Nauset Regional High School Instrumental Music
 
   

The Wind and Percussion Courses Presently Offered at
Nauset Regional High School:


Percussion Ensemble

Open to any percussion student in grades 9-12. This course involves students in improving snare and timpani technique, intermediate mallet technique and practice on miscellaneous hand percussion. The music performed in this group centers on standard percussion ensemble repertoire (grades III and IV). An emphasis is placed on playing technique, music reading, as well ensemble work and group skills. Students in this ensemble traditionally perform in four major concerts per academic year.

 

Advanced Percussion Ensemble

This course is also open to any percussion student in grades 9-12 by audition or director approval. This course requires percussion students to display advanced rudiments on snare, timpani, mallet instruments and miscellaneous hand percussion. This ensemble traditionally performs in the four major concerts of the year, as well as other civic and scholastic performances. Students are expected to have a high level of proficiency on percussion instruments, as well as music reading skills. Students in this group perform standard percussion ensemble music (grades IV and V), and intermediate solo literature for various percussion instruments.

First Encounter Jazz Ensemble

The jazz band at Nauset Regional High School has been named The First Encounter Jazz Ensemble (after the nearby beaches where the pilgrims encountered the indigenous peoples of North America for the first time). This is a select group of musicians who work diligently to prepare and perform music from many genres representing the last eighty years of popular and jazz music. Funk, Swing, Bop, Dixieland are just some of the types of music this groups studies each year. The First Encounter Jazz Ensemble performs in many venues throughout the year. They perform civic and scholastic concerts as well as Jazz Festivals including the Berklee High School Jazz Festival and the regional I.A.J.E festivals.

Concert Band

This is the center of the instrumental program and the largest
performance ensemble at Nauset Regional High School. Each year, over 90
dedicated musicians from grades 9-12 work together to prepare music for
four major concerts throughout the year. Music studied in this group is drawn from standard Band Literature from the past century. In addition, this group
strives to perform music of many other genres including: contemporary,
film scores, fantasy pieces and thematic concerts.

Some outstanding students from this group went on to
represent Nauset High School at local festivals:
All Cape and Islands Music Festival - District level
Southeastern Massachusetts Senior and Junior Festivals
All-State level - band and orchestra

 



The Band Program is under the direction of Mr. Tom Faris.
Mr. Faris is an educator with over twenty years of experience in music education.
Groups under his direction have performed throughout the east coast of the
United States and Canada. Prior to teaching at Nauset High School,
Mr. Faris was the Fine Arts Department Head for J.R. Tucker High School
in Henrico County, Virginia, as well as teaching music in Vernon,
Connecticut Public Schools. Mr. Faris has a bachelor's degree in
Music Education from the University of Western Connecticut, and a
Masters Degree in Music Education and Music Technology from
Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.
Mr. Faris has been a guest conductor for choral and instrumental
ensembles in Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Mr. Faris has also been a guest technology facilitator assisting
music educators integrate technology into their teaching practices.
He is a member of CCMEA, MMEA, MENC and a member of TI:ME
(Technology in Music Education).
He lives on Cape Cod with his wife, Stacey, and three musical children.

 

This page last updated: April 11, 2006
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