News

Comparing the Bands

Ashley Park and Brielle Thacker

October 9, 2025

There are many band classes you can join, such as Beginning Band, Advanced Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band. Although these classes seem similar, there are big differences between them. They all have something unique about them, and the type of music they play can be vastly different. While auditions are mandatory to enter Symphonic and Jazz Band, they’re not for Concert or Advanced. The band most students start off in is Beginning Band where they learn to play their instruments. The next band level is either Advanced or Concert Band where students start to progress and move to more difficult music. Symphonic and Jazz Bands are the most difficult to join as they both require skills and hard work along with an audition to get in.

As a Symphonic and Advanced Band member, Sophie Voleppe (7) plays the clarinet and the saxophone. Classes are different in terms of size and music. Band has many different instruments and each one is special in their own way. Sophie said, “Symphonic is way larger than Advanced Band.”
(Mila Kiray)

Students outside of band may think that all the band classes are the same, but they are all different difficulties. The classes play different music and move at different paces. Ariel Meyer (8) is in both Symphonic and Concert Band. She says, “We do a lot more pieces in Symphonic Band and we go a lot faster.”
(Mila Kiray)

About the Contributors

Ashley Park, Writer

Ashley Park is a new member on the Panther Press team. She enjoys writing, reading, talking to friends, and listening to music.

Brielle Thacker, Staff reporter

Brielle Thacker is a Panther Press writer. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing books, and drawing. She also enjoys looking up onomatopoeia of band instruments on Google with Ashley(Bing bong boom boom bing bop, sneedly deedly snee snee, hneeee hneeee, womp womp, tweeple tweeple).

Mila Kiray, Staff reporter

Mila Kiray is a 7th grade yearbook photographer. She has been in yearbook for a year and a half. In Mila’s free time she likes to write fanfiction, draw, read manga, listen to music, and watch youtube.