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Music

For more information on the Music Department, to join the pep band for an evening, or visit a class, please contact Chris McLean '94, Music Director.
Phone: 503.235.3138 ext. 1523 | E-mail 
 
What Makes Central Catholic Music Unique?
Dual credit ensembles. All students in performance ensembles (Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Choir) can receive college credit through PCC for up to 8 semesters (8 credits each ensemble)! 8 credits of an “A” GPA will really pay off when it’s averaged with the rest of your grades when you enter college.

Our Jazz Band is Honors credit. You work hard in Jazz Band, so we reward you. Jazz Band is an honors level class like Honors English or AP Calculus – and it has the raised GPA as well (A = 4.5).

Learn and study Rock music, Hip hop, and other contemporary music styles. Try to find a class at another school that focuses on making you a better rock guitarist, acoustic instrumentalist/vocalist, or improving your lyric flow. In Music Production Lab, students get a hands on opportunity to practice and perform their particular musical talents. It’s a lot of fun, you will learn real-world, marketable skills within the music industry: performance, stage set-up, songwriting, marketing, recording, and event coordination. 

A new music room. Our new space is acoustically beautiful, and you’ll love how you sound in here. We feature practice rooms, performance space, and a state of the art recording studio.

We offer a class or club for every instrument! Voice, band instruments, violins and strings, piano, guitar, drums, turntables, MPCs – you have a place here! Check out some of our clubs as well: Ramophones (Acapella Club), St. Cecilia Society, God Squad, Open Mic Night, and String Ensemble Club.
 
What our students say…
“Music is absolutely my favorite class here… in such a rigorous college-bound schedule it’s really nice to know I have a class that’s fun, with friends to play cool music with, and I get a valuable education in music.”

“Choir is fun! We perform great songs and it’s a great break in a day filled with desks and books.”

“I love the community. I found my friends in choir, and I know people in all grade levels.”

“I like that I’m getting college credit for singing in choir. It’s win/win!”

“I love having a time to express myself through music and improve my skills. I have met so many new people who share my same interests!”
 

Course Offerings

Want to start your day with music? The Concert Band meets each day before school. Our repertoire is always changing and we welcome all instruments to join us (guitar, bass, drums, piano, as well as all wind instruments!). If you played in band in grade school, then this class is for you. We continue to improve our technique and rehearse different musical styles. We also combine with the Advanced Jazz Band to form the loud and enthusiastic Pep Band! Want to play in band but don’t own an instrument? No problem, we may be able to loan you one free of charge.

Being in choir means lots of singing – and it is extremely fun! Most students enroll in the concert choir all four years at Central Catholic. The choir is always working on new pieces and performing different styles of music, from acapella and pop, to contemporary and choral. In addition to performing the National Anthem at football home games, the choir performs at all concerts and at various choir festivals. We even enjoy Christmas Caroling! The Concert Choir is also always looking for Pianists who would like to accompany the choir as a part of the class.

If you are ready to take your playing to the next level, the Advanced Jazz Band has the soul and groove that you are looking for. Jazz standards, west coast blues, bebop, and swing – of course we play it. Funk? Hip-hop? Sizzling Latin? Play it. Earth, Wind, and Fire? Radiohead? Play that, too. If it cooks then we’ll play it – and never the same song twice! We play at several festivals and concerts throughout the year and team up with the Concert Band to form the Pep Band. Membership in the Advanced Jazz Band is by audition. Need even more music? You can take Concert Band and Advanced Jazz Band at the same time!

Do you want to compose and record your own music? Do you play around with GarageBand and want to know more about digital audio? Do you want to lay down your own beats, tear up a fresh glitch track, or work with the latest multitrack recording units all in a state-of-the-art computer music lab? Then this class is for you! Electronic Music lab is designed for musicians and non-musicians alike to learn the latest techniques in computer music production. You will learn how to compose songs, sample sounds, record audio tracks, and control mixers and sequencers to produce your own album of music. And we’re open to any style of music. Drooling yet? Our computer lab is stocked with the latest production equipment from Mackie, M-Audio, and Behringer, and we use the most up-to-date recording software: Propellerhead’s Reason, Sony Acid, and Sibelius. Want to try your hand at multi-tracking? Our recording studio boasts a 16 channel, 96k/24bit digital audio workstation. Best of all, this course can be taken for multiple semesters and fulfills your Fine Arts elective requirement!

Do you want to create songs, a set list, and perform them on stage? How about experiencing live and studio recording, and setting up a sound system from the microphones to the speakers and everything in between? Want to know how to develop an online presence to sell your music? Discover the process of modern music production: marketing, composition, live recording, and rehearsal through master classes culminating in several stage performances! This course is designed for the singer/songwriter or music performer outside of a traditional wind ensemble or choir - rock guitar/drums/bass, contemporary solo piano, hip-hop/rap, and electronic/DJ. Students enrolled in this class learn stage presence, live sound setup, techniques of songwriting, and performance technique.

Musical theater puts you right on the stage, singing songs from hit musicals and learning vocal technique, choreography, and acting at the same time! In this course you will have the opportunity to learn and perform several pieces, from solos to small group numbers, and perform these pieces in a class recital at the end of the semester. You will learn blocking, dance techniques, diction, vocalization, and stage presence. Students in this class are well prepared to go on to perform in our yearly spring musical, and take part in our concert choir. 

Offered as part of Concert Band, students in the Drumline get together to form the loudest, most energetic performing ensemble at Central Catholic! The Drumline performs at assemblies, football games, and basketball games. Students have the opportunity to play the snare drum, bass drum, quad toms, or cymbals. No experience necessary.