A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

Music Band

The Dreyfoos School of the Arts Band Department is an award-winning and nationally recognized program, offering serious young musicians the opportunity to perform in a variety of ensembles while learning from experts in the field.  The DSOA Band has performed with great acclaim across the United States and beyond.  DSOA Bands have been featured at the Music Educators’ National Conference, have performed at the annual FMEA All-State Clinic & Conference in Tampa, was a featured program at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival, the Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival, and recently was a featured high school ensemble at the Collegiate Band Directors National Association Southern Division Conference at the University of South Florida.  More than 235 students have been selected for Florida All-State Honors over the past decade, and our students have the opportunity to perform in both large ensemble and small ensemble settings.  Students are engaged in rigorous coursework with electives such as Music Theory, Instrumental Techniques, Music Technology & Composition.  In addition, upper level students have the opportunity to be members of the DSOA Philharmonic Orchestra as well as collaborate with the Music Department’s Vocal, Strings & Piano majors on a variety of projects.  DSOA Band Majors get to work with a variety of clinicians, guest artists and collegiate professors throughout the course of the school year. Our graduates have gone on to attend some of our country’s finest universities, including the Julliard School, Eastman, Northwestern, Oberlin Conservatory, Duke, Yale, Columbia.

The Award winning DSOA Jazz Studies Program is a nationally accomplished jazz education program within the Music Department at Dreyfoos. What started out as a before school jazz band has developed into a  program made up of two curricular Large Jazz Ensembles and several jazz combos/small ensembles that perform over 20 times a year. Students will perform, study, and be exposed to all the diverse music under the jazz umbrella as well as develop their jazz improvisation skills. The Jazz Studies Program is committed to providing our students with workshops/masterclasses with renowned Grammy Winning Guest Artists/ Educators, providing high quality performances, and providing life changing experience through our participation in national caliber jazz festivals.

 

DSOA Music Department students can choose to have Jazz Studies as a focus alongside their chosen Major.

2020-2021 Program Accomplishments:
2021 Essentially Ellington Festival and Competition, NYC – National Finalist
2021 Charles Mingus National “virtual” Jazz Festival, NYC – National Finalist
2021 Downbeat Magazine Annual Student Music Awards – Winners in 2 Categories
2021 National Jazz Festival, Philadelphia, PA
2021 National YoungArts – 4 students award winners
2021 Florida All-State Jazz Band – 3 students selected

 

Faculty information:

Evan Rogovin, Director of Bands
Bachelor of Music in Music Education, The University of Florida
William T Dwyer Award Winner, 2003
Randolph A. Frank Prize Award for Excellence in Music Education, 2019


Christopher M. De León, Director of Jazz Studies
BME with a minor in Jazz Studies, The Ohio State University