Yes!  In fact, most of the Chiles band students belong to several student clubs! We encourage involvement!  If your club meets after school, you need to coordinate going to your club around your rehearsal days.

Yes, we encourage students to participate in sports. However, band concerts and performances are co-curricular and sports are extra-curricular. If there is a sporting event and a band performance on the same night, the band concert has to come first.  It is graded.  The key is to work it out with your parents and the coach prior to the beginning of the year.  Some coaches say that you can’t miss any practices or you will not play.  That puts you in a bad position.  The student has to be organized with a planner to avoid conflicts. Please contact Mr. German if you are interested in sports.

Yes, everyone needs to audition so we can place you in the best class for your ability.  It’s no big deal, and you will get used to it – we do it all the time.  You should prepare to play 12 major scales played in under 3 minutes by memory.  You will also be given a short sight-reading exercise.  Our concert bands are split into two classes: "concert band" and "symphonic band." Most incoming freshmen are placed in concert band their first year, but more advanced students can audition and be placed in the top band as freshmen.  The marching percussion is auditioned every year.  These auditions take place during the month of May.  If you miss the audition, you will be placed in the front ensemble for the year until the next audition.  We will march up to 13 percussionists on the field, depending on the quality of the players and the needs of the wind section.  Everyone else performs in the front ensemble.  The percussionists are in classes during the day with the wind instrumentalists.

All students are encouraged to try band for one year. If you feel band is not for you, we will help you find a class for the next year that is a better fit for you.

Yes! You only need 24 credits to graduate; band fulfills your fine art graduation requirement. In order to take additional electives, you should consider taking some classes online.  You are required to take at least one online class prior to graduation.  Be sure to take hope pe online the summer before your freshmen year to maximize your elective choices.

No! As a matter of fact, during your junior and senior year, you can take band for honors credit. You can earn an extra .5 credit just by taking band during your junior and senior years. There is also an A.P. music theory class offered to juniors and seniors. Research has shown that the extra time you spend in band not only helps you build your musical skills, but helps you in your other academic classes!

Yes!  Trips are one of the most fun parts of being in band.  In the past, we have traveled to Washington D.C., the smoky mountain music festival, music fest Orlando, universal studios, and bush garden -Tampa bay, in 2012, the Timberwolf band participated in the Disney parade in the magic kingdom, and spent 3 days in the parks. In 2014 the band travelled to NY.  In 2018, the band travelled to Atlanta, Nashville & Dollywood (and again in 2023). The band has also competed in various marching competitions around the southeastern United States.  We try to plan a big trip every 4 years.   

All students in the Chiles band must participate in marching as part of the concert class requirement.  If you have an issue, please email me. I understand that it can be a little intimidating, but it really shouldn't be.  Almost all the freshmen every year say they are a little scared of marching, but it's really not bad at all.  We don't march every day during the school year like other bands.  You get to travel to all the football games.  Our primary emphasis is on concert bands, so the marching band is used as a fun way to learn a lot of concepts that are easily transferred to the indoor bands and solo/ensemble playing.  That's not something you want to miss.   Marching band is a lot of fun!  It is where you meet everyone and make a lot of new friends.  It's a great way to make the transition to high school.  While all your non-band friends are scared on the first day of school, you will have already made close to 100 new friends you met at summer band training.  A lot of important things are learned, and you will be a much better musician.  But it’s fun... You should at least give it a try.  I think that if you don't do it, you'll feel like you missed out on a great experience and a lot of fun when you hear everyone else talking about it.

• Yes, why would you want to miss it?  Summer band is the only chance we get all of this accomplished:
• We get to know each other and form great friendsips while working together to make an exciting musical and visual show.
• We make new friends and get used to the school
• We learn the marching portion of the show, and combine it with the music that we learned over the summer.  
• We learn basic concepts of good marching techniques, and apply it to the show.
• We learn basic concepts of good playing techniques, and how to play and march at the same time.