The JMU Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Amy Birdsong, is the band program’s largest concert ensemble, with an average of 80-100 performers. This fully instrumentated wind band is blended with talents from both non-music and music majors; freshmen through fifth-year students with a variety of experience and musical backgrounds. Having two staged performances per semester, the JMU Concert Band performs a wide variety of wind band repertoire and seeks to engage audiences with both traditional and non-traditional concert experiences. Membership is open to all JMU students without audition.

The Symphonic Band, under the direction of Mr. Chris DeVona, is an ensemble of 50-60 select woodwind, brass and percussion players. The ensemble performs two to three concerts per semester with music ranging from standard wind band repertoire to the latest in contemporary composition. The Symphonic Band regularly collaborates with composers and publishers to create reference recordings of new works and, along with the Wind Symphony, hosts a guest composer residency each spring semester.