From Chorus Director - Brad Hirsh
Grand Junction High School is proud of its performing arts department, and the GJHS choirs are one of its four members. The GJHS choirs have been directed by Brad Hirsh since 2015, and their goal is to serve students of all levels who are interested in pursuing vocal music. We offer six choirs of various voicings and ability levels, including two mixed choirs, two treble choirs, a men’s choir, and our award-winning jazz choir, Westwinds. In addition to standard choral literature and vocal jazz, our choirs have also worked with the barbershop and modern a cappella genres in years past.
We are incredibly excited and grateful to be moving into our new facility. Our choir room is beautiful, and overlooks the balcony into the new GJHS commons. The room itself was designed with acoustics in mind, as evidenced by the sound panels, sound diffusers, and offset walls. Our new choir room includes two practice rooms, music library storage, uniform storage, and - perhaps best of all - our own water fountain. One can confidently say that in this facility, the GJHS choirs will continue to prepare quality vocal music for generations to come.
Unsurprisingly, the source of our greatest excitement in the performing arts department surrounds our incredible, new auditorium. The new auditorium boasts nearly 1600 seats, including balcony seating for audiences. Why are the seats purple? Ask any staff member, and you’ll learn that the four academies at Grand Junction High School each have their own color, and purple represents the Arts & Humanities academy.
The GJHS choirs’ December - Holiday Extravaganza performance and fundraiser is our biggest event of the year and most loved by the community. Expect a broad variety of styles with the continuation of the Grand Junction High School vocal music legacy.
Band
Isaac Lavadie is the band director and has taken the marching band to state competitions many times in his nearly two decades teaching at GJHS. As the old auditorium is dismantled and new parking gets installed the practice field previously located behind the "little gym" will be set up on a different part of campus. Practice for the marching band unfortunately will not be well accommodated on campus this fall season as demolition and reformatting of the old campus space continues.
The new music rooms including the band area, are equipped with specialized acoustic ceilings and other features not previously available in the old building. Be sure to go see and hear performances any time you can!
The Orchestras at GJHS have been directed by Nicole Roos since 2019. There are 2 Orchestras at GJHS. The Concert Orchestra is primarily freshmen, and the Symphony Orchestra is upper classmen. We hope to reinstate a Chamber Orchestra as well.
With the construction of the new school, this is the first time in a long time, if ever, that the Orchestras will have their very own classroom to rehearse in. Similarly to the Choir room, the Orchestra room was designed specifically for music making, with sound panels and noise diffusers, etc. The room also has 2 internal practice rooms, as well as large instrument storage and a shared storage room with the band room.
The Orchestras are excited to make use of their new space, and plan to continue the legacy of producing high quality orchestral music for years to come.