The Ferndale High School Band program offers the opportunity to make music at a high level, become a deeper and more critical thinker, and find and build community with other like-minded young artists. Symphony Band offers an intermediate band experience for players with developing skills, and Wind Ensemble offers a more advanced and committed experience to music making at a more focused and nuanced level. Both ensembles perform several concerts a year, here in Ferndale and beyond, and students also are expected to engage in small-ensemble experiences as well, with greater personal accountability. Both of these ensembles rehearse daily as an academic class, but in addition, students may elect to participate in the co-curricular renowned FHS ‘ Golden Eagle’ Marching Band, a corps-style competitive ensemble with 11 MCBA State Championships to its name.

The FHS Bands this year have performances on November 18, December 14 (All-City Band), March 8 (MSBOA District Band Festival), and April 30. The bands are expecting to work with a few different guest composers and guest conductors to broaden their experiences and perspectives, and will be performing a new piece (Celestial Bodies, by Harrison J. Collins, not quite a premiere) dedicated to the memory of Rob Wunderlich, a long-time band parent who unexpectedly passed away 11 years ago. In addition, they will be performing another new piece by renowned composer Omar Thomas, called Forward/Still. This piece is Mr. Thomas’ meditation on the dichotomy between our society moving forward, yet also stuck, mired in old ideas; in the composer’s words, the piece expresses “a kind of tired sleep can’t fix”.

The Ferndale orchestra program celebrates being a place where students can practice musical excellence and community building. Starting in 5th-grade, students have the opportunity to learn an instrument and grow in a community that they can stay with through graduation. Students learn problem solving, teamwork, perseverance while practicing musical expression, creativity determination. Every year students perform several concerts and have opportunities for field trips and travel. In the summer we host a day camp for our middle school students, and an overnight camp for our high school students.

This year Ferndale Orchestra Students will get the opportunity to work with composer Rodney Page, who is being commissioned by our orchestra boosters OrchSupport to write two pieces for our program. FHS Symphony students and FMS 8th-graders will perform the world premier of these pieces at our Spring concert On May 13th. Mr. Page will also work with students at our All-City Orchestra concert on Feb 1st. The next performances in our orchestra program will be November 26 (FMS), December 7 (5th grade) and December 17 (FHS). We love the opportunity to share our music with the community and hope to see you at a concert this year.

Students also get a peek into the behind the scenes production side of this performing art by helping with costumes, promotion, programming, and choreography. Students are regularly given time to explore the choreographic process and create their own dance works with High School works often featured in our various performances throughout the year. 

The first big event if the season is the Winter Dance Concert on Saturday, December 14th at 6pm. This performance is a cumulative showcase of our Ferndale Middle School, Ferndale High School, and CASA students' hard work this semester. Our community partners Ferndale Dance Team, Ferndale Youth Dancers, and Infinity Studios will be joining us as well. Tickets will be made available soon at https://ferndaledance.ludus.com. All proceeds go towards program supplies, costumes, props, and guest teachers/choreographers.

Ferndale High School offers several opportunities for students to explore Theatre and Film Arts.   Students can learn about not only acting skills and techniques, but also about the responsibilities, application and execution of many other theatre related tasks and career opportunities.  Directing, Playwriting and Screenwriting, Production and Crew Work, as well as Design for lighting, sound and costuming are also a part of the students' curriculum in these courses.  Ferndale High School offers theatre and film classes, while Ferndale Middle School offers an introductory course for theatre.

Ferndale High School also produces a Fall Play and Spring Musical every year.  Part of a thriving extracurricular offering, these productions allow students to hone skills learned in class and to advance their knowledge and talents.  This year's Fall Play is Neil Simon's The Good Doctor,  being performed November 15 through the 17th.  Performances are Friday and Saturday evening, with a matinee performance on Sunday.  The Spring Musical, Newsies, is being presented March 8 and 9 along with March 14, 15 and 16.  You don't want to miss these fine performances by Ferndale Middle and High School students!