The band program at St. Joseph School is open to all students grades 3-8. Students may take lessons on one of the following instruments: flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, orchestra bells or snare drum. Instrumental lessons and band rehearsals are held every Tuesday throughout the school year from the first week in October to the last week in May. Experienced musicians begin rehearsing with the band in October and the beginning students join the band sometime in January.
The band performs four times during the school year. First, is a Christmas concert for parents at a morning program in December. Second, is during a morning program late in March. This performance is a dress rehearsal for the third performance, which is with the Catholic Schools of the Finger Lakes Concert Band. The concert is the first Thursday of April. This performance is at St. Stephen’s Church in Geneva. The fourth performance is at the Spring Concert, May 13th at Sacred Heart Church in Auburn.
Our instrumental teacher and band director is John S. Pratt. Mr. Pratt graduated from Ithaca College and taught for many years in the Seneca Falls Central School District. Since his retirement from the public school, he has taught instrumental music in the area Catholic schools for the Paul Effman Music Service. Mr. Pratt began and directs the Catholic Schools of the Finger Lakes Concert Band and is the principal trumpet player in the Auburn Chamber Orchestra.
