• Jazz Lab
    Program: The Amherst Middle School Jazz Lab includes mostly 6th graders, but also 7th and 8th graders who are interested in playing in both the Jazz Lab and Jazz Ensemble. We play rock music, swing, blues, ballads, pop music and big band music. This group performs three times a year for school concerts, the annual awards ceremony, every other year for the AMS talent show and plays at the end-of-year Awards Ceremony.The group rehearses once a week on Tuesday morning to prepare for these events.



    Jazz Ensemble
    The Amherst Middle School Jazz Ensemble is a continuation of the jazz program, which is mostly 7th and 8th grade students. The group competes in competitions every year, and has won many awards. The goal of the group is to focus on the jazz tradition and preparing students for high school jazz. The group is limited to Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Percussion, Guitar, Bass and Piano, and there is a lot of rehearsal time devoted to the art of improvisation, the foundation of Jazz. We are proud to continue this rich American tradition!

    Extra Curricular Choral Ensembles and Activities
    8th Grade Lunch Choir: Eighth grade students who want to perform with Choir 8 who meet on Thursdays during lunch to prepare the music, no audition necessary!

    Pop Chorus: Pop Chorus is a small ensemble of chorus students in all grades that meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings before school, no audition necessary! 

    Beautyshoppe and Barbershop: Small ensembles made up of 8th-grade choral students that meet weekly during lunch and occasionally before school; selected by audition in January.

    All-County Chorus – Students are selected by audition and perform at the Elementary or Junior High North ECMEA All-County Festival in March.

    Middle School Annual Musical – Informational meetings and Auditions for the annual show are held in October. Rehearsals begin in November with the final performance held in January.

    NYSSMA Solo Festival – an opportunity for any musician to prepare a solo and perform for a judge for evaluation. Festivals are held in the spring of each school year.

    Extra Curricular Orchestral Ensembles
    The Amherst Middle School Orchestra program also offers two extra-curricular ensembles; ensembles; Chamber Orchestra, and A.R.C.O. (Amherst Rock Concert Orchestra).