Sunday, January 31, 2010

1/31/10 UPDATE



Congrats to the JI Winterguard for coming in first place at Pearl show on Saturday. Please see below for important information about the "Arts in Motion" winter guard and indoor percussion show which will be held at JA this Saturday, February 6.

JACKSON INDEPENDENT WINTERGUARD



The Guard excelled at the Pearl show on Saturday. Thank you to the students and parents for persevering through a very long day and late evening. After their performance at the Field Day event in the afternoon, JI was placed in the highest class, Independent A, where they will compete against units composed primarily of college students. They responded with an outstanding performance in the evening show, earning first place honors.

There were several Jackson Academy connections in the Pearl gym Saturday, including Statement winterguard from MSU, which is directed by JA alumna Jessie Stribling, and the Oak Grove HS group, directed by JA alumna Jessica Thompson.

Thanks to Will Commarato, Jonathan Sandlin, & John Humphreys for helping at Pearl.


The Mississippi Indoor Association show here at JA on Saturday will require help from both guard and band students to serve as guides, and parents to help with concessions, parking, admissions, and other roles. With 5 percussion units and 13 guards from all over the state participating, this has the potential to be a strong fundraiser. Student helpers will be notified at school, and parents should attend the Booster meeting on Tuesday night to learn more about how they can help.

The following Percussion units will perform between 5:00 and 5:50:

East Central HS
Holmes Community College
Ridgeland HS
Pearl HS
Northwest Rankin HS

Percussion performances will be followed by the Winter Guard shows, beginning at 5:55 until retreat at 7:45. The following units are scheduled to participate:

Noxapater
Clinton Red
Madison Central
Clinton Black
Florence/Sapphire
Garbato (DSU)
Northwest Rankin
Horn Lake
Choctaw Central
Soliloquy (Pearl)
Statement (MSU)
ICC Independent
Jackson Independent

Please consider helping at the show to make all these units feel welcome on the JA campus.

The JI Winterguard will have rehearsal this week on Monday, from 4:00 - 7:00, and Saturday before the show, from 12:00 - 2:00.

PRESIDENT'S CORNER - Jim Lowery

The quiet of winter around the band hall is about to change. When Brandon High School defaulted for the Mississippi Indoor Association event for February 6th, Jackson Academy was available and the JA Band was asked to host the event. In the years before the MIA was formed, JA sponsored the only local event for indoor color guard and drum lines. The other nearest events were on the coast of Mississippi, Louisiana or Florida. The MIA has brought exciting performances throughout Mississippi. MIA events are preliminary events for qualification to Winter Guard International regionals, which is a performance organization at the level of BOA for Indoor events. We will have the opportunity to show case our facilities, including the PAC, for 18 performance groups from metropolitan Jackson and as far away as Horn Lake, Cleveland and Choctaw. We also have an opportunity to make this a money making venture for the Band Booster budget.

Since this event is this Saturday, it is important that we all attend the booster meeting at 6 PM Tuesday in the band hall. If we all make time available to help this Saturday afternoon, this will not be a difficult day and it will be profitable. We will have all the details to discuss then and I will attempt to keep the meeting short. See you Tuesday. (If you are unable to attend the meeting on Tuesday and are available to help, please contact me.)

See you on February 2 at 6 PM.



MSU HONOR BAND CLINIC

Almost simultaneously with the guard's afternoon performance at Pearl, JA senior band members Will Commarato, Jonathan Sandlin, & John Humphreys performed at the final concert Saturday for the Mississippi State University Honor Band Clinic. As an MSU alumnus, I was extremely proud to see our students on the stage at Lee Hall, where all three had earned spots in the first band at the clinic.

As I was leaving the campus Saturday afternoon, I had the privilege of visiting the new Band Hall on campus, which was designed by architect and JA Band parent Eric Commarato. It is an incredible facility, spacious and both visually and acoustically outstanding.

Here are a few photos from Saturday's concert in Starkville:





The clinician for the weekend was Mark Camphouse of George Mason University.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please mark the following dates on your calendars:

Tuesday, February 2 - JA Band Booster meeting, 6:00

Tuesday, March 23 - Full Band evening rehearsal, PAC, 7:00 - 8:30
Tuesday, March 30 - Full Band evening rehearsal, PAC, 7:00 - 8:30
Thursday, April 1 - MAIS Concert Band Festival, PAC, all day

Tuesday, May 4 - JA Band Program Spring Concert, PAC, 7:00
Thursday, May 13 - JA Band Program Banquet

BAND CAMP - July 26-30 and August 2-6, JA campus, 8:30 - 5:00 each day

SECTIONALS

Sectionals this week will be on the usual schedule:

MONDAY - tenor saxes & clarinets
TUESDAY - alto saxes & flutes
WEDNESDAY - percussion
THURSDAY - trumpets
FRIDAY - low brass

JAZZ CAMP - June 7-11

We encourage all interested students to consider participating in this new camp to be held at JA this summer:


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