Music plays an important role at Northridge. And there are many opportunities for students to perform for parents and classmates throughout the year. Our programs are designed to help students build listening skills, collaboration skills, and leadership skills, in addition to the following benefits:
Develops Congnitive Skills
Supports both musical and non-musical cognitive dexterity.
Building a Deep Sense of Beauty
Through growing in the discipline required to create something beautiful, students learn to appreciate this ideal.
Develops Congnitive Skills
Supports both musical and non-musical cognitive dexterity.
Building a Deep Sense of Beauty
Through growing in the discipline required to create something beautiful, students learn to appreciate this ideal.
High School Band: The Sound of a Professional Outfit
High School Band meets four days a week, and is open to 9th through 12th graders with two or more years of experience on flute, clarinet, saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, or electric bass.
Drummers must audition to become part of the percussion section and other instruments may be permitted based on ability and compatibility with the band.
The high school band performs various styles of music before the Northridge community at the annual Christmas concert and spring concert and plays at various school functions, including all home varsity basketball games.
Our High School band is high quality, often mistaken as a professional outfit. Moreover, most of the practice takes place during the school day Activity Period, so athletes are able to participate in the music program and their sports.
Our Ensembles
High School Jazz Band
A new group at Northridge, the jazz band is made up primarily of students from the high school band.
It meets five days a week during the Winter-Spring semester and performs at the annual spring concert as well as our annual school fundraiser, the “Dinner at the Ridge”.
Auditions are held for bass, guitar, piano and drums and students learn both jazz ensemble playing and the basics of jazz improvisation.
Sixth Grade Music
(for-credit requirement)
Students choose a band instrument which they either rent or purchase: flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, baritone horn or trombone. Students meet for music two days a week and are expected to practice 15 minutes a day at home. Lessons include basic piano, note reading, rhythm reading and music history.
Middle School Band & Precussion
Percussionists must audition for Middle School Percussion. Qualification include at least two years of experience playing drums or piano or by teacher consent. The percussion group plays with the middle school band and performs on its own at concerts. It also includes preparation for the high school percussion section.
String Ensemble
The String Ensembles meets two days a week before school, open to students with two or more years of experience playing a string instrument – violin, cello, viola or bass. Students explore works from the classical repertoire, and depending on the size of the group may be combined with some band instruments. The string ensemble performs twice a year at our annual concerts and at other events such as our annual fundraising event: Dinner at the Ridge.
A Capella
The A Capella Club meets twice a week during lunch, open to 9th through 12th graders who have prior singing or musical experience, or show natural ability. A Cappella performs at the Christmas and spring concerts as well as various school functions, including singing the Star-Spangled Banner before the varsity team’s home basketball games.
About the Music Director Mr. John Riccobono
- B.A., M.A. New England Conservatory of Music
- Year Appointed: 2013
Mr. Riccobono began his career as principal percussionist with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, while at the same time performing as a freelance jazz pianist and vibraphonist. As an educator, Mr. Riccobono served as the director of the Supplemental Program for Educational Skills (SPES), a program providing academic enrichment and character education for boys living in Boston’s inner city. Here he started an instrumental music program with a few donated instruments, teaching all the lessons and directing rehearsals. The music program eventually grew to over 100 students with three ensembles for different age-levels and professional musicians volunteering to help with lessons. The SPES jazz band made several tours, performing in cities such as Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago. Mr. Riccobono moved to the Bronx, NY to become director of the Crotona Center, a character education program for boys, and most recently worked at the Midtown Center in Chicago, assisting with volunteer training and teaching character during the summer program.