Harrison Bands offers a music education program for a variety of interests and skill levels. Students who sign up for band classes audition for band directors, who then make assignments to the large group ensembles. These include Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. These ensembles perform several concerts throughout the year, typically including a fall concert, winter concert, and a year-end performance at our “Pops in the Park” event. Our large group ensembles also participate in the Large Group Performance Evaluations (LGPE) of the Georgia Music Educators Association. The LGPE event typically is held in the spring semester, and is preceded by a concert performance at Harrison High School.

Concert Band

The Concert Band is an extension of the Fall Wind Symphony that includes the percussion section. The literature for the ensemble ranges from grade 4 to grade 5 music. Each band class meets for ninety minutes every day within a four-period block schedule and typically perform 5-6 concerts per year. The Concert Band meets third period during the spring semester.

Fall Wind Symphony

The Fall Wind Symphony is a brass and woodwind techniques class. The curriculum for the class focuses on developing the technical skills needed for performing on brass and woodwind instruments as well as musicianship. Each band class meets for ninety minutes every day within a four-period block schedule and typically perform 5-6 concerts per year. The students also learn the music vocabulary used in the Harrison High School Bands. The Fall Wind Symphony meets fourth period during the fall semester.

Symphonic Band

The Symphonic Band is an advanced ensemble including winds and percussion. The curriculum for the class focuses on technique and musicianship. Each band class meets for ninety minutes every day within a four-period block schedule and typically perform 5-6 concerts per year. The literature for the ensemble typically ranges from grade 5 to grade 6. The Symphonic Band meets first period during the fall and spring semesters.

Wind Ensemble

The Wind Ensemble is Harrison’s highest advanced ensemble. The curriculum for the class focuses on technique and musicianship. Each band class meets for ninety minutes every day within a four-period block schedule and typically perform 5-6 concerts per year. The literature for the ensemble ranges from grade 5 to grade 6 including some of the finest collegiate and professional level literature available. The Wind Ensemble meets second period during the fall and spring semesters.

Harrison’s Color Guard is a unit of the Marching Band, participating in all marching band activities, exhibitions and competitions. In the Spring semester, our Winter Guard program undertakes a full schedule of competition events sponsored by SAPA and WGI.

Color Guard

The Color Guard program at Harrison is an extra curricular activity that participates as a section in the nationally competitive marching band during the fall semester. Members learn and exhibit marching, music appreciation, dance, drill routines, choreography and more as part of the Guard unit. While many members have previous experience in dance, cheer, gymnastics, or music, no prior experience or training is required to join Color Guard. Auditions are conducted to assess the skill levels of each potential member, and to develop programs that showcase a wide range of individual and group talents.

Winter Guard

The Harrison Winter Guard is a competitive ensemble representing Harrison each spring semester. Winter Guard competes regionally in events sponsored by the Southern Association for Performance Arts (SAPA), and also participates in competitive events of Winter Guard International (WGI).

Winter Guard combines the use of recorded music with dance, choreography, creative props and other arts into unique energetic performances. Harrison’s Winter Guard is regionally and nationally-recognized ensemble, which has achieved top rankings at SAPA and WGI events.

The Indoor Percussion Ensemble consists of the marching percussion (or battery) and front ensemble (pit or frontline) sections of a marching band. Indoor Percussion Ensemble marries elements of music performance, marching, and theater into unique sets, and performs throughout the Spring semester.

HIPE – Harrison Indoor Percussion Ensemble

Harrison’s Indoor Percussion Ensemble performs regionally in events conducted by the Georgia Indoor Percussion Association (GIPA). Events feature indoor percussion groups from North Georgia and surrounding areas.

2024-2025 HIPE Schedule

Required Camps and Performances:

• Saturday, December 7th – HIPE Mini-Camp
• Thursday, January 2nd – HIPE Holiday Camp
• Saturday, January 18th – HIPE Mini-Camp
• Saturday, February1st – HIPE Mini-Camp
• Saturday, February 8th – Competition #1 GIPA Forsyth Central 
• Saturday, February 22nd – HIPE Mini-Camp
• Saturday, March 1st – Competition #2 WGI Chattanooga
• Saturday, March 8th – Competition #3 – GIPA Alpharetta
• Saturday, March 29th – Competition #4 GIPA Championships South Forsyth

HIPE also participates frequently the championship events sponsored by the Winter Guard International (WGI) percussion divisions.

Our HIPE Ensemble has a long and proud history of top-level performances in competitive events. This includes appearances in the WGI World Championships, earning a GIPA Class Champion title, and appearing as finalists in GIPA Championships.

Harrison’s jazz ensembles rehearse and perform in the spring semester, learning a variety of jazz subgenres, including Southern, swing, be-bop, fusion and more.

The jazz program at Harrison is an extra curricular activity that consists of multiple big band ensembles. Each band meets one to two times outside of classes each week. The ensembles consist of the horn section (saxophone, trumpet, trombone) and the rhythm section (guitar, piano, bass guitar, drums and percussion) The Harrison Jazz Bands perform annually at the Night of Jazz event usually scheduled in February.