ENSEMBLES
Whether you're performing in one of our state-of-the-art athletic facilities as part of the Pep Band, or in our 900-seat Shea Auditorium as a member of the Prep Band or Chamber Wind Ensemble, Band at William Paterson is a place to belong, to grow and to play your story!
Each of our three curricular band ensembles are housed in the WP Department of Music, and are open to students from across campus, including non-music majors. Participation in Band @ WP offers the opportunity to experience the power of large ensemble music-making, contribute your gifts, develop skill and to tell your story through instrumental music performance.
Read more about each ensemble below.
William Paterson Prep Band
The PREP BAND is comprised of standard wind band instrumentation, with a special emphasis on pedagogy, enabling music education majors the opportunity to both perform on secondary instruments and/or conduct. Students from majors around campus are welcomed and encouraged to participate. No audition is required. It is a for-credit course available to all students on campus.
This ensemble performs standard band literature, as well as new and emerging repertoire (roughly Grade 2-4 literature) and presents 1-2 performances on our campus each semester.
William Paterson Chamber Wind Ensemble
The WP Chamber Winds is an elite ensemble comprised of WP's top woodwind, brass and percussion players. Participation in the Chamber Winds is determined by audition during the first week of classes.
The Chamber Winds is a for-credit course by audition only. While primarily comprised of music majors, the ensemble is open to students from any major across campus.
This ensemble performs new and standard mixed winds and percussion chamber repertoire, as well as wind ensemble music. Literature ranges from Grade 4-6. The ensemble presents 2 performances on our campus and around the community each semester.
William Paterson Athletic Band
The WP Athletic Band is a spirited group whose mission is to support our WP community at home athletic competitions and other WP events on campus and in the community.
Comprised of woodwinds, brass and percussion (drum line and drum set), the band typically performs in the stands (no marching!) at 5 home football games in the Fall semester, and at 10 basketball games (both men's and women's) throughout the Fall/Spring semester. Participation is open to any student with prior experience in playing a woodwind, brass or percussion instrument.
Athletic Band is a for-credit course that is available to take for 0 credits or 1 credit. Because the course spans Football and Basketball seasons, we strongly encourage both a Fall and Spring commitment.
SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE STARTING FROM $250/SEMESTER!
OUR DEGREES
The William Paterson University Department of Music offers a full array of professional and liberal arts degrees in music. Whether your focus is classical, jazz, performance, composition, music education, music and entertainment industries, or sound engineering arts, our Music Department is filled with qualified and creative faculty that will support your educational needs.
As a wind player, opportunities abound to hone your skills, deepen your musicality, perform as a soloist and in large and small ensembles and gain invaluable experience to help prepare you for you career.
ConNECT WITH Us
Director of Bands
Music Admissions
Mailing Address
300 Pompton Rd.
Wayne, NJ 07470