4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Private lessons: flute and piccolo
Insook Fujii · Room 2
Band programs
Pick your instrument back up
Coda is a band school with an adult Community Band, a Youth Wind Ensemble for high-school players and lessons on winds, brass and percussion. Come to a rehearsal and sit in.
- Adults and grades 9 to 12
- Four evenings a week
- Instruments to borrow
The week
A week of rehearsals and lessons
Ensembles meet in the evenings and on Saturday. Lessons run after school, a teacher and a student in a small room.
Fall session
Showing 10 of 10
Monday
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Private lessons: trumpet and low brass
Argenis Gaytan · Room 3
Saturday
9:30 am – 11:00 am
Brass Choir
Ensemble · Argenis Gaytan · Main hall
11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Percussion Section
Ensemble · Alta Madden · Room 4
Grades 9 to 12All levelsFull
Nothing matches that filter.
Sample classes.
Times change by term. Ensembles run for the season; lessons are weekly.
The ensembles
Three ways to play with others
Each ensemble has its own night and its own part for you. Start where you feel at home.
Community Band
A full concert band for adults, most of whom played in school and haven't played in years. We seat you by ear, not by test.
Tuesday evenings
Adults
All levels
Youth Wind Ensemble
For high-school players who want a second ensemble beside school band: winds, brass and percussion in the same room as the adults on concert weekends.
Thursday evenings
Grades 9 to 12
Intermediate
Summer Winds
A summer ensemble for high-school players. Six weeks of rehearsals that end in a Saturday concert in the hall.
June and July
Grades 9 to 12
All levels
Concerts
When we play
This school year
- Open house
Open rehearsals
Late August
Sit in with the Community Band or the Youth Wind Ensemble, and talk with Alta about where you would be seated.
- First day
Fall session begins
Early September
Rehearsals and lessons start the week after Labor Day.
- Recital
Fall concert
Late October
The Community Band and the Youth Wind Ensemble, in the main hall.
- Recital
Holiday concert
Mid-December
Winter tunes from the band, and the choirs play for an hour before.
- Recital
Spring concert
Late April
The season's big program, with every ensemble on the stage.
- First day
Summer Winds begins
Early June
Six weeks of rehearsals for high-school players.
Sample dates.
Months are firm; the weekend is set each season and posted in the hall.
Five teachers who play what they teach
Each plays in the Community Band or leads a section. Ask any of them what to try first.
Alta Madden
Director · percussion
Alta conducts the Community Band and the Youth Wind Ensemble and teaches snare, mallets and timpani. She sits in the percussion section herself, so she knows what the back row hears. Rehearsals Tuesday and Thursday evenings; percussion lessons Thursday afternoons.
Argenis Gaytan
Trumpet · low brass
Argenis teaches trumpet, trombone, euphonium and tuba, and leads the Saturday Brass Choir. He starts every lesson with long tones and ends it with a tune you can play at home. Lessons Monday afternoons.
Yonghee Sun
Clarinet · saxophone
Yonghee teaches clarinet and saxophone to school players and to adults picking an instrument back up. He plays in the Community Band's reed section and coaches the reeds on Tuesday evenings. Lessons Tuesday afternoons.
Insook Fujii
Flute · piccolo
Insook teaches flute and piccolo and runs the Wednesday Flute and Clarinet Choir. She likes to work from the tune toward the technique, not the other way around. Lessons Monday afternoons.
Arlis Geter
Piano · theory
Arlis teaches piano and music theory, and coaches sectionals when the band is learning a hard passage. Band players come to her to learn to read a full score. Lessons Wednesday afternoons.
What members say
“I hadn't touched my clarinet since high school. At the first rehearsal I sat near the back and nobody minded, and by the second week I knew where to look for the beat.”
Dana W.Adult band member
“Our daughter wanted a summer ensemble that wasn't her school band. The room is calm, the director talks to the players as players, and we always know when the concert is.”
Marcus T.Parent of a high-school trumpet player
“Thursday nights became the part of my week I protect. I borrowed a horn for the first season and decided what to buy after I knew what I liked.”
Renata L.Adult band member
Sample reviews.
Questions people ask
Who can join the Community Band?
Any adult who plays a band instrument. Most members played in school and are coming back, and some have never stopped. We seat you at the first rehearsal, and you can sit in once before you decide.
Do I have to audition?
No. At your first rehearsal the director listens to you play a few lines so she can seat you with the right section. It isn't a pass or fail.
Who can join the Youth Wind Ensemble?
High-school players, grades 9 to 12, on a wind, brass or percussion instrument. It meets on Thursday evenings and is meant to sit beside school band, not replace it.
Do I need my own instrument?
Not at first. Members can borrow a band instrument from our shelf for a season. Ask your teacher before you buy or rent, and we will help you choose a size and a mouthpiece.
How are teachers matched?
By instrument and by day. Tell us what you play and which afternoon works, and we will suggest a teacher at your first rehearsal or your first lesson.
Can a parent sit in on a lesson?
Yes. The door to every lesson room stays open or has a window, and a parent is welcome at any lesson.
What happens when I miss a rehearsal?
Tell your section leader or send us a text. Rehearsals aren't made up, and the director sends the week's notes so you can catch up before the next one.
Can an adult take private lessons?
Yes. Many Community Band members take a lesson once a week to work on their part, and some come only for lessons.
How does tuition work?
It depends on the ensemble, whether you take lessons, and how long each lesson is. The tuition page explains each part, and the director goes through the figures with you.
Come and sit in on a rehearsal
Bring your instrument or borrow one. The director will seat you, and you can decide afterward.