In August of 2002, Orange County Schools opened their second high school, Cedar Ridge, with 600 students and created a band program that consisted of twenty-eight students and their director Mrs. Patricia Hughes-Ball. After 20 years, the band program has grown to include approximately one hundred students and the Red Wolf Bands have performed concerts and participated in festivals throughout the southeastern United States. The program today consists of a Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensembles I & II, and the Marching Red Wolves. The Concert and Jazz Bands have received Superior Ratings in MPA and have performed in clinics and workshops in NC, Fl, GA, and NY. In 2015, Jazz Ensemble I was selected as a featured performer for the 2015 NCMEA In-Service Conference. Jazz Ensemble I placed 4th in the Swing Central Jazz Festival hosted annually by the Savannah Music Festival in March of 2017 and won the Regional Essentially Ellington Festival Hosted at UNC in 2018. In May of the same year, the Wind Ensemble was recognized by High Point University as an "Honor Band of North Carolina.” Members of the Red Wolf Bands have achieved numerous individual accolades and have performed in honor and jazz bands at the district, state, and national levels. Many graduates of the CRHS Band Program have gone on to earn degrees in Music, and numerous alumni have joined the ranks of the professional music and education fields.
In recent years, the bands of Cedar Ridge have played a role in commissioning new works for wind and jazz bands from composers including Steven Bryant, Roger Cichy, Martin Ellerby, Nathan Daughtrey, John Mackey, Onsby Rose, and Jim Warrick. The concert and jazz ensembles have had the privilege to rehearse and perform with numerous professional musicians and educators, including: Michael Adelson (New York Philharmonic), Sherman Erby (JLCO), Dr. Andrea Brown (Univ. of Maryland), Mr. Bob Buckner, Dr. Evan Feldman (UNC), Dr. Arris Golden (Michigan State Univ.), Gary Green (Univ. of Miami), Dr. Frank Bongiorno (UNCW), Bryan Carter (NBC & JLC), Alphonso Horne, Michael D'Angelo, Jim Ketch (UNC), Jason Marsalis, Phillip Riggs, Dr. Rusty Smith (Elon), Dr. William Staub (ECU), Dr. Laurence Marks, Dr. Mark Norman (UNCSA), Benjy Springs (GSO College), Dr. Dominic Talanca (UNCW), Dr. Eric Willie (UNCG), Ken Watters, Jerome Jennings (The Julliard School), Marcus Roberts (Florida State Univ.), Mark Clodfelter (University of Deleware), and Dr. John Ross (ASU). The Cedar Ridge Band has performed at the North Carolina Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in 2006, 2012, 2015 and in 2018 Jazz Ensemble I won the Regional Essentially Ellington Festival at UNC and the Wind Ensemble was named an Honor Band of NC. The Band Program also has an IB Music course that is taken by individuals in the IB Humanities Cluster as well as Full Diploma students.
In recent years, the bands of Cedar Ridge have played a role in commissioning new works for wind and jazz bands from composers including Steven Bryant, Roger Cichy, Martin Ellerby, Nathan Daughtrey, John Mackey, Onsby Rose, and Jim Warrick. The concert and jazz ensembles have had the privilege to rehearse and perform with numerous professional musicians and educators, including: Michael Adelson (New York Philharmonic), Sherman Erby (JLCO), Dr. Andrea Brown (Univ. of Maryland), Mr. Bob Buckner, Dr. Evan Feldman (UNC), Dr. Arris Golden (Michigan State Univ.), Gary Green (Univ. of Miami), Dr. Frank Bongiorno (UNCW), Bryan Carter (NBC & JLC), Alphonso Horne, Michael D'Angelo, Jim Ketch (UNC), Jason Marsalis, Phillip Riggs, Dr. Rusty Smith (Elon), Dr. William Staub (ECU), Dr. Laurence Marks, Dr. Mark Norman (UNCSA), Benjy Springs (GSO College), Dr. Dominic Talanca (UNCW), Dr. Eric Willie (UNCG), Ken Watters, Jerome Jennings (The Julliard School), Marcus Roberts (Florida State Univ.), Mark Clodfelter (University of Deleware), and Dr. John Ross (ASU). The Cedar Ridge Band has performed at the North Carolina Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in 2006, 2012, 2015 and in 2018 Jazz Ensemble I won the Regional Essentially Ellington Festival at UNC and the Wind Ensemble was named an Honor Band of NC. The Band Program also has an IB Music course that is taken by individuals in the IB Humanities Cluster as well as Full Diploma students.