Jazz 1 & 2

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Jazz has long been part of the curriculum at Boardman High School, supported by two jazz ensemble classes that meet daily within the school schedule.

Jazz Ensemble 1 serves as the program’s top group, performing at school concerts, community events, and regional and national venues including Swing 46, bluJazz+ in Akron, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The ensemble has collaborated with numerous guest artists over the years and has been featured in notable performances such as a 2019 TED Talk, opening for Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band (2013), and the Buddy Rich Big Band (2016). The group earned First Prize at the 2015 Hoover Jazz Festival and has been selected five times, through blind audition, to perform at the OMEA Professional Development Conference.

All jazz ensembles continue to perform throughout the summer at local parks and community arts festivals.

The Symphonic Band represents a core ensemble within the Boardman High School band program, bringing together dedicated student musicians in pursuit of musical excellence and expressive performance.

Performing a wide range of literature—from foundational wind band works to modern compositions—the ensemble emphasizes tone quality, ensemble precision, and musical interpretation. In adjudicated events, the group has demonstrated sustained success, earning Superior and Excellent ratings in Class C at District Band Contest over multiple years.

More than just a performing group, the Symphonic Band cultivates discipline, teamwork, and a lasting connection to music, helping students grow both as musicians and individuals.

The Boardman Wind Ensemble has received national acclaim as one of the first high school band to be invited to perform in concert at Carnegie Hall.  Our accomplished Wind Ensemble‘s repertoire also includes performances at national and state conferences of the American School Band Directors Association and the Ohio Music Education Association, band clinics at Kent State University, the University of Akron, and Bowling Green State University, and for its selection to participate in the Ohio State University School of Music "Partnership in Musical Excellence" program.  

The Wind Ensemble was also named the winner of the Down Beat Student Music Award National Competition for high school bands each year that it entered.  2001 marked the return of a Boardman Band's participation in OMEA District 5 Band Contest after a 30-year absence. Since 2009 the Wind Ensemble has earned SUPERIOR ratings in Class AA.