The Blackhawk Marching Band, one of the “crown jewels” of West Aurora High School, serves as a group of musical ambassadors and our teams’ Number One fans, providing the musical spirit at countless WAHS athletic events and other performances. The ideal group to represent West High and District 129, the BMB is an ensemble in the Department of Bands, a division of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Over 290 strong, its members are diverse and excel in an array of academic, athletic, and musical pursuits. The Marching Band provides an environment where students learn teamwork, time management, self-discipline and other important life-lessons that supplement those taught in the academic classroom.
The WAHS Band Boosters are dedicated to the ongoing improvement and strengthening of the West Aurora Bands, which of course includes the Blackhawk Marching Band. Its members are friends, alumni, and advocates of West Aurora High School and the Department of Bands who recognize the value of the Marching Band experience and how it is essential to the program’s success.
Every member of the Blackhawk Marching Band pays a registration fee of $75, with an additional fee of $23 for new members who require marching shoes. For some, this is an economic hardship. For $100, donors can sponsor a member of the marching band with financial need.
Over the past few seasons, the need for additional school-owned instruments has arisen as the enrollment in sections has grown. Your gift will be placed in a general fund for the purchase of marching percussion instruments and equipment, marching baritones, sousaphones, mellophones, and tenor saxophones.
Your gift will provide assistance to members of the Blackhawk Marching Band as they serve as ambassadors of West Aurora High School, School District 129, and the entire greater Aurora community in off-campus performances.
Gifts made to the Director’s Fund will be used at the discretion of the band faculty for needs that arise during the course of any school year.
The West Aurora High School Jazz Bands have a remarkable track record of excellence in both concert performance and in adjudicated festivals. The ensembles incur expenses through entry fees, facility rentals, transportation, and other costs when traveling to festivals, contests, or performing special concerts in world-class venues. Further, the bands also utilize unique equipment not used by our other ensembles in the Department.
This fund is designed to help maintain and improve critically important equipment such as our sound system, band fronts, and electronic keyboards among others.
Your gift will provide assistance to members of the West High Jazz Bands as they serve as ambassadors of West Aurora High School, School District 129, and the entire greater Aurora community in off-campus performances.
Donors will assist the ensembles in working with guest clinicians and guest artists. The list of past guest artists includes area jazz greats such as Mark Colby, Mark Bettcher, Bob Baca, Bob Lark, Orbert Davis, Reggie Thomas, Ron Carter, Sam Fagaly, Chip McNeil, Rob Parton, and many others.
The West Aurora High School Wind Symphony has a distinguished record of performance excellence. The ensemble incurs expenses through entry and listening fees, facility rentals, transportation, or when traveling to concert festivals, contests, or performing special concerts in world-class venues.
Your gift will provide assistance to members of the West High Concert Ensembles as they serve as ambassadors of West Aurora High School, School District 129, and the entire greater Aurora community in off-campus performances.
Donors will assist the ensembles in working with guest clinicians and conductors. In the past few years the ensemble has worked with Dr. Frank Ticheli, Professor of Composition in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, James F. Keene, Director of Bands and Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois, and Dr. Lawrence F. Stoffel, Director of Bands at California State University-Northridge.
The WAHS Department of Bands is currently leading a consortium for a new piece for band by composer Jonathan Newman. In the future, the bands desire to be part of other consortia in the continuing effort to elevate the level of repertoire available to wind bands.