Westhill Instrumental Music Department

Westhill Instrumental Music Department Follow this page for updates and information about the Westhill Instrumental Music Department in Syr

The Westhill Instrumental Program includes students in grades 5-12 and features a curriculum-based and vertically aligned lesson program, five concert ensembles, three jazz bands, a concert and world percussion ensemble, pep bands, pit orchestra, and various community musical outreach and service opportunities. Through participation in the concert program and lessons, more than two hundred students perform in Westhill’s Instrumental Chamber Music Program each year. The Westhill concert and jazz ensembles travel regularly to music festivals and adjudications, including a performance each spring at the NYSSMA Major Ensembles Adjudication for all students in grades 7-12. Westhill students are regular participants in honor ensembles across New York State, including Conference All State and Area All State, Syracuse Youth Orchestra, All County Concert and Jazz Bands, various local honor groups, and the Westside Band Camp hosted each summer at Westhill High School. Over the past fifteen years, Westhill Instrumental Music graduates have gone on to perform in ensembles at more than thirty Universities across the United States. Instrumental music is an integral part of the culture of the Westhill community.

Congratulations, Westhill! The Westhill Central School District has been named as one of the NAMM Foundation’s Best Comm...
04/28/2026

Congratulations, Westhill! The Westhill Central School District has been named as one of the NAMM Foundation’s Best Communities in the nation for Music Education for the 10th consecutive year! We are so grateful to the Westhill Community and District for your enthusiastic and ever-present support of Music in our Schools and we are so proud of the Westhill Music Department, Student-Musicians, and Faculty!

The Westhill Central School District (Syracuse, NY) has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Districts that have been recognized by the NAMM Foundation are often held up as models for other educators looking to support their own music education programs.

Congratulations, Westhill Music Department!

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See the full listing of recognized districts here, including many of our fantastic CNY neighboring programs: https://www.nammfoundation.org/articles/bcme-2026-districts

WCSD High School

Come see our fantastic Modern Band program live at Funk n' Waffles! 🎸🎤🎹🥁✨Live in concert: ClockworkIsabella DestitoThe K...
04/27/2026

Come see our fantastic Modern Band program live at Funk n' Waffles!

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Live in concert:
Clockwork
Isabella Destito
The Killer Pancakes
After School Special
Directed by Mr. Brendan Van Epps

Funk n' Waffles
Wednesday, May 13
6:30-9:00pm
Doors open at 6

See the flyer below for more info!

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This month’s Instrumentalist magazine features Westhill musicians on the cover! The Instrumentalist is a magazine presen...
04/21/2026

This month’s Instrumentalist magazine features Westhill musicians on the cover!

The Instrumentalist is a magazine present in elementary through collegiate Band Rooms, practice rooms, lesson studios, and music offices across the country, and Westhill students and alums: Austin C - Bassoon, ‘27, Phoebe G - Bassoon, ‘25, Emmie S - Clarinet, ‘25, and Georgia H - Clarinet, ‘25 are all on the cover!

Two years ago, Root and Wander Photography came to Westhill to take photos for a 2024 Instrumentalist article that included action conducting and teaching photos and beautiful photos of the Westhill Wind Ensemble student-musicians making music. She so graciously provided an entire album of photos from that day, and provided permission for their use, even beyond the original article. Today’s edition features our musicians and a Westhill High School shout out on the cover credits!

With one last “Hip Hip, Huzzah!” (Our historically-influenced Revolutionary War exclamation from the whole band that we ...
04/20/2026

With one last “Hip Hip, Huzzah!” (Our historically-influenced Revolutionary War exclamation from the whole band that we cheered throughout the trip), we took our final Band Family photo of WHS Boston 2026 while heading out of Six Flags New England.

We learned so much; heard fantastic music, acting, and singing; saw breathtaking artwork; learned about the history of Boston, Massachusetts, New England, and the United States; experienced a Red Sox win; and had SO much fun.

Thank you to everyone who was part of this trip or the support of this trip in every way!

Huzzah!

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We’ve had an incredible 24+ hours since we last checked in! The Westhill Bands:*Ate dinner at Cantina Italiana in the No...
04/18/2026

We’ve had an incredible 24+ hours since we last checked in!

The Westhill Bands:
*Ate dinner at Cantina Italiana in the North End of Boston 🍝
*Watched an inspiring, magical, technically-incredible, overwhelmingly fantastic performance of Beauty and the Beast 🌹🎭
*Explored the Museum of Fine Arts (we could have used at least 8 more hours there to begin to feel like we had seen it all!) 🎨🖼️
*Ate lunch at Quincy Market 🌮🦞🍕
*Toured the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum ⛵️☕️🎉
*Hung out in the Boston Commons 🏛️
*Took a walking tour of the Freedom Trail 🔔📜
*Watched the Red Sox defeat the Detroit Tigers ⚾️ 🧦 🐅

Now we are off to Six Flags for the day!
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We made it to Boston! Enjoy our first of many Band Family Photos of the trip! 🐠🎶💙🐟🦈🐬
04/16/2026

We made it to Boston! Enjoy our first of many Band Family Photos of the trip!

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The Westhill High School Bands are Shipping Up to Boston! Check out our FB and Instagram over the next few days as we ex...
04/16/2026

The Westhill High School Bands are Shipping Up to Boston!

Check out our FB and Instagram over the next few days as we explore Boston including a visit to the New England Aquarium, seeing a national touring production of Broadway's Beauty and the Beast, visiting and exploring the Museum of Fine Arts, Faneuil Hall, Prudential Center, and the Tea Party Ships/Museum, taking a guided tour of the Freedom Trail, attending a Red Sox Baseball Game vs. the Detroit Tigers, and spending Saturday at Six Flags New England!

We were welcomed to school this morning with a gorgeous sunrise, and now we’re heading east on two buses, named “The Tea” (Ms. Althen’s Bus) ☕️☕️☕️ and “The Party” 🎉🎉🎉 (Mr. Riley’s Bus) ☺️.

Wish us luck and fun! Alums… what was your favorite WHS Music Trip while you were a student?

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We are so very proud of our Westhill Tri-M Chapter #7550 students for their recital this afternoon at the Upstate Cance...
04/04/2026

We are so very proud of our Westhill Tri-M Chapter #7550 students for their recital this afternoon at the Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse. We are grateful to the Upstate Cancer Center for welcoming us with such open arms each year - we have now been performing recitals here as a Chapter of Tri-M for ten years! Our musicians played beautifully in the gorgeous performance space, and it was incredibly heart-filling to hear these musicians, volunteering during their Spring Break, filling the whole building with gorgeous sounds. The recital area opens up to the balconied floors above and it was amazing to see people pausing on all three floors, around and above, to enjoy the music. 💙🎶💙

One of the most special aspects of this recital is that students choose and prepare their own repertoire - it is deeply powerful to experience each student adding beauty and gentle, soothing energy to the world with their music-making. Our musicians performed pop, jazz, rock, country, and classical music and brought a little extra light and joy downtown with them today. Our student-musicians represented Westhill, Tri-M, and our Music Department in the most lovely way and we are so proud!

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4501 Onondaga Boulevard
Syracuse, NY
13219

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