There are many ensembles that make up the Asheville High Band Program. From small chamber groups to the Marching Cougars there are as many as 6-8 ensembles that perform at any given time throughout the year. The concert bands, however, are the curricular core of the program both historically and philosophically. Concert Band is the daily ensemble offering of the band program and the music education, rather than pageantry education of students, will always be the primary goal of the Asheville High Bands. The musicianship and total music education of students must be first priority if performance ensembles in the program are to be of the highest quality. From Marching Band to Concert Band MUSIC will be the primary focus of our efforts.

Competitive Marching Band

The Marching Cougar Football Band is a group of 150-180 members made up of all 9-12 band students and performs at home football games with the AHS Dance Team and Cheerleaders. They will also perform at 1-2 away games and the Asheville Holiday Parade. This ensemble focuses on musical fundamentals through pre-game music (national anthem and fight song), stands tunes during the games, learns the basics of marching fundamentals. This group will perform music at halftime. Music for this ensemble is learned during the 1st 4 weeks of the fall semester in fall Marching/Symphonic, Marching/ Concert, and Marching/Wind Symphony classes. While this ensemble is required for all members of the band program, the commitment for 9th graders in particular is limited to class days, home football games, and select away games to preserve the after school time of our students to be used for athletics, clubs, and other interest.

The competitive marching band is a group of about 110 within the Marching Cougars Football Band that is made up of all 10-12th grade students in 2nd period enrolled in Marching/Symphonic and Marching/Wind Symphony. This ensemble will learn the majority of the competitive show at band camp, then rehearse the 1st 6 weeks of the fall preparing to go to 2 local competitions as well as half time performances. 9th Graders that make Wind Symphony or who are needed to fill instrumentation deficiencies will occasionally be pulled into this group, but this is otherwise an ensemble for upperclassmen

Marching Cougars

Symphonic Band

  • Course Requirements: Enrollment in Fall and Spring Wind Symphony. Members of the Wind Symphony are only enrolled at the honors level and are required to meet the NC Honors Band Requirements in terms of scales, solos, and sight reading at their age level. All Wind Symphony students are required to audition for the Western District All District Band as part of the Honors Requirement for the class.

  • Books: Habits of a Successful Musician by Scott Rush

  • Materials: Students will need a black binder with sheet protectors

  • Suggestions: Private lessons are highly encouraged for members of the wind symphony in order to perform music at the most advanced levels and prepare for auditions for district band, region jazz or orchestra, etc.

The AHS Fall Symphonic Band is made up of upperclassmen scheduled into 2nd period. The students will work on the marching band show and marching fundamentals for the first 4-6 weeks then transition to concert literature by October 1st. These students will work on musical fundamentals and concert band literature in the III-V level. They will combine with the Fall Concert Band Class for the Winter Concert in December. In 2nd Semester these students move to 4th period to join with Concert Band to form a large combined Symphonic Band that will attend MPA and perform a Spring Concert. This ensemble will perform music in Grade III-V in the Spring Semester.

Wind Symphony

The AHS Wind Symphony is the most advanced auditioned performing group in the band program made up mostly of juniors and seniors. The Wind Symphony has performed at regional festivals, been a featured performance group at the NCMEA Conference, and has received over 50 Superior Ratings in Grade VI at the District MPA. The band most recently performed at the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall. The band performs 3 large home concerts a year as well as local performances.

Drumline A and B

The Fall 9th Grade Concert Band Class is scheduled 4th period. Students in this ensemble will work on basic marching fundamentals the 1st few weeks of school, learn stands tunes and Pre-Game Music, and review musical fundamentals for the 1st 4 weeks of school. For the remaining 14 weeks students will work on concert music in grades III-IV and prepare at least one concert in the fall semester. In the Spring semester this ensemble combines with Symphonic Band and attends the Western District MPA in Grade IV or V and performs other concerts at home or at regional festivals.

Percussionist in the band program all perform as part of the Marching Cougars. The “B Drumline” is made up of as many as 10 snares, 6 tenors, 10 basses, and 6 Cymbals that learn cadences, perform at games, and work on the fundamentals of drumming. The “A Drumline” is a smaller group made mostly of upperclassmen that perform as part of the competitive marching band and learn more difficult repertoire as part of the halftime show and other special percussion performances.

Fall 9th Grade Concert Band