Why should you join band?
Dear future Panther band students and parents/guardians:
Let us be the first to welcome you into the music family at Oswego High School, specifically, the Panther Band Program. As a member of the Panther Bands, you are joining a history of performance success that dates back eighty years. You are also joining the band at a time in where we are experiencing great success and growth in all facets of the program, including concert, jazz, and marching ensembles. Here is
a short list of some recent accomplishments:
The OHS Wind Symphony played at the 2014 All-State Conference and was selected as a finalist at the 2014 University of Illinois Super State Contest. Additionally, the band was one of 16 ensembles to be selected for the 2015 National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis this coming March.
The OHS Jazz program boasts three full jazz bands. The OHS Jazz Ensemble 1 was selected to play at the 2013 All-State Conference, was crowned Grand Champion at the 2012 OrlandoFest, and returned recently from a successful trip to the Purdue JazzFest.
The Panther Marching Band is entering their third season as a competitive group. The ensemble will be traveling to three competitions this year, and welcomes all incoming freshmen.
In addition to the Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble playing at All-State, the OHS Bands have averaged (2009-present) over fifteen students per year at the IMEA All-District Festival, and four students per year at the All-State Festival.
Participation in music is a recognized predictor and indicator of student success in high school, as well as after high school. When you choose to enroll in the bands at Oswego High School, you will rub elbows on a daily basis with other students about academic success, and their pursuit of artistic success. Simply put, you will be joining a family that values excellence as a standard operating procedure, and that pursues excellence with passion, no matter what the endeavor. We have included links that we think you as incoming band families will find helpful. First is a list of frequently asked questions that commonly hear from incoming freshmen and their parents. You will also find a helpful sample schedule that shows how easy it is to have band as a class for all four years of high school. Lastly, you will find a handout with many of the schools in Illinois’s graduation requirements; most of them accept music classes as a foreign language, and it outlines this very clearly.
We anticipate getting to know you and your students better in the coming months, and we are excited about your potential participation in the Panther Band Program. We believe for a myriad of reasons that enrollment in this program will benefit your student musician in amazing ways. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact me at any time. (kschoenbach@sd308.org) Thanks for you thoughtful consideration of the information contained on this website.
Musically yours,
Kevin Schoenbach + Stephanie San Roman
Band Directors, Oswego High School
Oswego High School Bands
Let us be the first to welcome you into the music family at Oswego High School, specifically, the Panther Band Program. As a member of the Panther Bands, you are joining a history of performance success that dates back eighty years. You are also joining the band at a time in where we are experiencing great success and growth in all facets of the program, including concert, jazz, and marching ensembles. Here is
a short list of some recent accomplishments:
The OHS Wind Symphony played at the 2014 All-State Conference and was selected as a finalist at the 2014 University of Illinois Super State Contest. Additionally, the band was one of 16 ensembles to be selected for the 2015 National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis this coming March.
The OHS Jazz program boasts three full jazz bands. The OHS Jazz Ensemble 1 was selected to play at the 2013 All-State Conference, was crowned Grand Champion at the 2012 OrlandoFest, and returned recently from a successful trip to the Purdue JazzFest.
The Panther Marching Band is entering their third season as a competitive group. The ensemble will be traveling to three competitions this year, and welcomes all incoming freshmen.
In addition to the Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble playing at All-State, the OHS Bands have averaged (2009-present) over fifteen students per year at the IMEA All-District Festival, and four students per year at the All-State Festival.
Participation in music is a recognized predictor and indicator of student success in high school, as well as after high school. When you choose to enroll in the bands at Oswego High School, you will rub elbows on a daily basis with other students about academic success, and their pursuit of artistic success. Simply put, you will be joining a family that values excellence as a standard operating procedure, and that pursues excellence with passion, no matter what the endeavor. We have included links that we think you as incoming band families will find helpful. First is a list of frequently asked questions that commonly hear from incoming freshmen and their parents. You will also find a helpful sample schedule that shows how easy it is to have band as a class for all four years of high school. Lastly, you will find a handout with many of the schools in Illinois’s graduation requirements; most of them accept music classes as a foreign language, and it outlines this very clearly.
We anticipate getting to know you and your students better in the coming months, and we are excited about your potential participation in the Panther Band Program. We believe for a myriad of reasons that enrollment in this program will benefit your student musician in amazing ways. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact me at any time. (kschoenbach@sd308.org) Thanks for you thoughtful consideration of the information contained on this website.
Musically yours,
Kevin Schoenbach + Stephanie San Roman
Band Directors, Oswego High School
Oswego High School Bands