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
The High School Band meets five days a week during elective period. It is open to 9th through 12th graders with two or more years of experience in flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, and tuba.
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, Spring concert, and most major 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
Northridge has two jazz bands for which students from the high school band may audition.
Jazz Band meets twice weekly during band rehearsal and performs at the spring concert and our annual school fundraiser, the “Dinner at the Ridge.”
Students learn jazz style through an extensive repertoire and may also study jazz improvisation.
Sixth Grade Music
(for-credit requirement)
All sixth graders attend music class every day throughout the year to grow in music appreciation and literacy. Students choose a band instrument they rent or purchase: flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, baritone horn, or trombone. Those with prior experience in strings or percussion will be allowed to study those instruments during class. Classes include basic piano, note reading, rhythm reading, and music history.
Middle School Band
Middle School Band meets five days a week during the elective period. It is open to 7th and 8th graders with prior experience in flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, and percussion. Middle School Band performs at the annual Christmas and spring concerts as well as Grandparents Day and travels to perform at nearby schools.
String Ensemble
High School and Middle School String Ensembles meet five days a week during elective periods. They are 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, which may be combined with some band instruments depending on the group size. The string ensemble performs at our annual concerts and other events, such as our annual fundraising event, Dinner at the Ridge.
Men's Chorus
Men’s Chorus meets twice a week before school and is open to 7th through 12th graders with prior singing or musical experience or natural ability.
A Cappella performs at our Christmas and spring concerts and most major school functions and performs the Star-Spangled Banner before the home varsity 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.