About Us & Ensembles
The goal of every ensemble at Bellevue East High School is to develop individual and ensemble skills through a detailed focus on fundamentals, listening, technique, and musicianship. The ensembles are listening-focused process-oriented groups that provide an opportunity for students to develop and emphasize interactive musical skills in a large ensemble setting.
Bellevue East High School's Instrumental Music Program is regarded as one of the school's most diversified and successful programs. Its concert bands, marching band, jazz bands, percussion program, and color guard program make it one of the most active programs in Nebraska. The program is designed to allow all students to participate in performance groups and gain a comprehensive music education.
Bellevue East has approximately 200 students participating in the instrumental music program. The role of all of East's co-curricular music groups is to provide students with an opportunity to expand their musical knowledge, technical proficiency, and performance experience.
-
The core of the Bellevue East band program is the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble.
-
The largest performing ensemble at Bellevue East is the Marching Chieftains. This group is recognized as one of Nebraska's elite ensembles and has a national reputation for excellence. The marching band is co-curricular, meaning rehearsal time takes place during the school day along with a considerable amount of time outside of the normal school day.
-
The Jazz Band provides students a unique insight into the improvisational art of jazz performance.
-
The Marching Band, Color Guard, and Winter Guard programs provide a competitive element to music performance.
-
The Pep Band contributes to the excitement of high school athletics and promotes school spirit.
-
District Music Contest, All State Ensembles, and the other area honor groups allow students to earn enrichment, awards, and special recognition for their talents.
Each band performs a wide variety of literature that provides a vehicle for appropriate challenge, growth, and success. The marching band performs at field competitions, parades, and home football games. The concert bands will perform fall, winter, spring, and year-end concerts, and participate in adjudicated concerts and field trips. The jazz bands perform throughout the community, as well as jazz festivals. The Basketball Pep Band is comprised of all band members in grades 9-12. This activity builds school spirit and community support for the band program. The color guard and winter guard programs perform regularly on a regional and national level. Students are also encouraged to participate in other extra-curricular and co-curricular ensembles including Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Solo and Ensemble Contest, or Winter Guard.
Bellevue East has an active and highly successful band program, emphasizing commitment, quality, enjoyment, and FUN! The band is highly respected for its achievements from both the school and community perspective, and is an extremely popular and enjoyable activity with its members and parents.
Concert Band
The Concert Band meets during third period and begins at the start of the school year and lasts 2 semesters. The goal of this ensemble is to develop individual and ensemble skills through a very thorough and detailed focus on fundamentals, scales, listening, and technique. This ensemble is a listening-focused, process-oriented group that provides an opportunity for students to develop and emphasize interactive musical skills in a large ensemble setting. The Concert Band will perform in several concerts and will generally not travel outside the school district except for one metro area festival in the spring. Students are also expected to perform with the Basketball Pep Band games in the winter.
Symphonic Band
The Symphonic Band meets during first period and begins after the marching season and continues through the 2nd semester. The goal of this ensemble is to develop individual and ensemble skills through a focus on learning and applying fundamentals, scales, listening, and technique. This ensemble is a listening-focused, process-oriented group that provides an opportunity for students to develop and emphasize interactive musical skills in a large ensemble setting. The Symphonic Band will perform in several concerts and will generally not travel outside the school district except for one metro area festival in the spring. Students are also expected to perform with the Basketball Pep Band games in the winter.
Wind Ensemble
The Wind Ensemble is the premier performance ensemble in the instrumental music program. The ensemble meets during first period and begins after the marching season and continues through the 2nd semester. There will also be additional sectionals before or after the school day. The goal of this ensemble is to develop advanced individual and ensemble skills through a focus on learning and applying fundamentals, scales, listening, and technique. This ensemble is a listening-focused, process-oriented group that provides an opportunity for students to develop and emphasize advanced interactive musical skills in a large ensemble setting. The Wind Ensemble will perform in several concerts and travel outside of the school district to perform at one metro area festival in the spring, and a multiple day long-distance tour as determined. Students are also expected to perform with the Basketball Pep Band games in the winter.
Marching Band & Fall Colorguard
The BEHS Marching Chieftains & Colorguard ensemble is offered as a curricular class (Advanced Band), but spends a great deal of time outside of the school day in rehearsal. All 10th-12th Grade band students are expected to be a member of the Marching Chieftains. 9th Grade students may participate by audition only. This ensemble begins meeting in the summers with regular Monday evening rehearsals, Thursday evening percussion and guard rehearsals, weekly sectionals, and culminating in a summer band camp prior to the beginning of school. Attendance is required at the summer band camp for participation in the fall. Once school begins, the group meets in the mornings prior to the school day at 7am and continues through 1st Hour. Evening rehearsals continue to take place for the full ensemble on Monday evenings from 5pm-9pm, and an additional Percussion & Colorguard rehearsal takes place on Thursday from 5pm-9pm. Other sections may schedule weekly sectionals, as well. The Marching Chieftains & Colorgaurd will compete in five or six Saturday field competitions, two parades, and play for all home football games. To offset the expenses of wardrobe, marching shoes, marching gloves, trips, props, and general funding of the Marching Chieftains & Colorguard, a fair annual fee is assessed to all members. The goal of this ensemble is to develop and improve music and movement skills as an individual and an ensemble through every repetition. Humanistic skills such as teamwork, responsibility, dependability, building relationships, organization, analysis, reflection, and a professional work ethic are also a point of emphasis. This ensemble is rooted in using music and visual fundamentals along with a process-oriented mindset to provide an opportunity for students to develop and emphasize interactive music and visual skills at a high performance level.
Jazz Band
Jazz Band is the premier performing jazz ensemble in the instrumental music program. Participation is open for members of Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, or Marching Band by audition. Exceptions are warranted for acceptable rhythm section specialists. The Jazz Band rehearses outside of the school day, typically on Monday evenings and additional rehearsals or sectionals before school. The Jazz Band will perform throughout the year at concerts, jazz festivals, and a metro area tour as determined.
BEAST Basketball Pep Band
All 9th-12th grade members from the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Marching Band will perform at 7-8 home basketball games as the “BEAST Basketball Pep Band” throughout the basketball season to provide entertainment, as well as build school spirit and community support. Should any team advance to the playoffs, the performance schedule may be extended. The “BEAST Basketball Pep Band” rehearses during 1st or 3rd Hour respectively.
Solo & Ensemble Contest
Students from any of the bands are eligible to participate in the District Music Solo and Ensemble Contest in April. Prior to the beginning of the second semester, students who wish to participate should select and begin preparing a piece to perform at the District Music Contest. This piece may be an accompanied solo or a small ensemble with other members of the band. It is highly recommended that students involved in private lessons participate. Students will receive feedback from professionals and are evaluated and scored on their performance, and achieve a rating of Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor. Students awarded Superior ratings receive a NSAA certificate. All students who participate will receive points toward a Band Key.
Honor Ensembles
Auditions for NMEA Nebraska All State Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra, take place in October. Students selected will travel to Lincoln to rehearse and perform in November. The school district will provide transportation to NMEA, however audition fees and expenses (including housing and meals) are the responsibility of the student.
Many area colleges also offer weekend honor bands, including Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha, Hastings College, Nebraska Wesleyan, Univ. of Kansas, and Kansas State Univ. Eligibility can vary by grade or other qualifications, depending on the ensemble. All travel, audition fees and expenses (including housing, and meals) are the responsibility of the student. If enough students are selected for an honor ensemble, the school district may provide carpooled transportation
Pit Orchestra
A small but very important ensemble of students is selected to be members of the pit orchestra for the spring musical. The selection is made in early January on the recommendation of the band director; however, auditions may be necessary. This ensemble will also work closely with the choir and theater departments.
Winter Colorguard
Winter Colorguard Ensembles are formed following the marching season. These groups perform indoors and incorporate drama, dance, marching and equipment skills. Bellevue East participates in the Heartland Winter Arts Association (HWAA), which governs the local Nebraska/Iowa indoor circuit of approximately 20 schools who compete against each other. Bellevue East is also a member of the Winter Guard International (WGI) circuit, the national governing body for indoor pageantry arts. Auditions take place in December and rehearsals and auditions for winter guard beginning in December and lasts through April. These groups rehearse evenings and weekends to prepare for weekend competitions. Competitions take place in the Omaha metro area and may include travel to two WGI regionals as well as WGI Nationals in Dayton, OH. Band students as well as interested students from the campus are encouraged to audition. All students who participate will receive points toward a band key.