument variations, such as my instrument (Bass Clarinet), as well as Tenor and Baritone (Bari) Saxophones, and the Tuba (the Tuba isn’t really a variation, but it’s closely related to other brass instruments). These instruments are often a little more challenging, so get used to the starter instruments before switching.

Well, what about the music? The music is much more complicated than whole, half, and quarter notes. There are some other symbols and note types you may have to learn (much more than an Intro to Music class would ever do) but it is pretty easy to understand most of them.

Along with the normal concert band, however, we have two other band-related groups. One of these groups is the Jazz Band. Often reserved for the brass instruments (and a few woodwinds), Jazz Band participates in competitions throughout the year.

The other group is the CMS Wind Ensemble. This club is centered around much more difficult music, so be ready for that. Wind Ensemble (along with Orchestra’s String Ensemble) competes in a festival in Allentown at the end of the year.

If, after reading this article, you are interested in the CMS Band, know that you can still join the band, even after the school year has started! The first thing I would recommend you to do is to email the band director, Mr. O’Neill at doneill@colonialsd.org and let him know your interest in joining the CMS Band, and try to figure out a time to come down during homeroom.

Please know that the band always appreciates new players to truly strengthen it.

Throughout the year, we have two concerts, one in December and one in April. If you are in sixth grade, know that we are holding an in-school concert in front of the sixth grade a short time before our night concert in December. This will give you a general idea of what music we play, what instruments we play on, etc. Our April concert includes separate performances by the Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble.

Overall, CMS band is a fun and enjoyable experience that anyone can join. Just remember to practice, commit, and have fun in the band room. And, as 9th grader Thea Kupersmith once said, “I learned everything I need to know in band.”