The West Bend High School Bands offer a variety of co-curricular ensembles that students in the program can take part in. These groups typically meet outside of the school day and perform separately from school band concerts. Rehearsal times and performance schedules may vary from year to year for each group.
PULSE*
PULSE is the name of WBHS jazz big band. Instrumentation for this group includes trumpet, trombone, saxophones, guitar, bass, piano, and drum set. Repertoire will be chosen from the WSMA jazz ensemble library as well as compositions written and popularized by jazz legends like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, and more. PULSE performs each year at the WSMA Solo and Ensemble Festival, the West Bend Rock and Jazz Fest, Slinger Jazz Fest, and the West Bend Farmers’ Market.
WB3*
WB3 stands for “West Bend Brass Band” which is a group designed to perform a unique style of jazz music from the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans. Instrumentation for this group includes trumpet, trombone, saxophones, sousaphone, and mounted percussion (snare, cymbal, and bass drum). This unique ensemble will perform music ranging from classic Dixieland pieces to modernized hip-hop and funk-influenced music from groups like “Youngblood Brass Band” and “Rebirth Brass Band”. WB3 performs each year at the Slinger Jazz Fest, West Bend Rock and Jazz Fest, and West Bend Farmers’ Market.
Brass Wind and Fire!*
Brass Wind and Fire!, or BWF!, for short, is the high-energy East and West Varsity Basketball pep band. This group performs each year at twelve Girls and Boys varsity basketball games and one Milwaukee Admirals game at the Panther Arena. Instrumentation for this group includes flute, piccolo, clarinet, saxophones, trumpet, mellophone, trombone, baritone, sousaphone, drum set, and percussion.
Chamber Music Program
The WBHS chamber music program features small ensembles composed of brass and woodwind players in the Wind Ensemble. These groups include woodwind and brass quartets and quintets with a variety of differing instrumentation. Performances for chamber groups include the Chamber Music Concert at the Old Courthouse in West Bend as well as WMSA Solo and Ensemble Festival.
West Bend High School Bands 