2009-2010 Jazz Band

Our Jazz Band meets daily before school, largely because so many of our students are also involved in sports and other after-school activities.  The Jazz Band participates in a minimum of one jazz festival during the school year; it also hosts the popular Big Band Dinner Dance as an annual fundraiser.  This class is open to students who play saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, bass or drum set.  Class credit is given for participation in this ensemble.

• Download the syllabus
• Download the Jazz Band Booster meeting schedule

2009-2010 Mariachi Chief Sealth

We are proud to be one of only a handful of schools in Washington State to offer Mariachi.  In addition to local performances, our students travel each year to Wenatchee, Washington to participate in a Mariachi  festival where they get to study and perform with professional Mariachi musicians.  While this class is a celebration of Mexican culture, students from all backgrounds who play violin, trumpet, or guitar are welcome!

The Chief Sealth High School Music Department has offered a mariachi program for the past six years. Prior to 2002, the program existed as an after-school club. Mariachi education has demonstrated significant benefits for students both in Washington state and nationwide. The Denny/Sealth program encourages cross-cultural understanding through music, discourages students from dropping out of school, celebrates the culture and heritage of many of our Latino students, and provides a way for parents to actively participate in their children’s education. While the Denny/Sealth Mariachi Program is open to all students, some of the most significant impact occurs with our Latino students.

In 2004, our Mariachi program received widespread media attention.  Students were featured on the KUOW radio show Meet the Beat, on the front page of the Seattle Times and in the March 2004 issue of Voice magazine, a quarterly publication for music educators.  Members of the Mariachi recorded several tracks on the supplemental CD for a music education textbook authored by Seattle Pacific University Associate Professor Ramona Holmes.

With the new after-school program at Denny, we will offer mariachi instruction for grades 6-12. In the future, we plan to expand our offerings to include multiple classes at both the middle school and high school levels and possibly a mariachi program at a partner elementary school. We also have initiated a partnership with South Seattle Community College with the hope of starting a mariachi group there as well. Currently, two Chief Sealth graduates who are SSCC students are working as teaching assistants in the Denny program. In addition to earning income, these college students will gain leadership skills and motivation to continue their studies.

In the near future, we hope to be able to hire a full-time mariachi instructor for the Denny/Sealth program. This teacher would instruct in classes at both schools and possibly an elementary school as well. He or she would also coordinate workshops and festivals for Seattle mariachi students. With a permanent teaching position in place, our goal of a K-16 mariachi pathway could become a reality.  We are very excited about the huge potential of this program and invite anyone interested to attend our monthly Friends of Seattle Mariachi meetings and to get involved in the efforts to expand these great opportunities for our students.

• Download the syllabus
• Music Department Lab Fees Policy

2009-2010 Orchestra

Ms. Carman provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of string technique and gives students the opportunity to learn new music while focusing on music theory and history.  As the program continues to grow, the orchestra looks forward to participating in local orchestra festivals.

2009-2010 Choir

Our Intermediate Choir is open to all students and focuses on teaching basic music theory and proper vocal technique while students learn a wide variety of musical styles. The Intermediate Choir sings in the annual Elliott Bay Music Educators Association Choral Festival and gives several community performances throughout the year. This course is a prerequisite for Honor Choir.

• Download the syllabus
• Music Department Lab Fees Policy

2009-2010 Honor Choir

Members of the Honor Choir are upper-classmen who have successfully passed an entrance audition.  The Honor Choir sings advanced repertoire, performing frequently both within the school and throughout the community.  Performances include the annual Elliott Bay Music Educators Association Choral Festival and Sealth’s graduation ceremony.  Other unique performances include singing in concert twice with Josh Groban, for Nelson Mandela at Benaroya Hall, and in New York City at Carnegie Hall in 2000 and 2003.

• Download the syllabus
• Music Department Lab Fees Policy

2009-2010 Band

The Chief Sealth High School Concert and Marching Band is a multi-faceted performing ensemble which functions as the schools marching band, concert band, and pep band at various points throughout the school year. In addition to regularly performing at school assemblies and concerts, the Seahawk Band is in high demand at parades and community events, and each spring takes a major trip—this year to Victoria B.C. Performances of the band will include school and community events, as well as the EBMEA band festival, and other festivals as the opportunity arises. Band members are eligible to receive their choice of fine arts or occupational ed credit through their participation in this class, and students will also be eligible to receive a varsity letter pending their participation in all scheduled after school rehearsals and a minimum of ten (10) athletic events, and/or parades over the course of a given school year.

• Student Handbook
• Band Event Schedule
• Band Annual Calendar

• Download the syllabus
• Music Department Lab Fees Policy