Welcome to the YHS Bands!

A character education program within itself, the YHS Band experience is centered around three key components: musicianship, citizenship, and friendship. Through these, and the magic of music making, we strive to build community and musical excellence!

MUSICIANSHIP

We take great pride in our tradition of musical excellence and service! Daily classes include Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and weekly pull-out lessons. Jazz Band rehearses one evening a week, with a weekly sectional. Pep Band fires up the crowd at Varsity Football games, and Chamber ensembles rehearse after school. Major ensembles compete in regional festivals, and students shine at the NYSSMA Solo Festival. Highlights include our Winter and Spring Concerts; the Swing Dance Concert (students explore Jazz, improvisation, musical icons, and the pop culture of the Swing Era, learn to dance, and present a full community Swing Dance!); “Bandapalooza” (our district-wide band festival); and musical enrichment with local clinicians.

CITIZENSHIP

A pillar of the YHS Band program is character education; finding ways to make our community better through musical outreach, peer-leadership, and expressing gratitude are all lessons learned in the YHS Band Room. Highlights include: musically honoring our Veterans and First Responders, visiting with local nursing homes and children with special needs, hosting our community at our Swing Dance Concert, hosting 500+ students at our annual district-wide band festival, supporting our music programs through community fundraisers, using part of our fundraising to sponsor a needy child at holiday time, fostering a strong peer-tutoring program and a very active student executive board.

FRIENDSHIP

We strive to create a welcoming and supportive community for all students! Through team-building activities, social events, and the shared joy of making music together, we cultivate a true sense of Family within the Band and across our Music Department. Students form friendships, build leadership skills, and learn teamwork, dedication, and school spirit. Highlights include annual apple picking and ice skating outings, pep rallies, and celebrations. We also strengthen connections through mentoring and shared traditions that keep our community close-knit. Above all, we celebrate the countless “bandtastic” memories that make our program a place where everyone belongs and feels proud to share their talents!

YHS BAND UPDATE #27

Apr 13, 2026

Dear YHS Band Students and Parents,

I hope your family enjoyed a restful spring break!  And now…welcome to our festival, concert and NYSSMA season! This update is packed with info and updates – thank you for your attention to these details!

BANDAPALOOZA THANKS & CONGRATS!

Bandapalooza XI is in the books! Congratulations to our 600 grade 5-12 Band students on an awesome concert performance. Our YHS Band students are always fantastic hosts – I’m so proud of you for your leadership, citizenship, and musicianship!

Thank you to everyone who helped make Bandapalooza such a positive musical experience – and especially for embracing our 2-concert format and making it a success!

Huge thanks also to our Band Officers and team of dedicated student volunteers who worked so hard behind the scenes to create, organize and post “traffic flow” signage throughout the building and set up chairs and stands.

Huge thanks also to our team of parent volunteers/supporters – thank you for your snack donations, time, and awesome logistical help. Special thanks to Ms. Rindone for coordinating our SignUp Genius and to the First Nighters for your support at the event and in general. 

I am so grateful for our awesome team – Bandapalooza would not have been successful without all of you!

Enjoy some photos of the evening, and also a .pdf of the concert program. Special thanks to Owen Griffiths, and John Guven for speaking and representing our program so beautifully! 

Program is attached FYI. 

WIND ENSEMBLE HOSTS 8TH GRADE BAND VISIT

Huge thanks to our awesome Wind Ensemble students for their quick pivot from Bandapalooza to hosting the 8th Grade Band the first thing the next morning! The 8th graders experienced a student-led performance, Q&A session, and statements about why they should continue with band at YHS. This student-to-student contact time is so important – thank you!

YHS BAND @ JAZZ FORUM PRO-AM!

So proud of this crew! Many of your YHS Jazz Band students are regulars at the monthly Pro/Am Big Band held at the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown. So grateful for this awesome local Jazz education experience!

EVENTS THIS WEEK:

WIND ENSEMBLE BOSTON TRIP INFO

#1: FORMS DUE – MONDAY 4/13

See attached. Follow the instructions and return the forms Monday 4/13. (That’s tomorrow, please!)

#2: MAKE TIME TO PRACTICE

I wouldn’t be reaching out if I didn’t think this was very important. We have devoted a huge amount of care, time, and money to present our students with the privilege of this festival experience.

Teenagers are the ultimate procrastinators…!  I’ve been gently reminding for weeks, but as of Friday’s rehearsal we are not ready.  The students heard and felt this, too. We all agree that it would be incredibly embarrassing, and disappointing, if we were not able to give our best performance.

I’ve asked all students to make significant time to practice. Hopefully they have found some time at home this weekend. At school, the band room/practice rooms are open for practice daily from 7:00am-3:00pm.

#3: REHEARSAL & DINNER AT SLEEPY HOLLOW – TUES. 4/14

This Tuesday evening, we will travel to SHHS to build musicianship and friendship before our festival trip together. Here are the details:

·      Wear your YHS Band Polo (with pride!)

·      Arrive to the YHS Band Room by 5:40pm

·      At SHHS we will enjoy dinner together (wraps, sandwiches, cookies/brownies, water), and then perform for each other and give feedback

·      We will return to YHS before 9:00pm

APRIL LESSON CALENDAR ATTACHED

FYI

PERIOD “0” JAZZ JAM!

Join me before school (from 7:10…or whenever you get off the bus… until the first bell) to practice soloing. Help yourself develop your skills, and a plan for success!

IT’S GO TIME!

Festivals, concerts, NYSSMA and the Wind Ensemble auditions are all coming up! Keep your eye on the prize and make time to practice – remember that muscle memory is built best in small daily doses, not marathon practice sessions.

GUIDED PRACTICE / JB SECTIONALS

Sessions are held period 9, unless noted otherwise. I am also always available for NYSSMA Solo help (or any help!) by appointment.

Monday 4/13
Tuesday 4/14Miles’ JB Group p.10
Wednesday 4/15Percussion Guided Practice
Thursday 4/16Tyler’s JB Group & Rhythm Section
Friday 4/17

JAZZ BAND REHEARSAL #6 out of 9

It’s Go Time! Practice and listen to our music and work on soloing!

YHS BAND SPRING DATE REMINDERS

Please mark your calendars!

4/14 (Tues) 6-9pm     WE rehearsal at Sleepy Hollow HS

4/20-22 (Mon-Wed)   Wind Ensemble Festival Trip to Boston

4/27-5/1 (Mon-Fri)     ’26-‘27 Wind Ensemble Auditions

5/9 (Sat)                      YHS Concert Band, Orchestra, Choir Festival Trip to Six Flags NJ

5/12 (Tues) @7pm     YHS Spring Band Concert

5/25 (Mon) @10am   Memorial Day Parade and Annual YHS Band BBQ

5/29 (Fri) @ 7:15pm Jazz Band performs at Relay for Life (Evening)

5/29-30 (Fri-Sat)        Up-County NYSSMA Solo Festival @ Somers HS

6/25 (Thurs) 6:30pm Graduation (Wind Ensemble 26-27 students will perform)

CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL & TRIP TO SIX FLAGS – FINAL PAYMENT INFO

Itinerary details and paperwork for payment #2 coming soon.

MUSIC & DANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Flyers are attached for your review and listed below. Some interesting musical opportunities for our students!

·      Teen Swing Dance Class at TDC

·      GWYOA Auditions for 2026-2027 season

·      Bennett Conservatory – Summer Jazz Institute

·      Summer Music Camps

·      Jazz Forum – Westchester’s premier Jazz club, located in Tarrytown, NY. Free tickets for students – use the code STFREE at checkout to redeem the tickets at www.jazzforumarts.org/events.

Please contact me with any questions and thank you for your help and support! 

Always Musically Yours, 

Ms. Kluga

Our Next Event:

YHS Band Lesson Schedule - APRIL 26