At Glen Ridge High School, Concert Band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform various genres of music at two performances, winter and spring, onstage in the Ridgewood Avenue Auditorium. There are around sixty students in Concert Band. Instruments include: flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, bassoon, oboe, trombone, trumpet, French horn, tuba, guitar, melodica, vibraphone, snare drums, bass drums, and cymbals.
The music director selects the music, which tends to focus on band transcriptions of orchestral pieces. Recent selections have included Chorales by Johann Sebastian Bach, various works by Aaron Copland, The Blue and the Gray by Clare Grundman, The Planets by Gustav Holst, Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian, and Bolero by Maurice Ravel, in addition to traditional band pieces.
Students enter Concert Band in seventh grade, rising from the upper elementary school music program. Students interested in joining do not audition or need to have prior skill on an instrument.
Concert Band is considered an academic subject in Glen Ridge High School. The class meets one period a day during the school year. The band begins each class by playing a Bach Chorale, which allows students to warm up by focusing on intonation, balance, and expression. In addition to learning performance pieces by various composers, students also learn music theory, rhythm, and instrumental techniques.