Programs - Middle School

Pacific Grove
Middle School Music Programs:

The Pacific Grove Middle School program is a comprehensive and award-winning music program.  PGMS ensembles consistently earn superior ratings at festivals and our students represent a large membership in CMEA-CCS and Monterey Jazz Festival Honors ensembles.

Seven middle school music classes are offered: beginning and advanced orchestra, beginning and advanced band, jazz band, jazz combo, and chorus.

All seven classes count as academic classes and, with exception of the jazz classes, meet every day.

When parents and students are first choosing PGMS music classes, students with zero or one year of experience should enroll in First Year Band, First Year Orchestra or the PGMS Chorus.  Many PGMS students begin playing an instrument as a fifth grader or before, but there are also plenty of students who take their first music class as a sixth, seventh or even eighth grader.

The PGMS Jazz Program consists of a large Jazz Band and Advanced Jazz Combo.

The Jazz Band meets Wednesdays and Fridays during eighth period.  The Combo is by audition and director invitation.  Jazz Combo meets eighth period on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For more information please contact Instrumental Music Director Barbara Priest at bpriest@pgusd.org.  For information on the PGMS Chorus, please contact Denise Hedlind at dhedlind@pgusd.org

In addition to the PGMS programs, private lessons unrelated to PGMS are available for virtually any instrument – piano, clarinet, violin, guitar… Click here to find a list of some of the local music teachers.