Program Bio | highlanderband

West Milford Township Music Department

The West Milford Township School District is proud of their Music Department and encourages student involvement in the Arts beginning in elementary school. In elementary school, general music and chorus classes are scheduled on a weekly basis. Students who choose to participate in band in grades five through six receive one lesson a week, while band meets six times a month. A district-wide choir and band brings together students from each elementary school into one large ensemble for a concert in the spring.

Macopin Middle School offers students the opportunity to participate in both band and choir in grades seven and eight. Bands and choirs are organized by grade level (7th and 8th) and meet daily. Extra-curricular offerings include Jazz Band, Woodwind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Bagpipe Club, Percussion Ensemble, Select Choir, Women’s Ensemble, Men’s Ensemble, and the Musical.

West Milford High School provides two concert bands and three choirs for students to participate in during the school day. These ensemble rehearse daily and participate in competitions and festivals in New Jersey as well as out of state. Extra-curricular ensembles include the Highlander Marching Band, two Jazz Ensembles, the Highlander Pipes & Drums, Indoor Percussion, Pit Orchestra, the Highland Jazz Choir, and a variety of instrumental chamber ensembles. The high school also offers a music theory class, piano and guitar classes, and Rock of Ages: A history of social change through the prism of rock and roll.

Ensembles districtwide perform concerts and events within the West Milford community and in festivals and competitions throughout the Northeast Region. Along with the Visual and Industrial Art Departments, the annual District arts Festival highlights student art and musical performance at every level. The West Milford Music Program is extremely proud to continuously be listed on NAMM’s Best Communities for Music Education List.

West Milford High School Band Program

The West Milford High School Band Program prides itself on musical excellence and currently serves about 150 students who participate in a variety of ensembles including curricular concert bands, jazz ensembles, indoor percussion, and the highlander Pipes & Drums. The Wind Ensemble is an active participant in the New Jersey State Concert Band Festival and has been awarded top ratings at a multitude of festivals. Over the past ten years, the Highlander Marching Band has won the USBands National Championship, USBands Eastern States Championship, NJ State Championship, and the Yamaha Cup at MetLife Stadium. They are also an annual participant and winner in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In their first eight years, the Jazz Ensemble has been a consistent NJ State Jazz Finalist top 3 ensemble, won the Berklee High School Jazz Festival, and was selected as a performing ensemble at the NAfME Eastern Division Conference. Another extra-curricular ensemble at the school, the West Milford Indoor Percussion group have recently won USBands Indoor Championships in 2015 and 2016. The most unique aspect of the West Milford Band Program is the instruction and performance of bagpipes and military style drumming. Seen as the musical ambassadors of the community, the Pipes and Drums perform at a variety of community events and are regularly featured at the West Point Military Tattoo. West Milford band members regularly populate honor ensembles throughout the state as well as All-State, All-Eastern, and the Honor Band of America. In addition to performing in Walt Disney World and in Canada, the West Milford Band Program has completed four concert tours of England and Scotland, performing for enthusiastic crowds in London, Shrewsbury, and Edinburgh.