Wind Ensemble - 3rd period
Band is an instrumental arts class with emphasis on basic instrumental skills and performing Concert and Pep Band music. Many styles of music will be experienced through performance and listening. Students enjoy learning the fundamentals of music, and will explore historical periods of music. They will develop sight-reading and team work skills, and will help encourage school spirit. This group performs frequently. This group is expected to participate in many performance opportunities as they double the Pep Band for home football and basketball games during the fall and winter. Wind Ensemble also performs at fall, winter, spring and end-of-the year concerts, Madrigal Feast, and Regional Large Group Contest. Members are encouraged to participate in Regional Solo/Ensemble contest, Jazz Band and Marching Band.

Theater Class - 1st Semester: 4th period
Theater Class is an elective credit class. Students will study the history of theater, basic acting skills, the physical make-up of performance areas, musical theater appreciation, and will implement the performance skills they have learned. There will be opportunities provided to attend plays and musicals outside of class time if students choose.

Music History Class - 2nd Semester: 4th period
This is an elective credit class. This class traces the history of music from its earliest traditions to the present day and explores the many different forms of music. A creative teaching style includes lecture, games, artwork, movies, and more.

Sultan Turk Marching Band
The award winning Sultan Marching Band includes an award winning color guard and is an after-school program rehearsing 2 nights a week during the fall and spring competitive marching seasons.

During the fall season an entertaining "fieldshow" performance is created during the summer band camp and fall rehearsals. The Marching Band travels to 4 regional competitions to compete with up to 70 local bands at each competition. The fieldshow is sometimes based on Broadway musicals or the music of specific artists. The 2002 fall show is based on the music of the beloved movie "The Wizard of Oz". The band not only marches and plays music but many "stage antics", dance routines and intricate drill work is woven into an entertaining, competitive show. The Sultan Marching Turks have been state champions in their league in this demanding area for 7 of the past 9 years. Their innovative presence in the regional marching band competitions has encouraged many other similarly sized schools to enter the Competitive Marching Band Regional Tour and raised the level of excellence in this competitive field.

Spring season sees the Marching Turks competing at 4 area parades including a 3 day trip to the Festival of Bands in Victoria BC. Each spring the Turks create award winning parade routines with audience pleasing tunes. They were first in their divisons in 2 of 3 parades during the spring 2002 season.

Pep Band
The Sultan Turk Pep Band is also our Wind Ensemble class. This group helps promote school spirit at numerous pep rallies and also performs at home football and basketball games. They play upbeat pop tunes of the past and present.

Jazz Band
The Sultan High Jazz Band is an after school instrumental ensemble that meets one night a week during the winter. They usually keep going during the spring with sporadic rehearsals as well. They perform with the Show Choir for the annual Swing Dance at SHS and represent Sultan at numerous local events including Winterfest, the Waterfront Stage in Victoria, Bite of the Valley and more. This group concentrates on traditional swing and jazz with some contemporary hits too.

Varsity Choir
This group consists of 10 couples and is audition only. This is an after-school, high level, performing group. They meet one morning a week and in several "mini-camps". Varsity choir performs competitive a cappella numbers for regional contests as well as entertaining "show style" numbers incorporating dance and singing. They also plan on contributing to this year's madrigal feaste with several rollicking medieval madrigals. This group garnered the highest scores of the competition at the Regional Large Group Choral Contest for the past 3 years in a row.


Treble Choir
A new addition this year to the Sultan Music program, this group is a high level "girls only" group. They will meet one morning a week and will be learning intricate advanced choral music. They will perform at Regional contests and at area events.

The Musical
This is an after school activity provided by the Drama Club and the Music Department. Any one in the school can try out for drama, singing, dancing, backstage, and "orchestra pit" parts. For 6 of the past 7 years Sultan High School has mounted a full score Broadway musical. These events include as many as 70 students in productions with full dance members, live pit accompaniment, drama, period costumes etc. Year's past have seen The Musical Man, Guys and Dolls and many other great shows. This year 4 performances are scheduled for the second weekend of March. Auditions for all parts begin in mid December with rehearsals beginning in January. This year's Musical is "The Sound of Music" by Rogers and Hammerstein.

The Madrigal Feaste
This is an entertaining event that hundreds of people have enjoyed over the past 7 years. This event is a Curriculum project for both performing music classes. Students learn dances, ensemble music, instrumental music, customs, dress, lifestyle, art and all they can about the Medieval to Early Renaissance period of England. All students are in costume and character as we turn the High School Commons into a Medieval Castle Great Room for a time of Holiday Cheer. The students decorate the entire Commons and perform as jesters, jugglers, puppeteers, troubadours, poets, actors, dancers, gypsies and all the other participants of a Medieval court. Their parents and friends are invited to enjoy this spectacle and a Royal meal. The Band Parent Association uses this event as a fundraiser for their organization as they prepare all the food. Students choose roles as serving wenches, nobles, jesters, knights and more. This year's Madrigal Feaste date is December 14. This event will have 2 performances only at 2pm and 7pm. Don't Miss It!!

Swing Dance
This event is usually during the month of February and it gives our Jazz Band and Varsity Choir a great place to entertain. The public is invited, the Band Parents provide super desserts and a '40's style dance hall is created in the High School Commons. The students learn to swing dance (if they don't already) and a fun, wholesome time is had by all!

Coffee House
This annual event is designed for students who are preparing solos or ensemble pieces for the Regional Solo/Ensemble Contest. An informal, friendly atmosphere of coffee and pie is provided and each participant performs their "final run-through" before the big contest day. It is always Thursday before contest in early February.

Regional Solo/Ensemble Contest
This event happens each year on a Saturday in early February and is hosted by the Professional Music Teachers Association in the area. It is at a member school in the region and comprises a full day of competitions hosting 1000's of students from the area. Each student is judged by a competent judge and scored on their piece. Then they have a 10 minute "lesson time" with that professional. It is designed as a learning opportunity for performing students. All pieces must be classical or "art pieces" from the classical tradition and must be accompanied when necessary.

Regional Large Group Contests: Choral and Band
These events are in late March on consecutive Tuesdays. These events are regional competitions sponsored by the regional Music Teachers Association for large instrumental or vocal ensembles from all High School in this region. Several hundred choirs compete each year. In the Band Contest Sultan High Takes Wind Ensemble class each year and consistently receives high scores. At the Vocal Contest, Sultan High takes the Choir Class as well as Varsity and Treble choirs. For the past 3 years the SHS A Cappella Choir (now Varsity Choir) recieved the top scores in the competition.

PLU Honor Band
This event is sponsored by Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, every other year. It comprises 2 days of intense work under the direction of guest, college level conductors with 2 choice bands on upper level music. At the end of the 2 days a festive performance of all the pieces is presented for parents and friends in the PLU concert hall and is made available on CD. Students are recommended by High School Music Teachers for the honor of participating in this experience and it is a great learning experience for upper level band members. In 2001 we had 4 students participate in this excellent opportunity.

All-State Music Festival
This event is sponsored by the Washington Music Educators Association every other year. Students are recommended by their teachers and must submit professionally recorded audition tapes to be considered for this event. The top students from all over the state are chosen to participate in one of 5 performing groups: All State Band, All State Choir, All State Jazz Band, All State Jazz Choir, All State Orchestra. For 3 days in February at Yakima. These groups work with guest conductors to perfect challenging pieces. The students also have the opportunities to attend many educational seminars and concerts during this intense learning time. At the end of the 3 days, a gala concert presents all the groups' work to the community and parents. This event represents the highest achievement for high school musicians in the state and requires much work to be considered. Only a few students from each school are chosen. Last year three students from Sultan were chosen; two for Choir and one for Band.

The Band Parent Association
This is a nonprofit organization that supports All music students at Sultan High School. The band parents meet in the band room at the High School on the first Tuesday of each month. They raise funds to buy instruments, costumes, band uniforms, host the annual band camp and provide emergency funds for students when away at competitions. The group also organizes uniforms, helps with color guard, decorates for concerts and events, creates costumes for musicals, provides chaperones for may events, puts out a monthly newsletter and hosts the annual summer band camp. They have several fundraisers throughout the year and welcome ALL parents of music students to be involved on any level. This year's officers are:
Co-Presidents: Jackie Corcoran and Karen McIntosh
Secretary: Jo Lynch
Treasurer: Michelle Gienger