The Northside Symphony Orchestra is one of the few public school full-orchestra programs in the state of Texas. Unlike many school orchestra programs, students have a chance to perform on any instrument found in a major symphony orchestra, including:

• Strings - violin, viola, cello, string bass, and harp
• Woodwinds - flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon
• Brass - trumpet, french horn, trombone, and tuba
• Percussion - snare, timpani, mallet percussion, drum set, and accessory percussion
• Piano - beginning students are encouraged to take a piano class offered at Northside before auditioning for one of the orchestral ensembles.

In addition to this, those interested in Mariachi can also choose from the following:

Guitar, guitarron, and vihuela

Instead of focusing on competition, the program focuses on three core areas - college, career, and community.