Cortland Modern Band

Cortland Modern Band is a high school and junior high school program dedicated to helping students live up to our department motto; 'Discover Your Sound' through popular music. Students pick their instruments, pick their music, and form their own bands under the guidance of Jon Keefner. You can find them performing all around Cortland and Tompkins counties at some of the areas most iconic venues such as Homer Center For The Arts, Rose Hall, and the Bernie Milton Pavilion in downtown Ithaca. Check out our music page or find us on all streaming platforms to get a taste of our 4 original studio albums; all recorded, mixed, and mastered in house. 

This program was born from an idea by it's founder, Jen Rafferty, over 10 years ago. It began as a guitar class and grew into a full blown modern band class with about 12 students in it. Today can you can find 6 unique sections of the class with over 80 students and a brand new Music Production program. We highly value mentorship and intergenerational learning here and you can find that play out on a day to day basis. Brand new beginners play in bands with seasoned seniors, upperclassmen join younger classes as teachers, and our staff sits in with each band throughout the year to help guide their learning. We don't do levels, only community.