About the SMS Band
SMS Wind Ensemble in the UNT Murchison Center
Lowell Smith Jr. Middle School is located in Cleburne, Texas, approximately 30 miles south of Fort Worth. With an enrollment of over 800 students, Smith offers fine arts electives in band, choir, visual art, and theater arts as enrichment to academic classes. The band at Smith consists of over 350 students and is divided into four major performance ensembles: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Beginning Band. A strong emphasis is placed on promoting respect, teamwork, and commitment, while maintaining high academic standards.
Band instruction begins in the sixth grade with like-instrument classes that meet each day. Beginning instruction is offered on the flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and percussion. During their first year, students work to establish a solid fundamental foundation, develop proper individual practice habits, learn how to operate in the band environment, and grow stronger in their music reading and theory skills. Our goal is to allow students to have fun in a productive and structured atmosphere.
After the beginner year, students audition for placement in one of the advanced bands. The Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band perform at several events throughout the school year including Fall, Winter, Mid-Term and Spring Concerts, the Golden Pride’s annual “Picnic-in-the-Park,” solo contest, Texas UIL Concert and Sightreading Evaluation and festivals throughout Texas. Students in Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band attend weekly sectionals to continue learning instrument specific fundamentals. All students are encouraged to learn their respective All-Region etudes and compete for membership in the Region Band.
In addition to the concert bands, students in the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band combine to form the Pep Band. The Pep Band provides school spirit through musical entertainment at SMS Pep Rallies as well as select football games. Students are also given the opportunity to take a second band elective class, Instrumental Ensemble. Students in the Instrumental Ensemble class delve more into music through units like theory, conducting, and composition and are also afforded extra performance opportunities through the Jazz Ensemble.
The Smith Band Program prepare young people to be great students in all of their classes, while providing the necessary skills to be successful members of the Cleburne High School Golden Pride. Students in the Smith Band pride themselves as being among the very best in academic, athletic, and musical achievement living through their motto:
Superior Standards ~ Superior Success
Band instruction begins in the sixth grade with like-instrument classes that meet each day. Beginning instruction is offered on the flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and percussion. During their first year, students work to establish a solid fundamental foundation, develop proper individual practice habits, learn how to operate in the band environment, and grow stronger in their music reading and theory skills. Our goal is to allow students to have fun in a productive and structured atmosphere.
After the beginner year, students audition for placement in one of the advanced bands. The Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band perform at several events throughout the school year including Fall, Winter, Mid-Term and Spring Concerts, the Golden Pride’s annual “Picnic-in-the-Park,” solo contest, Texas UIL Concert and Sightreading Evaluation and festivals throughout Texas. Students in Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band attend weekly sectionals to continue learning instrument specific fundamentals. All students are encouraged to learn their respective All-Region etudes and compete for membership in the Region Band.
In addition to the concert bands, students in the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band combine to form the Pep Band. The Pep Band provides school spirit through musical entertainment at SMS Pep Rallies as well as select football games. Students are also given the opportunity to take a second band elective class, Instrumental Ensemble. Students in the Instrumental Ensemble class delve more into music through units like theory, conducting, and composition and are also afforded extra performance opportunities through the Jazz Ensemble.
The Smith Band Program prepare young people to be great students in all of their classes, while providing the necessary skills to be successful members of the Cleburne High School Golden Pride. Students in the Smith Band pride themselves as being among the very best in academic, athletic, and musical achievement living through their motto:
Superior Standards ~ Superior Success
