Academics
BNI Fine Arts Programs

BNI Music Program

BNI Music

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  • Our Program

    Music, both learning and playing it, can develop and enhance so many skills in your student. Learning an instrument and how to read music can assist in math comprehension with decision, fractions, etc. Beat and rhythm help with pattern recognition. The physicality of learning an instrument can develop and assist in coordination and fine motor skills. All of this helps with academics, playing sports, performing, and overall confidence of your student.
    • Next Level Musicians

Abigail Wojtaszek ’22

I love the BNI Band because it is very student oriented, allowing students to collaborate on marching shows, music, and smaller branches of the band to make our band uniquely ours.

About the BNI Music Program

The Bishop Noll band has been the crown jewel of Bishop Noll Institute since the early 1930s. It has won countless trophies and competitions during its storied history. The band program disappeared for a series of 8-9 years but was resurrected in 2010 by band director Rocco Carioto “Mr. C” and has carved out a new history for the program, winning national awards at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, for concert band, jazz band and marching band. The band has performed and won all types of major awards in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day parades, Chicago St. Patrick's Day parades, and Chicago Columbus Day parades just to name a few. 

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  • Rocco Carioto, Band Director

    Rocco specializes in creating and building High School Band Programs. When he came to BNI he had the goal to re-build the band program to its once famed glory. In doing so he has started both the Concert and Marching Bands, a Mariachi Band, a Rock Band Ensemble, a Jazz Band that competes locally and nationally, and a pep band for other indoor sports at Bishop Noll Institute. He focuses equal parts on the skill and fun of Band and music as well as the educational value that music has, starting  one of the first Honors Level Bands in the area.

Our Curriculum

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  • Bishop Noll Beginning Band Class

    The BNI beginning band class is designed for students who wish to learn a traditional concert band instrument who have had no previous opportunity to do so. This class is open freshman through senior students. Students are provided with a musical instrument at no cost an all class materials. Students retain the musical instrument they learn as long as they are enrolled in either beginning band or advanced band classes. After students have successfully completed the beginning band class they can move up to the advanced band class and receive honors credit upon fulfilling the requirements for the honors credit.

    The beginning band class follows and enforces the Indiana state music standards for instrumental performance: 
    P 8.12.1 and P 8.12.2. 
  • Bishop Noll Advanced Band Class

    The advanced program is designed for students whose skill set allows them to perform pre-college and college level music. Students are offered the opportunity to secure honors status in this class after they have fulfilled the requirements and with the permission of the band director.

    The advanced program combines the skill sets of marching band performance in the fall and concert band in the late fall and spring. The program also offers students opportunities to perform in jazz band, mariachi band, string ensemble, wind ensemble and percussion ensemble. The program also offers a true college experience offering opportunities for travel as the band performs at national competitions both for concert and marching band all over the United States. It is the only pre-college level high school band program in the NW Indiana and surrounding Chicago- land area that offers students an honors status credit for the class. 

    The program follows and enforces the Indiana state music standards for instrumental performance IDOE standards P 8.12.3, P 8.12.4 and IDOE state standards CR 9.12. 1, CR 9.12. 2,CR 9.12. 3, CR 10.12. 1 and standards CR 11.12.1, CR 11.12.2 and CR 11.12.3.

Contact Us

Do you have questions about becoming a BNI Marching Warrior or about joining the Band program? Email any questions to rcarioto@bishopnoll.org.  

Link for more information on band program: https://bishopnollband.weebly.com/

Sam Saurez ’22

BNI Marching Band is one of the best bands in the N.W. Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area just by how much talent we have and by how hard we work. We can do anything because we are driven. I love the fact that Mr. C lets me express my love of football by letting me play and then allowing me to run to my spot during halftime to march in the show. Where else does that happen? I highly recommend anyone who plays a band instrument and plays sports joining!
Bishop Noll Institute, a diverse, Catholic college preparatory school, partners with local faith communities to empower young adults to live their faith in Christ through ministry, scholarship, and leadership.