7/29/12 UPDATE

BAND CAMP 2012

Thanks to all the JA Band members for a great first week of camp!

Thank you also to Hope Burford for all her help this week, and to Chelsea Sekanic, Catherine Arnold, and Charlette Oswalt for helping with uniform fittings.

Bottled water donations are still requested for Camp Week 2 and for the season.

PREMIERE PERFORMANCE & BOOSTER MEETING

As you can see from the photo above of the entrance to the Band Hall, construction of the visitor stands at Raider Field is almost complete. Due to the construction, we will no longer be able to bring the drum trailers into the gym, so the Premiere Performance Friday will now be in the Activities Building, NOT the gym. All JA Band families and friends are invited to the performance of the 2012 competition show, Who Are You?, the last day of camp, Friday, August 3, at 4:30 pm.

After the performance, there will be a Band Booster meeting for all parents. The schedule for the season, important information about the San Antonio trip, and other items will be discussed.

PHOTO GALLERY

Seven JA color guard members put in some extra hours today with our visiting guard choreographer, Leah Brown. More photos from Sunday's practice session and from the first week of band camp have been posted in the online PHOTO GALLERY, also linked in the menu bar above.

STAY CONNECTED 

In addition to this blog and the JA Band Facebook page (also linked in the menu bar above), the JA Band is now on Twitter.

Don't forget to follow us on @JA_Band, or use the easy link at the top right on this page. We will post daily updates from camp and throughout the season.

FALL 2012

Here is the usual rehearsal schedule once school starts, beginning August 13. ANY CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED EACH WEEK IN THE BLOG UPDATE.

Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday - 2:10 - 4:00
Tuesday - 2:10 - 3:00
     Color Guard - 5:00 - 6:00
     Percussion - 5:30 - 6:30
     Full Band - 6:30 - 8:00
Friday - 2:10 - 3:00, Football game schedule TBA each week

Event Schedule:

AUGUST 16 - Football game @PCS, Hattiesburg
AUGUST 24 - Football game @Home
AUGUST 31 - Football game @Home
SEPTEMBER 7 - Football game @Pillow Academy, Greenwood
SEPTEMBER 21 - Football game @Home
SEPTEMBER 28 - Football game @Home - Homecoming
OCTOBER 5 - Football game @Prep
OCTOBER 6 - Band competition @Clinton HS
OCTOBER 13 - Band competition @Pearl HS
OCTOBER 26 - Football game @Home
OCTOBER 27 - MAIS Marching Band Festival @Prep
NOVEMBER 1-5 - BOA San Antonio Trip - Click HERE for a preview video
NOVEMBER 9 - Championship Football Game

7/22/12 UPDATE

BAND CAMP 2012

JA Band Camp 2012 begins MONDAY. Thanks to Hannah McCowan, Annie Campbell, Christian Burford, and Caroline Burford, pictured above, for helping to move and set the mat and bring equipment to the Activities Building.

Thanks also to Nancye McCowan for bringing a donation of snacks for the students during camp.

FINAL REMINDERS:

- Camp is 8:30 - 11:30 and 1:00 - 5:00 each day. Arrive in time to start at 8:30.
- Students should wear comfortable clothing, plus sneakers and socks
- Camp Fee $100 per student, $50 for second child in family - checks payable to JA Band Boosters, due the first day of camp
- BOTTLED WATER DONATIONS NEEDED, for camp and throughout the season

MUSIC was emailed this week to all horns, keyboards, and bass. Each student should print the music and bring to camp.

PREMIERE PERFORMANCE & BOOSTER MEETING

All JA Band families and friends are invited to the JA Band's Premiere Performance of the 2012 competition show, Who Are You?, the last day of camp, Friday, August 3, at 4:30 pm in the JA gymnasium.

After the performance, there will be a Band Booster meeting for all parents. The schedule for the season, important information about the San Antonio trip, and other items will be discussed.

STAY CONNECTED 

In addition to this blog and the JA Band Facebook page (also linked in the menu bar above), the JA Band is now on Twitter.

Don't forget to follow us on @JA_Band, or use the easy link at the top right on this page. We will post daily updates from camp and throughout the season.

FALL 2012

Here is the usual rehearsal schedule once school starts, beginning August 13. ANY CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED EACH WEEK IN THE BLOG UPDATE.

Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday - 2:10 - 4:00
Tuesday - 2:10 - 3:00
     Color Guard - 5:00 - 6:00
     Percussion - 5:30 - 6:30
     Full Band - 6:30 - 8:00
Friday - 2:10 - 3:00, Football game schedule TBA each week

Event Schedule:

AUGUST 16 - Football game @PCS, Hattiesburg
AUGUST 24 - Football game @Home
AUGUST 31 - Football game @Home
SEPTEMBER 7 - Football game @Pillow Academy, Greenwood
SEPTEMBER 21 - Football game @Home
SEPTEMBER 28 - Football game @Home - Homecoming
OCTOBER 5 - Football game @Prep
OCTOBER 6 - Band competition @Clinton HS
OCTOBER 13 - Band competition @Pearl HS
OCTOBER 26 - Football game @Home
OCTOBER 27 - MAIS Marching Band Festival @Prep
NOVEMBER 1-5 - BOA San Antonio Trip - Click HERE for a preview video
NOVEMBER 9 - Championship Football Game

7/15/12 UPDATE

BAND CAMP 2012

Final Band Camp Countdown info:

- July 23 - 27 and July 30 - August 3
- 8:30 - 11:30 and 1:00 - 5:00 each day
- Students should wear comfortable clothing, plus sneakers and socks
- Camp Fee $100 per student, $50 for second child in family - checks payable to JA Band Boosters, due the first day of camp
- BOTTLED WATER DONATIONS NEEDED, for camp and throughout the season

For further details, please read through last week's update.

Music is being arranged for each band member. When the parts are finalized sometime this week, we will email each student his or her part.

STAY CONNECTED 

In addition to this blog and the JA Band Facebook page (also linked in the menu bar above), the JA Band is now on Twitter.

Follow us on @JA_Band, or use the easy link at the top right on this page. We will post updates from camp and throughout the season.

FALL 2012

Here is the usual rehearsal schedule once school starts, beginning August 13. ANY CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED EACH WEEK IN THE BLOG UPDATE.

Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday - 2:10 - 4:00
Tuesday - 2:10 - 3:00
     Color Guard - 5:00 - 6:00
     Percussion - 5:30 - 6:30
     Full Band - 6:30 - 8:00
Friday - 2:10 - 3:00, Football game schedule TBA each week

Event Schedule:

AUGUST 16 - Football game @PCS, Hattiesburg
AUGUST 24 - Football game @Home
AUGUST 31 - Football game @Home
SEPTEMBER 7 - Football game @Pillow Academy, Greenwood
SEPTEMBER 21 - Football game @Home
SEPTEMBER 28 - Football game @Home - Homecoming
OCTOBER 5 - Football game @Prep
OCTOBER 6 - Band competition @Clinton HS
OCTOBER 13 - Band competition @Pearl HS
OCTOBER 26 - Football game @Home
OCTOBER 27 - MAIS Marching Band Festival @Prep
NOVEMBER 1-5 - BOA San Antonio Trip - Click HERE for a preview video
NOVEMBER 9 - Championship Football Game

BLAST FROM THE PAST

We are happy to have drill writer Jeff Namian back working with the JA Band this season. Here is a photo of Jeff from Band Camp 2008:

BAND CAMP COUNTDOWN

BAND CAMP 2012

Thanks to everyone for their positive thoughts, prayers, flowers, food, and concern as Cammie continues to recover. She is planning to be ready for band camp.

Welcome to our new JA Band members for 2012: Ninth grader Cory Tirman, eighth grader Kayla Young, and seventh graders Charles Arnold, Mason Glaze, Maggie Jordan, Charis Sekanic, and Anna Claire Williams.

JA Band Camp 2012 begins in less than two weeks, on Monday, July 23, and runs for two weeks, July 23-27 and July 30 - August 3.

It is very important that we have ALL students in attendance for each day of camp, as the entire competition show - drill, music, and choreography - will be taught during those two weeks.

Camp will begin promptly at 8:30 each morning in the Activities Building. All students should arrive early enough to have all equipment and be ready to start by 8:30.

Lunch break will be 11:30 - 1:00. Students have several options for lunch:

- Older students may drive themselves to and from lunch.
- Parents may take students to and from lunch.
- Students may ride with another parent or older student, with parental permission.
- Students may bring lunch and remain in the band hall during the break. Supervision will be provided by JA grad and keyboard instructor Jay Kucia.

Students need to be back on campus and ready to begin the afternoon session by 1:00.

Instruction will finish each day at 5:00. Students may need a few minutes to gather equipment, etc., before being ready to be picked up.

On the final day of camp, Friday, August 3, we will move to the new gymnasium and conclude with a Premiere Performance of the show for families and friends at 4:30 pm.

Camp fee is $100 per student ($50 for second child in family), payable the first day of camp. Checks should be payable to JA BAND BOOSTERS.  Each student will receive two show t-shirts.

NOTE: Due to budget constraints, we are no longer able to provide free summer music lessons. Instructors will be available at camp to help students learn the music.

STAFF UPDATES

Percussion instruction will be provided this year by Andrew Gilstrap and Jeremy Burnham. Andy is a doctoral student at USM and worked with the JA Band on several occasions last year, including the St. Louis trip. Jeremy is a graduate of Hillcrest Christian School and Ole Miss, and has taught percussion at Northwest Rankin, DeSoto Central, Cleveland, and Lafayette HS. Jason Mathena has accepted a position as an assistant director at Southwest Mississippi Community College. 

2012 marks the return to the JA Band of drill writer Jeff Namian, registrar at the New York School of Interior Design, WGI and DCI adjudicator, and longtime JA Band collaborator. Due to work and judging commitments, Jeff will be unable to attend camp, so JA Visual Coordinator Steve McCartney will be teaching the drill. Recent drill writer Lenny Westmoreland is completing a masters program this summer.

Guard instructors at camp will be Kayla Emerson and Leah Brown. Kayla has worked with the JA guard for several years, including winter guard and dance camp. Leah is currently on tour with the Blue Knights DCI corps, as movement technician. She will be joining us for the second week of camp. Leah is from Spring, TX, where she began dancing competitively at age 6. She was a member of the Oak Ridge HS winter guard (WGI Open Class Finalists), Code Black winter guard, Blue Knights DCI corps, and Cypress Independent Winter Guard (WGI Independent World Finalists). She is a dance major at Sam Houston State University.