The Cedar Ridge High School Band Program is celebrating its eighth anniversary this school year. In August of 2002, Orange County Schools opened their second high school, Cedar Ridge, with 600 students and created a band program that consisted of 28 of those students and their director Mrs. Patricia Quigley.
Since that fall the CRHS Band has grown into a program of 140 students that supports two concert bands, a marching band, two jazz bands, as well as numerous small ensembles. Students who attend Cedar Ridge High School come primarily from A.L. Stanback Middle School with a few others coming from C. W. Stanford Middle School and Gravelly Hill Middle School.
The Cedar Ridge bands have participated in numerous festivals and contests throughout North Carolina where they have received only excellent and superior ratings. In 2003 the Marching Red Wolves and the Symphonic Band were part of the National Peach Bowl Festival in Atlanta, GA and in 2006 the entire band program participated in the Magic Kingdom’s Magic Music Days. In 2007, the Wind Ensemble (now the Wind Symphony) performed for the NC Music Educator's Conference in Winston Salem, NC. In March 2008 the band traveled to New York City to participate in the NYC Festival of Music where both the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band were awarded as the top concert band in each of their divisions and the Wind Symphony was awarded the William D. Revelli award for the most outstanding concert band performance of the festival.
Band students at Cedar Ridge have been participants in the Central District All-District Bands and the N. C. Honors Bands as well as numerous University Honor Bands and Jazz Honor Bands over the past seven years. Many graduates of the CRHS Bands continue their musical studies at Universities all over North Carolina and surrounding states.
The Wind Symphony
The Wind Symphony at Cedar Ridge is an auditioned group that consists of students in grades 9-12. The CRHS Wind Symphony has earned only straight superior ratings at the Central District Concert Band Festival.
Symphonic Band
No audition is necessary for participation in Symphonic Band. Since 2003, the Symphonic band has earned only excellent and superior ratings at the Central District Concert Band Festival.
Jazz Band
For our students interested in Jazz, we currently offer Jazz bands within the regularly scheduled band class.
Jazz Ensemble is an extension of the Wind Symphony class and is for those who have more jazz experience and want to pursue challenges in jazz music. The Jazz Ensemble performs at local events and attends the Central District Jazz Festival in the Spring. The Jazz Band is made up of students in Symphonic Band who also want to pursue their interests in jazz and also performs at local events and the Central District Jazz Festival. Students in both Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Band are eligible to audition for All-District Jazz Band placement.
Marching Band
The CRHS Marching Band is a fall semester class taken in conjunction with one of the concert bands. Students receive a full unit of academic credit for each semester of participation in the CRHS Marching Band. The Marching Red Wolves perform at all home football games and compete in 3 Marching Band competitions during the season.