USC Instrumental Groups

At Upper St. Clair High School, there's an instrumental band/orchestra (six of them, actually) to suit your schedule, skill, and style. And each is an elective that helps you fulfill your arts requirement. Incorporating instrumental music into your day provides a break from normal academics, helps to develop life long skills that can even develop into a career, and builds lasting friendships with other students as you perform, compete, and strive toward a common goal together.  Also, a major new study confirms what many graduates already know from experience, that "high school students who took more music courses did better in math, science, and English". (source: Pacific Standard)

Whether discovering the transformational power of classical music, exploring the intricacies and possibilities of the 12-bar blues, the thrill of the big band sound, or working on group precision and accuracy on the field, instrumental music at Upper St. Clair will be something that students will never forget and always think back on with pride.

MARChing Band

Friday night football - what would it be without the marching band? The players bring the action. The band supplies the soundtrack. Together it's a stirring and unforgettable experience.  (more...)

SYMPHONIC Band

Symphonic Band features mainstream band repertoire and serves students of varying skill levels and needs.  (more...)

Directed by Mr. Pickell, Concert Band and Wind Symphony is actually one band that serves students of varying levels and needs. Freshmen instrumentalists schedule "Concert Band," while sophomores and upperclassmen who choose to continue making music in this band schedule "Wind Symphony." Concert Band and Wind Symphony are great ways to continue a top-notch music education in high school and perform for audiences in a learning-focused, self-paced environment.

Wind ensemble

The Wind Ensemble is an auditioned band with the highest caliber of dedicated student musicians.    (more...)

Wind Ensemble hopefuls audition for a spot in the late winter or early spring, and if they're selected, start playing with the group the following fall. The Wind Ensemble features talented and dedicated student musicians who together produce a rich, professional sound. Nearly every year, the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) awards the Wind Ensemble the highest marks possible in its performance assessment (called "adjudication"). Some of the pieces that the Wind Ensemble has played recently include An American in Paris by George Gershwin and Soliloquy and Dance by Philip Parker. 

Jazz II

This group offers an introductory to jazz technique and performance at the high school.    (more...)

Directed by Dr. John Seybert, this group offers an introductory to jazz technique and performance at the high school, and enables student musicians to improvise and solo. Along with the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab and Jazz 2 students have the opportunity to play throughout the city, like in Market Square during the holidays.

Jazz I

Like Wind Ensemble, Jazz I is an auditioned group for more advanced jazz instrumentalists.      (more...)

Like Wind Ensemble, Jazz I is an auditioned group for more advanced jazz instrumentalists. Usually a relatively small number of student musicians, this group becomes a tightly knit jazz ensemble, playing a wide range of jazz classics. These students study their instruments seriously, learn to take cues from each other seamlessly, and can jam like the pros. They are rewarded time and again with exemplary marks from the PMEA and entertain the crowd at every concert venue!

Orchestra 

The Orchestra consists of violin, viola, cello, and string bass players.    (more...)