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Bands at Mount Olive High School
The instrumental program at Mount Olive High School offers a wide range of performance opportunities for our 130 students. Two levels of concert ensembles including the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are available to students by audition as performance classes. Students are taught the fundamentals of tone production, sight reading, technique, and musicality during these ensemble periods. Students also have the opportunity to study Music Theory on the beginning, intermediate, and Advanced Placement levels, focusing on the aspects of analysis, aural skills, composition, ear training, dictation, and music history. Music in Our Lives is a music appreciation-style course that focuses on basics of music notation, world music, and the role cultural music plays throughout society. New to the curriculum is the Performance and Technology Lab, an advanced college-level course focusing on an in-depth study of music history, authentic performance practice, and cutting edge technology. All students are encouraged to study privately with qualified specialists to enhance their musical experience. Students also participate in several select and after school ensembles, including the Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, Pit Orchestra, and various Woodwind, Brass, Percussion, and Saxophone Ensembles. Students from Mount Olive are encouraged to audition for membership in Area, Region, and All-State Ensembles, and are frequent participants.
The ensembles at Mount Olive consistently perform at a high level, having frequently been awarded Silver and Gold ratings at festivals across the East Coast. Students in these ensembles are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with guest artists from high schools, colleges, and universities across the county. In 2009 the Marching Band had a "perfect season" winning first place and all caption awards at every show, including the NJ State Championship and the USSBA Northern States Championship. The Percussion Ensemble was selected to participate in the 2009 Music for All National Percussion Festival. This marked the first time a percussion ensemble from NJ has ever been invited to this most prestigious event. The festival is the first national performance for an ensemble from Mount Olive, and also the first commission of an original piece of music for the program.
District Instrumental Music
The instrumental music program in the Mount Olive Township School flourishes in an environment actively supported by the Board of Education, administration, teaching staff, and community at large. With string classes beginning in the 4th grade, and band instruments in the 5th, our students are provided with the possibility of up to 9 years of instruction on their instrument.
Each student in the district is given the opportunity to learn and perform in both the ensemble setting as well as with small group lessons. Lessons are scheduled on a rotation, and each student receives multiple lessons per month. In the small group setting, instructors are able to teach students virtually one-on-one, helping the teachers to asses each student individually. Instrument-specific technique, practice music and etudes, and music played within the larger ensembles are all taught and reviewed during this time.
Performing in an ensemble is a place for tremendous growth for both the program and the individual. Ensembles throughout the district range in size from 3 students to 110, and can meet before, during, or after school hours. In these settings, students put into action the techniques and skills developed and mastered in lessons, and feel confident with the support of their fellow musicians. Ensemble playing is a useful tool for teaching students about teamwork, cooperation, dedication, and responsibility. From grades four through eight, grade level ensemble perform three concerts each year including the All-District Concert showcasing the nearly 1000 students in the district’s instrumental music program. In both the middle and high school, students are encouraged to audition for regional and state honors ensembles.
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The District Music Department
Music is an integral part of our school curriculum. At the elementary level every student in each of the four schools is exposed to music with the basics of notation and performance, and in many cases provide concerts, musicals, and reviews throughout the year. In addition to a comprehensive elementary music program, over 2,000 students participate in the band, orchestra, and chorus programs that formally begin between the third and fourth grade levels. We are very fortunate to have a staff committed to each student experiencing the aesthetic elements of music, developing a desire to constantly strive for excellence, and to acquire an understanding and love of music that will last a lifetime.
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Mount Olive Township, NJ
Mount Olive Township is located in Morris County, New Jersey, approximately forty miles west of New York City. It is predominantly a middle-class community, with a population of 24,000 residing in an area of thirty-three square miles.
Our 4,800 students attend one of four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school with an enrollment, at present, of over 1,500 students in grades nine through twelve. At present more than 90% of graduating seniors continue their education with some form of advanced schooling.
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