Music

The Austin O'Brien Music Program features a wide variety of curricular and extra-curricular music and performance opportunities including our Senior and Junior Jazz Bands, Jazz/Funk Combos, Rock Bands, Senior and Junior Concert Bands, Wind Ensembles, Percussion and Guitar Ensembles, Choirs, Ethnic Ensembles, the AOB Blues/Ska Band, and our Theatre Pit Bands. These performance groups allow our students the outlet to experience, through study and exploration of their more artistic and creative side, a great spectrum of music from around the world and from many different periods. The music program incorporates a flexible scheduling pattern in order to allow students the opportunity to tailor their timetable to meet their own particular needs.

Music quotes:

“This class always brightened my day. Every class was full of fun and laughter. Thanks Mr. K for the lifelong memories.”

“My favorite class in all of high school!”

“Thank you so much for everything, this was the class I looked forward to everyday.”

AOB MUSIC – IN BEAT POETRY...

AOB Music, in class or on stage, always putting it all out there, and rockin' the page! Celebrations in the gym, from solemn to ska, marching New Orleans style in the halls, ala Mardi Gras. New friends were found, like birds of a feather, as all of the Rock, Wind, and Jazz ensembles came together.

At the concert hall, in the Christmas snow, the Band 10's started and powered the show. Heating up the hall, like a Hippo on the charge, Jump, Jive, and Wailing, leaping-in large. Senior and Junior Jazz, with gospel and funk, and Concert Ensemble, with Wind Band punk, capped off the night, of Christmas delight, a Witch and a Saint's plight, like Aladdin in flight, all was right, tight, and dyn-o-mite!

Rockin' the rehearsal room, and in the gym, our powerful AOB Rock Bands, ain't no Fatboy Slim. Bass a thumpin', drums a poundin', guitars a blastin', fantastic a-soundin'! Vocals a soarin', in so many styles, gettin' Vertigo, and walkin' 500 Miles. Then dancers joining us, in a Winspear feature, had crowds cheering, up in the bleacher. The band, a little nervous, for they did know, California Disney, is where they'd soon go...

The Final Concerts, featuring all, bring together the bands for one last call. The Jazz Collective, played some funk and swing, with 3 featured vocalists, out to sing, sing, sing. Then Concert Ensemble, back from the coast, performed all the hits, songs we dug the most. With a fiddle and cello, a couple of tinwhistles too, trumpet and bari solos, in the colour of blue. Movie and TV, very American and European, and ended it with one of our fav’s; the Pirates of the Caribbean. :-)

Then one last show, to finish the year, to conclude with a bang, a holler, a cheer. All dressed up, in our funky disco best, a big ol’ dance club, would be our final test. We hit the stage running, the audience jacked, all the funkiest tunes, the dance floor was packed. Motown to disco, funk and Latin we'd play, from Aretha to Stevie, to YMCA.

Thank you to everyone, who make every year WOW! All the Parents, Staff, and Admin, you are the Cat's Meow. But especially to the students, who keep the tradition in such a fantastic state, It's all your hard work that makes AOB Band soooooooo GREAT!!! Word... – Mr. K.