Middle School students may playing an instrument at any time during their middle school years.  Mr. Dettmar offers beginning lessons during study halls, after school, and sometimes even in the evenings.  Once the student has progressed to a certain level then they’ll be placed in the appropriate middle school band.  Students who wish to begin playing an instrument may also elect to take individual private lessons outside of school as well. 

You may contact Mr. D. in the Band Office at 740-625-6055, ext. 2185 or shoot him an e-mail at chuck.dettmar@centerburgschools.org.

The 6th grade band consists of students who have played for at least one school year OR have had sufficient lessons with Mr. D. or another instructor to be a part of the group.  6th graders who wish to be in band but don’t yet play an instrument should take lessons with the director first before being placed in the actual band.  6th graders perform in 3 concerts per year, and are offered small group instrumental instruction which allows them to learn to play their instruments at a higher level.  Instruments offered are:  flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba and percussion.

7th grade band is an interimediate level course designed improve their understand and skill related to their insturment and musical literature.  Students will  learn to recognize and identify historical and culture contexts that have influences music, identify key signatures  and notate concert pitch of major scales.

Students will independently or collaboratively perform a varied repertoire, with appropriate posture, music representing diverse genres and cultures and showing expression and technical accuracy.

The 7th and 8th Grade Concert Band is composed of students who have successfully completed the 6th grade instrumental music curriculum, or have been approved by the band director based on their level of playing.  Students who have deficiencies in technique or music reading, in order to participate in the band, will be asked to take lessons with the band director until such time as they are playing on-level.  The concert band performs 3 concerts per year, competes every Spring in the Trills and Thrills Music Festival at either Kings Island or Cedar Point, and performs in either the annual solo and ensemble festival adjudication or the large ensemble (band) festival hosted by the OMEA (Ohio Music Educators Association).  Band students may also elect to register for honor bands hosted by the OMEA, Knox County, Ohio Wesleyan University, Capital University and various other schools.  Certain 8th graders (depending on ability level) may be able to participate in the CHS Trojan Pride Marching Band during the fall season.

8th grade band is an intermediate level course designed to increase the student's understanding  of musical history and performance. Students will learn to examine contemporary musical styles and describe the distinctive characteristics in a repertoire of exemplary works and understand how musical developments reflect and influence society.

Students will independently and collaboratively perform musical pieces representing diverse genres and cultures, showing advances ranges and changes of tempo, key and meter. In addition students with demonstrate and use technology and media arts to create, perform and research music.

The 7th and 8th Grade Concert Band is composed of students who have successfully completed the 6th grade instrumental music curriculum, or have been approved by the band director based on their level of playing.  Students who have deficiencies in technique or music reading, in order to participate in the band, will be asked to take lessons with the band director until such time as they are playing on-level.  The concert band performs 3 concerts per year, competes every Spring in the Trills and Thrills Music Festival at either Kings Island or Cedar Point, and performs in either the annual solo and ensemble festival adjudication or the large ensemble (band) festival hosted by the OMEA (Ohio Music Educators Association).  Band students may also elect to register for honor bands hosted by the OMEA, Knox County, Ohio Wesleyan University, Capital University and various other schools.  Certain 8th graders (depending on ability level) may be able to participate in the CHS Trojan Pride Marching Band during the fall season.

High School Band grades 9-12 is a full mastery course designed to take the student from beginning level to a mastery of musical form. Students will come away with an understanding of how music has shaped and influenced societies and be able to identify the development musical elements across musical styles and world cultures.

Students will become proficient to a mastery level of performance alone and in ensemble form performing advance musical literature and demonstrating accurate intonation and rhythm, fundamental skills, advanced technique and a high degree of musicality. 

Students will be able to describe how compositional devices and techniques are used to provide unity, variety, tension and release in a musical work and disucss how people differ in their response to musical experiences based upon culture, environment, values and personal experiences. 

Evaluation for potential musical career choices will be explored and scholarship opportunities are available for student pursuing higher musical education. 

The high school symphonic band is just that… a 70 member symphonic band of students in grades 9-12  that includes a full instrumentation consisting of piccolo, flute, Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, oboe, bassoon, french horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba and a myriad of percussion.  The symphonic band performs 3 concerts per year.  Band members may also take part in the yearly solo and ensemble festival adjudication hosted by the OMEA (Ohio Music Educators Association), audition for the OMEA District 10 High School Honor Band, and take part in various other honor bands sponsored by Capital University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Ohio State University and others. The symphonic band is a part of the Trojan Pride Marching Band.  All students who are registered for the class “HS Band” will also participate on some level in the marching band unless they are excused due to an ailment, doctor’s orders or a severe scheduling conflict.  Other than that… everybody marches.

The CHS Trojan Pride Marching band is one of the finest marching bands in central Ohio. We have a long standing and distinguished tradiation going back decades, and have always been a band that is well respected by the student body, faculty, staff and community. Over 34% of the student body participates in the marching band and it is a required class for each student who elects band. 

The staff and conductors of the marching band (Churck Dettmar & Anne Teschler)  are professional educators and musicians who have studied and practiced relentlessly and have mastered the elements of music theory, composition and advanced conducting technique. They have completed countless hour of higher education including hands-on graduate studies from various universities. They have been honor band guest conductors, have taught college-level classes and have prformed professionally in a variety of ensemble groups including Broadway pit orchestras. Groups they have led have played at prestigous venues including the Lincoln Center (NYC), Giant's Stadius, Ellis Island, Main Street in Disneyworld and in the Ohio State University Jazz Festival. 

Being in the CHS Trojan Pride Marching band will mold students to being a part of a prestigous team representing their school and community in different contexts including school football games, musical festivals, marching band competitions and local and national parades.

Marching band requires a strong athletic dexterity for endurance. Marching and playing in uniform requires concentration, physical endurance and proficiency. 

The jazz band is an advanced group of students taken from the concert band.  Instruments include piano, bass, drums, vibes, guitar, saxes (some doubling on flute and clarinet), bones and trumpets.  The jazz band also employs various vocalists each season.  Swing, funk, ballads and various latin charts are just a sample of the various genres the jazz band explores.  The jazz band performs in 3 concerts each year and in addition, participates in the annual OSU High School Jazz band Day, the Utica jazz festival and others depending on the season and what the calendar dictates.