Ensembles
The music program at Central High School is part of a comprehensive fine arts program. Led by John Currey, Jennifer Currey, and Ann Marie Morisette, the program attracts over 300 students participating in a variety of musical experiences. Opportunities include choir, concert bands, jazz ensembles and combos, pep band, marching band, and orchestras.
The educational philosophy of the program focuses around a strong emphasis on sight-reading, which provides exposure to a great variety of music and a way to achieve musical proficiency and independence. The program also broadens students‚ musical perspectives by directing students to an array of music education opportunities: referring students to private instruction and summer camps, encouraging attendance at concerts, making professional recordings available for listening and providing exposure to guest artists to work with students.
Ensemble Pages
Choir
Concert Bands
- Concert Band
- Symphonic Band
- Wind Symphony
Marching Band
Jazz Ensembles
Orchestras
Other Musianship Opportunities
Audition tapes typically due in December. Contact directors about how to participate.
Typically takes place in March each year. Contact directors about how to participate.
The Central Music Boosters offer scholarships for freshmen-junion students in curricular music classes. See the Resources pages for more information and applications. Applications are typically due in early May. Please contact the Boosters with questions.
John Currey
John Currey is Director of Instrumental Music at Champaign Central High School. Mr. Currey received his training at the University of Massachusetts as a saxophone student of Lynn Kock and Yusef Lateef and at the University of Illinois where he studied with Debra Richtmeyer and Ron Bridgewater. Prior to his appointment at Central in 1998, Mr. Currey taught in Munster, Indiana, and in the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools.
John Currey performed across the country with the World Champion Cadets of Bergen County Drum and Bugle Corps in 1990 and 1991. He returned to the Cadets as a member of the teaching staff in 1992 and 1993.
Under Mr. Currey’s leadership, many student ensembles at Central have had the opportunity to travel and play all across the country at festivals, concerts, clinics, and parades including the Essentially Ellington Festival in New York, Monterey Jazz Festival, Savannah Jazz Festival, Berklee Jazz Festival, North Texas Jazz Festival, ABC Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Nations Day Parade in New York City, Peach Bowl Parade, Disney Parade of Bands, and the Illinois Superstate Band Festival.
He is active as a clinician and guest conductor for various state and district festivals throughout the Midwest and Northeast United States. He also frequently serves as an adjudicator for various concert and jazz band competitions and festivals in the Midwest. He is a member of NAfME and JEN. He has served as the ILMEA Jazz Division Vice President and as the Chairman of the All State Jazz Band for ILMEA.
Jennifer Currey
Jennifer Currey is a native of Farmington, Illinois. She attended the University of Illinois as an undergraduate French Horn Performance major. While there, Mrs. Currey performend in many ensembles including The Marching Illini, Symphonic Band, U of I Symphony, Illinois Opera Theater, Jazz Band, and several chamber groups. She graduated from the U of I with Honors in 1995.
Following her studies at the U of I, Mrs. Currey attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. While at Hopkins, she held an appointment as a music education graduate teaching assistant. She performed in the Peabody Symphony Orchestra and the Peabody Wind Emsemble. Mrs. Currey received her Master’s Degree in Music Education from Johns Hopkins in 1998.
Mrs. Currey’s performance experience has included appointments with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, Danville Symphony Orchestra, and Peoria Municipal Band. While in graduate school, she performed professionally with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Her teaching career began in the Catlin, Illinois, school district prior to accepting a position with Champaign Unit #4 Schools in 1999. She served on the teaching faculty at the University of Illinois Summer Youth Music Camps for several years. In 2008, Mrs. Currey was appointed assistant band director at Champaign Central High School. She is active in recruiting beginners as well as non-traditional students to the music program at the school. She is a member of NAfME and ILMEA.
Ann Marie Morisette
Ann Marie is passionate about teaching young people how to sing! She is currently the choir director at Champaign Central High School in Champaign, IL.and has conducted choirs for the Central Illinois Youth Chorus since 2012. She received her teaching certification and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in vocal performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mrs. Morrissette has performed in many musicals and operas with the Illinois Opera Theatre and Parkland College, as well as solo performances with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra.
Banding Together to Save Lives Blood Drive
If you help us get 20 donations at the Community Blood Services of Illinois Donor Center, the Central Music Boosters will receive a $250 grant! The special blood drive for bands will run from July 9-14. Mention the Central High School Band when you register online...
SuperState
Champaign Central's Wind Symphony, the Class 2A Honor Band, will be performing at 7:45 p.m. Friday, May 4, at SuperState. If you can't make it to the Krannert Center to watch them in person, you can listen to the performance livestream on the SuperState website.
2018 Marching Maroons
All students who wish to participate in the Marching Maroons in the fall 2018 semester need to sign the required 2018 Marching Band contract and pay a non-refundable minimum deposit of $50 by June 1. More information, including the marching band calendar, is included...