The band program can be divided into three interactive parts: the Symphony Band, the Marching Band, and Solo and Small/Large Ensemble Activities (including jazz, percussion, and guard ensembles). Only through participation in all three aspects of the program may students fully achieve the goals and objectives detailed above.
The Ooltewah High School Symphony Band is the flagship concert ensemble at OHS. The Symphonic Band rehearses and performs during the fall semester after the conclusion of the marching band season and throughout the spring semester.
The Ooltewah High School Marching Band performs at all home football games, most away football games, competitions and festivals, parades, and other special events throughout the fall semester. There is no audition requirement to participate in the Marching Band, but auditions may be used for percussion assignments and for soloist selection.
After-school rehearsals for the Marching Band take place on:
- Mondays from 3:00pm to 5:00pm (percussion and color guard only)
- Tuesdays from 3:00pm to 6:00pm
- Thursdays from 3:00pm to 6:00pm
The Ooltewah High School Color Guard are the marching band members who add color and visual expression to the musical performance, combining equipment work (flags, rifles, sabers) with dancing, choreography, and marching. Guard training begins in the Spring and membership is open to all upcoming and current Ooltewah High School students. Color guard members are not required to play a musical instrument. Color guard participants are full members of the marching band. Therefore, they are expected to participate in all marching band activities, to help with fundraisers, and they are required to follow all applicable rules and regulations contained in the band handbook.
The Ooltewah High School Jazz Band rehearses and performs music from the standard big band repertoire. No prior experience in jazz is necessary but band experience on a jazz instrument is required. Through ensemble rehearsal, individual practice, and a variety of performance opportunities, students will gain an understanding and appreciation for this great art form. Emphasis will be placed on rudimentary improvisational skills, a sense of personal accountability, and musicianship as well as performance techniques. Members will study and perform different forms of music including jazz, funk, blues, samba, shuffle, ballad, and rock. Each student is expected to show musical and technical growth through participation in this ensemble. The OHS Jazz Band rehearses during the spring semester, and the group’s rehearsal and performance schedule will be announced later in the year.
For a musician, participation in a large ensemble like Symphony Band is only one way to perform. Making music alone or in small groups gives students the opportunity to develop their skills in different ways and to learn musical independence. Opportunities for solo and chamber music performances such as Solo and Ensemble is a way for a student to get experience in these musical domains. Participation in solo and small ensemble performances will be taken into consideration when selecting students for end-of-the-year awards such as the John Philip Sousa Award.