El Cerrito High School Bands

Located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, El Cerrito High School holds a proud history of musical excellence and award-winning ensembles that dates to the school’s opening in 1941. The band program at El Cerrito High School continues to be recognized among the top programs in California and has been nationally recognized as a “Best Community for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation (2025 & 2026). The program offers students the opportunity to develop their skills and passion for music through a variety of experiences that include performances, clinics, festivals, and travel opportunities. In addition to five curricular ensembles, the program also offers several extra-curricular opportunities that include the Gaucho Band, Jazz Lab, and Jazz Combos.

Led by El Cerrito alumnus Keith Johnson, all El Cerrito bands have received superior ratings and top honors at music festivals and competitions across the state over the last two decades. Notable events include performances at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Symphony Hall in Chicago, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Additionally, the program has travled on international tours to Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland for cultural exchanges and performances at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Jazz á Vienne, and at the City of Valencia International Wind Band Contest.

El Cerrito’s ensembles have been featured at music education conferences across the state and nationally, including the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Bay Section Conference in 2020 and 2024 (Jazz Ensemble), the California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) in 2014 and 2024 (Jazz Ensemble), 2018 and again in 2027 (Wind Ensemble) and The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in 2024 (Jazz Ensemble). Prior statewide appearances include the 1961 CMEA State Conference and the 1991 CBDA All-State Convention.

For a full history of El Cerrito High School Bands click HERE