Congratulations to the JA Band for their achievements in San Antonio! The trip was a wonderful experience for our students and families. Look for more details & photos below.
Quick schedule update: All band rehearsals this week (Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday) will be only during seventh period class time – 2:00 – 2:46.
PRESIDENT’S CORNER – Jim Lowery
What can I say about my last trip to a Bands of America event? I have not seen in the events I have attended seen our band interrupted for standing ovations during the show! That was the top to my final journey. So much went well due to work on many fronts. Thanks to Pam Sandlin who served as trip coordinator for this event. To all those parents who rode the bus, the schedule went so much as planned. We even adjusted well to the 10:45 PM performance time on Saturday. We did not even lose a chaperone. Luke Strong had the best time: He chaperoned 5 parents at the Alamo! Thanks to Chief Wendy for keeping us together. To Joe Mardis, Mark Hatch and Paul Heindl, thanks for allowing me to enjoy the “comforts” of the bus! To all those who help with the load, unload, load, unload, load, unload, load, and unload work for this trip… WELL DONE! For those who help with field preparation, sitting in the stands at the 3 minute mark is another WELL DONE. Thanks for the support in the stands. On many of the trips I have taken with the band, we have not had a fan base in the stands. Thanks to all of you that took of your time to support our children in San Antonio. Thanks for the support on the home front that communicated with the press box during the web stream of the show.
Now, on to the next projects…
1. Don’t forget Senior Night at the Friday football game. These four guys have done much to insure the success of the JA Band for the future. I again observed many instances of their mentoring on the trip. Don’t forget. We will need assistance for the field show.
2. We need all of you to be available for the MAIS Marching Festival at Raider Field on Saturday. If you are not already assigned a job, please be available. The raffle has an enormous value. Sell all the tickets you can; I can print more! I am printing the program as I write this. Thanks to all who sold ads to make the program the largest we have produced. Thank Sue Guindon when you see her on Friday and Saturday for her help with the layout of the program. This has become profitable for the band boosters through the hard work of many.
3. I have been asked to have the band boosters participate in Raider Night. What a good way to showcase a JA advantage! We should be proud of what our children have accomplished and share that! As plans come together, we will communicate with you.
Signing off to zzzzzzzzzzz! Jim
MAIS FESTIVAL REPORT- Connie Hill
1. I need volunteers to sell raffle tickets at the game Friday night. Last year several of the dads walked the track and the stands selling tickets and the reception from the JA fans was phenomenal. I really want that again this year. If you are passionate about our BOA Class A Champions band and want to let everyone know that you are a proud band parent come help us sell raffle tickets Friday night at the game. We will need you there for pre-game and until half-time. Please let me know. crhill725@comcast.net
2. We still need volunteers for concession stand.
3. I need helpers to put up 4 canopies at 9:00 Saturday morning.
4. I need 4 cash boxes or bags. We need to keep gate ticket sales, raffle ticket sales, program sales and shout-out sales all separate. If you have one please let me know.
PARENT FIELD CREW REPORT – Rike Sandlin
I’m very proud of the excellent support the parents gave the band on the field in San Antonio. The speed and precision of entrance, set-up, and exit, as well as the level of effort at the truck, provided our students a great example of strong work ethic and also our commitment to them. I’d also like to thank those parents who came up to the school and helped unload the truck Sunday evening when it arrived from San Antonio.
At this Friday’s football game we plan to put the show on the field at half-time again. Although this will be a bit more relaxed and not as many hands are needed, your help will be appreciated. We will need a few extra helpers to step in for the senior parents (Commaratos, Humphreys, Lowerys, Sandlins) as they will be dressed to participate in the senior recognition ceremony.
At the Saturday MAIS festival, we will again perform the show. Although this event is not as large as BOA, it is important that we handle the pit and props very similar to the way we did in San Antonio’s competition. For those with MAIS duties, we may need to work out some relief to allow you to help with the 1:00 JA Band performance.
SAN ANTONIO TRIP REPORT – Pam Sandlin
Well, we made it to San Antonio and back safely! That alone is an accomplishment, but it’s very important to note that we did it on time and without much trouble – given the number of people going and the exhausting schedule, that’s nothing short of miraculous!
Thank you to everyone who helped make the trip a success. Everyone was willing to step up and help in any way asked in San Antonio, which I greatly appreciate. Although I cannot possibly thank everyone individually, I did want to mention a few people specifically. Thank you to Karen and John Humphreys and Frances Anne Dallaire for providing snacks for the band; Terri Fisher and Sid Pierce for their help with meeting Jason’s Deli on Saturday; Wendy Hutchins for serving as head chaperone and making sure their children were well taken care of; Jim & Shae Lowery for keeping the count at every stop and helping in many other ways; and Joe Mardis, Mr. Hatch, and Mr. Heindl for driving the truck. Thank you especially to Kristal Golden who helped in more ways than I can name.
It was also wonderful to get to know many of the parents and families better. It was a great trip, and I’m pleased that everyone had a fun time.
DIRECTORS’ REPORT – Bruce & Cammie Carter
Thank you to all the students for their hard work and exemplary behavior on the trip this past weekend. We are extremely proud of the way they conducted themselves. For those who were not able to join us at the event, please talk to your students about the incredible experience of performing in front of a crowd of 20,000 or so, who gave the band two standing ovations during their Finals exhibition performance.
We received several congratulatory emails from people who had attended the event, including the following, from a parent of a student in the LD Bell Band, this year’s Super Regional Champions.
From: Kathy Nobles
Subject: Congratulations
To: bcarter@jacksonacademy.org
Mr. Carter,
I just wanted to extend a congratulations to your band for winning the Class A, Outstanding Visual and General Effect awards in the BOA San Antonio competition this past weekend. Three of my children have gone through the band program with the HEBISD. Currently, my middle son is a trombone player in the LD Bell Marching Band.
Saturday evening, as we sat through the 14 finalist bands, we periodically heard about this one band who had 29 kids and how amazing the performance was. When I finally realized that it was the Jackson Academy Band...and when I saw the performance, I was completely amazed and impressed with the show.
I personal would like to extend my appreciation for what your band represents and what you are doing for these kids. I have sat through four years of BOA competitions and never, NEVER have I experienced the crowd reaction that I experienced Saturday night. These kids have such a wonderful opportunity ahead of them. Their talent is absolutely amazing - especially at their young age.
Thank you so much for allowing them to show those of us who almost take advantage of what our kids are offered and give us an opportunity to see how that, it's not in the numbers, it's in the kids and how they show how much they love music.
This school has a wonderful program and I can only hope that I will see you again in future years and future competitions. It was a performance that I will never ever forget. It will be forever engrained in my memory.
Again, thank you!
Kathy Nobles
And this one, from the brother-in-law of a Texas band director friend of ours.
From: Rob Borowicz
Subject: High School Band magic
I witnessed a truly magical moment on Saturday night in San Antonio. Lisa and I were at the Alamodome for the BOA (Bands of America) Regional Marching Band Competition in which Eric our 15 year old son was marching in. About 50 schools from Texas and Oklahoma and Mississippi participated in Preliminaries on Friday and Saturday with finals Saturday night.
Most of these schools were 5A (biggest) with bands numbering more then 200 students and including opulent presentations. But competition at this contest included all school sizes including 1A {smallest} schools as well and best in class awards given out at all levels.
After the 14 finalists performed (most of them 5A and huge) the BOA staff did something cool. They asked the 1A overall winner to perform their program and they accepted. We'd watched incredibly large programs just blow us away with their big and loud bands one after another and along comes the "Jackson Academy" from Jackson Mississippi to perform their winning program. Instead of using the entire football field at the huge Alamodome, Jackson used a patterned and colorful tarp about 90 feet by 90 feet to redefine their playing field. Instead of a Colorguard of 50 or more girls these guys had maybe 8. Instead of a huge array of brass and woodwinds and drum line these guys had maybe a dozen. Instead of a huge "pit" of Xylophones and Bass Drums and such these guys wheeled out a platform train of 4 platforms pulled by a small 4X4 with 2 full trap set drummers, 2 keyboardists {on one platform) and a general percussionist on chimes, congas etc. on the last.
Jackson proceeded to perform a melody of classic Blood Sweat and Tears tunes just nailing them all. Their trombone player lit it up with a huge fat sound, 2 different trumpeters took solos and just sailed. The 6-8 colorguard girls did their dance routine, stopping at times and picking up flutes and clarinets and took their own solos and played in the choirs! Contrasted against the huge programs we'd just seen these guys paled in size but by no means in affect.The crowd roared in approval afterward and they received a standing ovation.
Way cool....
Our school (Austin Bowie) was awarded 4th overall in the finals and we beat out fine programs from Sugarland (Houston) and Cedar Park (Austin area).
-Bobby B
I can’t think of a better testament to the power of the experience for our students, staff, and parents. Thank you to everyone for your support in making it all possible.
Cammie and I would like to add our “thank yous” to those mentioned above. Special thanks to Pam Sandlin for all her work over the past six months or so organizing every aspect of the trip. Her efforts not only made it affordable, they also enabled us to design the trip exactly the way we wanted it to be. Thanks as well to staff members Steve McCartney, Paul Heindl, & Mark Hatch for their assistance on the trip.
Thank you to Connie Hill and all the other parents who have been working hard to prepare for the MAIS Marching Band Festival this Saturday, October 31. Here is a schedule for the day:
10:45 – Opening Ceremonies, National Anthem by JA Brass Ensemble
11:00 – Copiah Academy Band
11:15 – Canton Academy Band
11:30 – Oak Hill Academy Band
11:45 – Starkville Academy Band
12:00 – LUNCH BREAK
12:45 – Hillcrest Christian School Band
1:00 – Jackson Academy Band
1:30 – Hinds Community College Eagle Marching Band
1:45 – Raffle Drawings
2:00 – Awards
Many of the students will be assisting during the morning at the festival. All students need to report to the band hall to dress in uniform and prepare for warmup by 11:30.
The JA BAND schedule for the week:
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, & THURSDAY – Rehearsal 2:00 – 2:46
NOTE: Randy Dickerson will not be teaching private lessons as usual on Tuesday. He will be contacting his students to reschedule, as band members continue to prepare for Lions Band auditions in a few weeks.
FRIDAY – Home football game vs. Magnolia Heights – all students report at 5:30 for pregame rehearsal. We will play pep tunes during first and second quarters, perform the show during halftime, and the drumline will play in the stands during fourth quarter. Also at halftime, senior band members Will Commarato, John Humphreys, Kevin Lowery, and Jonathan Sandlin will be recognized with their parents. All band members will march back to the band hall as a group at the end of the game.
SATURDAY – MAIS Marching Band Festival – All students report by 11:30 to dress and prepare for warmup. The JA Band performance time will be 1:00.
PHOTO GALLERY – Wendy Hutchins
Here is just a sampling of the many photos that will be uploaded to the online photo gallery: JA BAND GALLERY
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