Herndon
High School
Bands
P.O.Box 1293
Herndon, VA 20172-1293
Herndon High School Band has the following ensembles.
Marching Band
The Pride of Herndon Marching Band fields was founded in 1947 and is the oldest band in Fairfax County. The Pride performs at all home Varsity Football games, hosts a competition each September, performs at the Virginia State Assessment, and competes up and down the East coast throughout the fall. In 2019 The Pride was selected to represent the United States at the 75th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. The Pride is the only high school marching band to have ever been invited to perform at the Langley Headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2013 the group was selected by members of the Marine Band and members of the U.S. Congress to perform in Hawaii at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on December 7. The group has been invited by Disney World to perform in their Main Street Parade in Magic Kingdom in March 2015. The Pride can also be seen performing throughout the community at elementary schools, Dulles Town Center, downtown Herndon, and other local events. More
Color Guard
The HHS Color Guard is part of the HHS Marching Band. Director Kathleen Jacoby will distribute emails related to the Marching Band which also includes the Color Guard.
Indoor Color Guard
The Pride of Herndon Indoor Guard (also known as Winter Guard) is our competitive indoor Color Guard unit. We practice throughout the winter, and compete regionally on the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) circuit, in February and March.
This theatrical Guard group performs to recorded music with choreography that uses interpretive movement, dance, flags, weaponry and other equipment or props to tell a story or evoke an emotion. You will learn teamwork and performance skills while representing the Pride of Herndon at competitions. For experienced guard members, it is a great way to maintain skills for the next Marching season, and learn some new moves. For newcomers to the sport, no experience is necessary to join and beginners are warmly welcomed. We will teach you all you need to know!
An interest meeting is typically held in November. Optional December practice sessions are designed for beginners to learn the basics and recommended for those interested in Leadership and/or planning to audition for Advanced Features. We move to twice a week practices, typically in the evening, starting in January and running through March.
Our Indoor Guard is a great group of dedicated individuals (both boys and girls) and is a lot of fun, but it does require commitment. We are competitive. We work hard. The typical rehearsal schedule is below:
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Tuesday evening from 6pm – 9pm
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Thursday evening from 6pm – 9pm
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Saturday Competitions (Times Vary)
An option for those who want to be involved but don’t want to perform is to volunteer as crew support on competition days. We can have a lot of equipment, props, and a large floor to move around and welcome helpers! Or just come out to enjoy the show and cheer us on!
Click here to meet the Indoor Color Guard
You can also contact the instructor at winterguard@herndonband.org or the HHSBPA Guard Rep at GuardRep@herndonband.org.
Indoor Drumline
The Herndon Indoor Drumline is our indoor competitive percussion unit. We practice twice weekly throughout the winter and early spring and we will perform at four weekend contests in February and March. We are aiming for a highly competitive battery and front ensemble to show off our skills at competitions and have some fun music to perform.
Rehearsals start in January and run through the final competition in March.
A full detailed schedule will be provided in December.
Here are some important things to know about Indoor Drumline:
– Both percussionists and non-percussionists are welcome in our group! However, keep in mind that most members of the battery (marching drums) will be experienced percussionists. In addition, most, but not all of the “pit” percussionists on keyboards (marimba, vibes, xylophone, etc.) will have at least one year of experience on keyboard instruments. We have many other important instruments that are less technically demanding, so we definitely have something for everybody.
– Being flexible and a team player is essential. You may or may not end up on your preferred instrument, but ALL the instruments in the Indoor Drumline are important. We will work to find an instrument (or instruments) and a role for you that will suit your abilities and talents.
For more information about Herndon’s Winter Indoor Drumline, please email our director at Indoordrumline@HerndonBand.org or Drumline rep at DrumRep@HerndonBand.org
Jazz Band
The Jazz Band is a small ensemble designed to promote the study of jazz literature, emphasizing improvisation and styles of the jazz idiom. Students meet after school once marching season has ended and receive a half credit for course participation. Admission to the group requires participation in a school based concert ensemble (such as Wind Ensemble) and audition. Auditions occur in May or June for the preceding school year and can be scheduled with Mrs. Jacoby at Director@HerndonBand.org. The instrumentation of the ensemble varies each year, but generally reflects a stand Big Band orchestration. More
Percussion Ensemble
Percussion Ensemble meets every other day to rehearse as both an independent small ensemble and as a supplement to the Symphonic Band percussion section. The Percussion Ensemble has competed and won first place awards and superior ratings in Myrtle Beach, GA, and Orlando, FL. More
Symphonic Band
The Herndon High School Symphonic Band generally performs between Grade III-V literature. More
Symphonic Winds
The Herndon High School Symphonic Winds is our newest ensemble, open by audition only and performing VBODA Grade IV-VI literature.
Wind Ensemble
The Herndon High School Wind Ensemble is composed of the most advanced student-musicians and is open by audition only. It includes members from all four classes at Herndon High, meeting for one period daily and usually one evening per week during the concert season.
The Wind Ensemble’s achievements over the past several decades have been most noteworthy. Beginning in 1978 with a Grand Championship in Florida, the band has continued to excel on the competitive stage, have won over 38 First Place or Grand Championship awards. Among its highlights are twice retiring the Governor’s Cup at the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival (a six year participation involving more than 200 concert bands from every state in the nation), many Gold Medal awards, and outstanding memories of superb music performances.
In 1991, the Herndon Wind Ensemble was the only band selected for the Sudler Flag of Honor. This award, endowed by Louis and Virginia Sudler and sponsored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, was established as a means of honoring the nation’s finest high school concert band programs. Through a rigorous selection process involving a seven year commitment, only 36 high school bands have been selected since its inception.
The Wind Ensemble consistently achieves “Virginia Honor Band” recognition and receives superior ratings at all-district band festivals. They have been officially recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Fairfax County, and the Town of Herndon for their music excellence. More