
JACKSON INDEPENDENT WINTERGUARD

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 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.
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:


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: