Music

Instrumental Music Program

  • One of the finest programs in Southern California.

  • More than 150 students participate.

  • Opportunities in the program include: Vanguard, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Color Guard, Jazz Band, String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Drumline, AP Music Theory and various chamber ensembles.

  • The program is recognized for its outstanding level of quality including consistent Unanimous Superior Ratings at SCSBOA and CMEA SBS Festivals, 1st Place Awards in Marching Band Competitions throughout Southern California and numerous various awards and recognitions. "Rhapsody on the Point", an annual concert and fundraiser, attracts hundreds of Point Loma and OB attendees a year and raises over $40,000 in donations for the program.

  • The various ensembles of the Instrumental Music Department perform over 100 times a year.

  • The program has a deep commitment to enhancing the culture and connecting to the Point Loma and Ocean Beach community. Performances include: school and district events, philanthropic events such as the opening of the Father Joe Villages Center Downtown, the Point Loma Summer Concert Series, local business openings and celebrations, parades such as the Ocean Beach Christmas Parade and Festa, birthday parties, public servant meetings and holiday parties, community events such as Garrison Street during the holidays and the San Diego Half Marathon, professional conferences and monthly performances at grocery stores.

  • The PLHS Instrumental Music program consistently has students as members of district and regional honor bands and in recent years has been represented in the California All State Band. Recent graduates of the program are attending some of the most prestigious universities in the country including Berkley, Stanford and UCLA among others and many students are music majors with scholarships in music. Students in the Instrumental Music Program consistently have GPA's above 4.0 while completing the most demanding coursework available at PLHS such as Advanced Placement Courses.

  • Students also engage in philanthropic events in the community, most notably their holiday toy drive and performance as part of the Thursday Club Rummage Sale each year. The program has been featured on local news programs several time in recent years, including during their "Keep the Beat Alive" instrument music donation campaign in 2013. Additionally the marching band has been featured on KUSI morning news broadcasts and selected three times in recent years as the Prep Pigskin Report Band of the Week. In 2013 the Vanguard was the winner of the San Diego Half Marathon Performer Competition which included a $3,000 grand prize.

  • Several members of the Instrumental Music Department staff are highly sought after and recognized music educators from throughout Southern California. Percussion Instructor Henry Stoker is one of the preeminent percussion educators in the nation with over 25 years of teaching experience at the high school, college and drum corps levels throughout the country. Section coaches include members of the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Winds, San Diego State University Faculty and freelance professional musicians from across San Diego. Director James Sepulvado is a highly sought after educator, adjudicator, arranger, drill writer as well as a freelance professional tuba player and composer.

Guitar

Provides opportunities for students to learn the basic fundamentals of guitar playing including the core VAPA music standards of music reading, notation, and performance.

Choir

Two levels of Choir are offered as well as Club opportunities for performance and enjoyment.

Link to classes offered.

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