The band program at Manly Campus is second to none.
Over the years the Northern Beaches Secondary College, Manly Campus band program, under the leadership of its outstanding directors and supported by an enthusiastic and dedicated group of parent volunteers, has established a reputation as one of the very best in NSW.
The highly skilled specialist conductors and instrumental teachers deliver an enrichment program that meets the needs of a gifted and talented cohort and delivers weekly rehearsals and a wide range of performance opportunities to around 25% of the school’s students.
Recent surveys amongst band families (2021 & 2023) highlighted the value of our band program in providing an enormous range of benefits. These benefits align with our Manly Learner Profile attributes: academic excellence (resilient & self-directed, and creative), personal best (reflective, self-aware, and organised & efficient) and giving back to the community (global citizen, communicators and collaborators)]. Mental health, creative outlets, and personal management skills (time, belongings, and commitments) align with creating a supportive environment which fosters the holistic development of our students. These benefits also align with the high potential and gifted education policy to stretch students across the academic, creative, physical and social-emotional domains. The band community cited the benefits of developing cross year connections and performing to a wide range of audiences at a state, national and international level in fostering a strong sense of community.
The Manly Campus band program offers development opportunities for students from junior to senior years and is organised into three main streams: wind stream, jazz stream and string stream.
The wind stream has three bands: Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
The jazz stream has three-four bands based on student enrolment: Swing Band, Stage Band, Big Band and Jazz Orchestra.
The string stream comprises a String Ensemble and a Chamber Orchestra of string, wind and brass instruments.
Additional groups are formed based on student need across these streams or to support further enrichment. These groups may include Percussion Ensemble, Covers Band (pop/rock focus), Combo groups (jazz/improvisation), Chamber Ensembles, and Training Band.
Our bands represent the school with distinction at school and public performances as well as in the competitions that they regularly enter.
An important feature of our program is that that the bands tour annually within NSW and, every three years, on a major international tour. Our most recent international tour in 2019 saw students perform in Germany, The Czech Republic and Poland which included a performance at the official Anzac morning Ceremony in Berlin for the Ambassador to Australia. When touring within NSW, our bands specialise in performing at small, rural schools and encourage the participation of each school's students to join our ensembles in workshop and performances.
For all enquiries regarding the band programs, please contact the nbscmanlys-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au c/o Bands of Manly Campus.
Further details of the band program and how to enrol can be found in the Bands of Manly Campus 2025 handbook (PDF 276KB).