Cross Keys Band

Cross Keys Middle School offers classes in Beginning and Intermediate Band. Jazz Band is offered as an after-school activity by audition and/or director's approval.

Intermediate Band consists of seventh- and eighth-graders who have had one or more years of experience playing a band instrument. Band students are encouraged to continue participating and performing through the twelfth grade.

Each band class has 20 - 22 students to allow individually-guided practice, but not every class has full instrumentation. Extra rehearsal time is scheduled to combine all band students to prepare for a concert.

Selections from our 1996-97 concerts are: "Promised Land," "Rockport Images," "Lassus Trombone" featuring our trombone section, "Bye, Bye, Birdie Overture," "A March Medley," and "Star Wars Medley."

Our Jazz Band toured four of our elementary schools to recruit future band students. Some of the selections they performed are: "Night Train," "Alright, Okay, You Win," "A Hard Day's Night," and "Gospel John."

Cross Keys Orchestra

The Cross Keys Orchestra is 53 students strong. Students meet in classes by grade level, but perform together. The Cross Keys Orchestra performs a Winter and a Spring concert at the St. Louis Suburban Festival where they have received a I+ rating. Several students and small groups also participated in the solo/ensemble part of the Festival.

Cross Keys Choir

Cross Keys Choir students learn correct tone production, supported breathing with good posture, the importance of vowel sounds to good intonation, proper stage presence, dynamics and techniques for a lively delivery, and following and reading octavo music.

Cross Keys Choir performed three concerts and hosted the Choir Festival for Middle Schools, a competition of 30 choirs. At this festival, Cross Keys was one of five choirs that received a "I" rating from all judges.