8/29/10 UPDATE

PRESIDENT'S CORNER - Martha Ray

Thank you to all the parents for your help Friday night at the football game!  It was great to see such a strong show of support from the parents!  And, it was fun to watch the band perform for the first time in front of a good crowd. (I thought they were amazing!)

Thanks too for your financial contributions to the Band Boosters! We’ve sold quite a few football passes. (I still have passes available. If anyone else wants one, just let me know.)

Finally, I wanted to thank the McDaniel family for donating a large supply of bottled water to the Band.  We appreciate your helping in this way.

Enjoy your long Labor Day weekend next weekend and we’ll regroup for the MRA game on September 10th.  See you then!
 

JA BAND SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 30 - SEPTEMBER 3

Monday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Tuesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46, Guard 5:00 - 6:00, Percussion 5:30 - 6:30, Full Band 6:30 - 8:00 in the gym

Wednesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Thursday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Friday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46 (No band at away football game at Presbyterian Christian)

Congrats to the JA Band for a fine first performance on the field at halftime Friday night. Thanks to the parents who helped with equipment.

A few pics from the first pep rally of the season:

 

 

 

LIONS BAND AUDITIONS

Good luck to JA Guard members Abbi Thomas, Annie Campbell, Samantha Hill, & Caroline Burford, who attended the Lions Band Color Guard Workshop this weekend.

For those upperclassmen interested in auditioning for the Mississippi Lions All-State Band this year, the auditions have been rescheduled for October 30, which is when the JA Band will be in Atlanta. Students who wish to audition will be able to make arrangements to have their auditions videotaped at Pearl HS sometime the week before the trip.

ATLANTA TRIP

As promised, here are a few more details about the JA Band fall trip to Atlanta, GA for the BOA Super Regional.

ITINERARY (click on links for more information):

Friday, October 29

-Early morning depart from JA
-Riverchase Galleria Mall, Birmingham - shop, lunch

 

 
- Rehearsal, Sports Blast, Birmingham

- Dinner at Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA

 

 

- Check in to hotel - Drury Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport

Saturday, October 30

 

- Complimentary breakfast at hotel

- Late morning performance time at the Georgia Dome  

 

 

 - Lunch and tour at Georgia Aquarium

 

 

- Return to Dome for final bands and results

- Dinner at CNN Food Court

- Super Regional Finals, return to hotel

 

Sunday, October 31

- Complimentary breakfast at hotel

- Six Flags Over Georgia

 

 

 

 - Late afternoon - return to JA

 

8/22/10 UPDATE

PRESIDENT'S CORNER - Martha Ray

To all JA Band Parents:

Thanks to all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to attend the first JA Band Boosters meeting Tuesday, August 17th!  I enjoyed visiting with you and am looking forward to working with you this year.

There are a few things you need to know now:

1.)  Bobby West has given us permission to sell the JA Band Booster Football Passes again this year. The football passes will be available exclusively to JA Band families for $75 each. The pass will enable the holder to enter any JA football game (high school or junior high) without paying additional admission fees. The passes will be valid only at JA home football games. They will not cover admission to MAIS championship games.

Please plan to contribute $75 and get a Band Booster Football Pass. It is a great way to support the band program.  I am planning to have the passes ready for the first football game next Friday. If you want to get a pass (or several passes) for your family, please send an E-mail to me at marthamray@yahoo.com so I’ll have an idea of how many passes to have made. I will try to have them available for you by mid week.

2.) If you did not receive your JA Band directory at the meeting Tuesday night, please contact Hope Burford to get one. Your directory will prove to be a valuable resource during the year.

3.) T-shirts are still available for $15 each. Please be sure to let Bruce or Cammie Carter know if you want another shirt and what size. 

4.) Our JA Band Magazine sale is slated to start Sept. 22nd. Please put it on your calendar and try to build in some time you can spend helping with the sale. Also, be thinking of who you know that might be willing to buy magazines from us.

Thanks much for your help!  I look forward to seeing you all Friday night as the JA Band takes the field to perform for the first time of the season!  See you then!  Martha Ray

JA BAND SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 23-27:

Monday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Tuesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46, Color Guard 5:00 - 6:00, Percussion 5:30 - 6:30, FULL BAND 6:30 - 8:00

Wednesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Thursday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Friday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46, Home Football Game - All students report ready to start pregame rehearsal at 5:30, in band t-shirts and khaki shorts. When the game is over, the band will march together back to the band hall, and students will be dismissed after all equipment is put away.

ATLANTA TRIP

All band families are encouraged to join the band as they travel to Atlanta October 29-31 for the Bands of America Regional Championship. Parents are needed to help chaperone students and as members of the field crew. As experienced parents can attest, families and students alike enjoy these trips as time to socialize and experience new things together.

Student cost for the trip will be $300. This covers transportation, lodging, attraction admissions, breakfasts, some snacks, and lunch on Saturday. Students will need approximately $60 for other meals, plus $$ for souvenirs and shopping if desired.

Family cost is $210 per room (up to 4 people) plus $60 per person. This covers lodging, transportation if riding the bus (there will be room for about 20 family members), plus admission tickets for the Aquarium and Six Flags, and lunch on Saturday (breakfasts are included at the hotel).

Please keep the following dates in mind so that we can finalize hotel details and purchase group attraction tickets:

September 10 - Need to know how many family members and how many hotel rooms required

October 1 - All payments due (students and families)

Because it is a Super Regional, we are required to make hotel arrangements for students, staff, and family members through the BOA Housing Bureau. We will be staying at the Drury Inn and Suites Atlanta Airport. A few photos from the hotel:

We will share more details next week. Let us know if you have any questions about the trip.

8/15/10 UPDATE

Thank you to the band members who spent an (early) hour on their last Monday of summer vacation this past week to perform for the opening of Teacher Orientation. We received many positive comments from staff members and a special kudo from JA Headmaster Dr. Pat Taylor for the extra effort. A few photos from the performance:

Mark your calendars for the JA Band Booster meeting on Tuesday evening, August 17, at 6:30 (after the band is introduced at All Sports Night) in the band hall. Important details about the upcoming season will be discussed, including the Atlanta trip.

Please ensure your student brings a change of clothes (t-shirt, shorts, & sneakers) to school each day for rehearsals. Most students stop by the band hall before school starts in the morning to drop off everything they will need. Students report at the beginning of seventh period and change for rehearsal, which is held on the asphalt, weather permitting. We take a break at 2:46 for water, then back out for the rest of rehearsal. Rehearsal ends at 4:00. After putting all the equipment away, getting another drink, and gathering their belongings, students are usually ready to depart between 4:15 and 4:30.

JA BAND SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK of AUGUST 16-20:

Monday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Tuesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46
Color Guard 5:00 - 6:00
"Meet the Raiders" Night activities - band members report at 5:30, wearing band t-shirts and khaki shorts. After the band is introduced on the football field, we will move to the gym for rehearsal until 8:00.

Wednesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Thursday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Friday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46 (Seventh graders will be on a canoe trip). No band for the away football game at Parklane.

We have added a link to the Band activities calendar in the header row above, if you ever have questions about the schedule. We will make every attempt to adhere to the published schedule and will communicate any necessary changes as soon as we are aware of them.

8/8/10 UPDATE

Thank you to all who attended the Premiere Performance on Friday. A special thanks to those who helped move equipment after the performance. The process went very quickly thanks to everyone's assistance.

More photos from camp have been posted online on the JA Band Photo Gallery, which is also included in the links above.

The only JA Band activity this week will be the performance on the stage in the PAC for the opening of Teacher Orientation on Monday morning, August 9, at 7:45. All students should be in the PAC by 7:30, ready to perform, in black band t-shirts and khaki shorts. Band members will be dismissed immediately following the performance.

The school year rehearsal schedule will begin on Monday, August 16. Here is the typical weekly schedule (any changes for a given week will be announced in that week's blog update):

MONDAYS - 2:00 - 4:00

TUESDAYS - 2:00 - 2:46 and 6:30 - 8:00

WEDNESDAYS - 2:00 - 4:00

THURSDAYS - 2:00 - 4:00

FRIDAYS - 2:00 - 2:46, evening schedule determined by football schedule and announced in the newsletter and in class each week

GUARD SECTIONAL - Tuesdays 5:00 - 6:00

PERCUSSION SECTIONAL - Tuesdays 5:30 - 6:30

SATURDAYS:

October 2 - Oak Grove and West Jones competitions

October 16 - All day rehearsal at JA

October 23 - MAIS Marching Festival at JA

October 29-31 - BOA Atlanta Super Regional Championships

Please mark your calendars for the JA Band Booster meeting on August 17 for more information about the season and the Atlanta trip.

Thank you for your encouragement of your student throughout what proved to be a very successful Band Camp. We are looking forward to a great year.

BAND CAMP UPDATE 8/1/2010

The first week of Band Camp 2010 is in the books, and the band is making great progress. Everyone is working hard, learning fast, and displaying great attitudes.

All band families and friends are invited to the Premiere Performance of the JA Band 2010 competition show "Read Between the Lines" at 4:30 on the final day of camp, Friday, August 6, in the JA gym. Our new band uniforms will not be in yet, so the students will wear their show t-shirts and khaki shorts.

We apologize for the delay in receiving the band t-shirts, but unfortunately the shipment took an unscheduled detour through Jackson Academy in Columbus, Georgia. We should receive them early this week.

JA Headmaster Dr. Pat Taylor has requested that the band perform at the opening of teacher meetings on Monday morning, August 9. We will communicate further details during camp this week.

We hope to see you Friday afternoon.

5/23/10 UPDATE

BAND CAMP

It is important that all JA Band members be at BAND CAMP July 26-30 and August 2-6.

Our drill writer, Lenny Westmoreland from Croatan HS, NC, along with guard writer Ashleigh Bradley, also from Croatan, will be at camp both weeks to create and teach the students the entire show.

Camp will be primarily in the JA gym, with percussion and some music rehearsals in the band hall or elsewhere on campus. All students need to be in the gym ready to start each morning at 8:30, in comfortable clothing including sneakers and socks. There will be a lunch break each day from 11:30 - 1:00, and the afternoon session will be 1:00 - 5:00.

The final day of camp, Friday, August 6, we invite families and friends to come to the gym at 4:30 for the Premiere Performance of the 2010 JA Band competition show, Between the Lines.

SUMMER LESSONS

All students are entitled to four free private music lessons during the summer. Please contact the following instructors to coordinate the lessons:

BRASS/KEYBOARDS - Mark Hatch - m1whatch@netscape.net

WOODWINDS - TBA - email jaband@aol.com

PERCUSSION - Paul Heindl - paulheindl@hotmail.com

If you have any questions or any trouble coordinating the lessons, please contact me at jaband@aol.com

ATLANTA TRIP

As noted in last week's newsletter, the JA Band will be traveling to Atlanta, GA October 29-31 to compete in the Bands of America Super Regional.

Here is the basic itinerary planned for the trip:

Friday, October 29 - Travel by motorcoach from JA to Atlanta, with a stop in Birmingham for lunch and shopping at the Riverchase Galleria Mall and a rehearsal at Sports Blast. We will have a group dinner before checking in at the Drury Inn & Suites - Atlanta Airport. (Note: BOA requires that our group hotel arrangements be made through the BOA Housing Bureau, because the event is a Super Regional.)

Saturday, October 30 - Breakfast at hotel (included), late morning performance time in the Georgia Dome, afternoon visit to the World of Coca-Cola, return to Georgia Dome for Super Regional Finals

Sunday, October 31 - Breakfast at hotel, visit Six Flags Over Georgia, return travel to JA

Look for further details about the trip, including costs, later this summer.

CAMP UPDATES

We are nearing maximum enrollment in the JA Dance Camp, to be held here on campus June 1-4, with about 30 students from schools around the area signed up.

There is still time to sign up for the Capital City Jazz Camp, to be held in the JA PAC on June 10 & 11. Click here for more information.

We still have several students who need to turn in their band uniforms. Please turn in all uniforms by Tuesday.

FALL 2010 DATES

Please mark your calendars:

BAND CAMP - July 26-30 and August 2-6, 8:30 - 11:30 and 1:00 - 5:00 each day, JA campus

Saturday, October 2 - AREA BAND COMPETITION(S) - TBA

Saturday, October 16 - ALL DAY REHEARSAL

Saturday, October 23 - MAIS Marching Band Festival, JA

Friday - Sunday, October 29 - 31 - BOA Atlanta Super Regional Trip

This will be the final weekly update for the school year. We will send out occasional emails and post updates during the summer when information becomes available.

5/16/10 UPDATE

JA BAND NEWSLETTER 05.16.10

Thank you to all band families who attended the Awards Ceremony on Thursday, and congratulations to all JA Band members for their accomplishments this year. The future looks bright for the JA Band Program.

FALL 2010 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Drill writer Lenny Westmoreland is busy working on the 2010 Jackson Academy Marching Band competition show, which will be titled "Between the Lines" and feature the music of the classic rock band Led Zeppelin.

After consideration of the schedule, we have decided to travel to the BOA Atlanta Super Regional, which will be held on October 30, instead of the Indianapolis regional the week following. Traveling to Atlanta will decrease travel time and expense and also allow interested older students to audition for the All-State Lions Band on November 6.

Here are the important dates to mark on your calendars for Fall 2010:

JA DANCE CAMP - June 1-4, 1:00 - 5:30 each day
CAPITAL CITY JAZZ CAMP - June 10 & 11, 1:00 - 5:00 & 6:30 - 8:30 each day

BAND CAMP - July 26-30 and August 2-6, 8:30 - 11:30 and 1:00 - 5:00 each day, JA campus

Saturday, October 2 - AREA BAND COMPETITION(S) - TBA
Saturday, October 16 - ALL DAY REHEARSAL
Saturday, October 23 - MAIS Marching Band Festival, Jackson Academy Raider Field
Friday - Sunday, October 29 - 31 - BOA Atlanta Super Regional Trip

A full calendar for the year will be distributed when the schedule is finalized in the next few weeks.

END OF YEAR "HOUSEKEEPING"

All horn and percussion students need to come to the band hall tomorrow (Monday) during the school day to be measured for a new uniform jacket.

Also, if your student has not yet turned in his or her band uniform, please have them do so this week.

CAPITAL CITY JAZZ CAMP SHORTENED

In the interest of making the experience available to more students around the area, we have decided to shorten the Capital City Jazz Camp from five days to two, and decrease the price to $25. The camp will now be only Thursday and Friday, June 10 & 11, from 1:00 - 5:00 and 6:30 - 8:30 each day. We will still have the same great local jazz musicians and teachers as instructors, and the camp will finish with a concert for families and friends at 7:30 on June 11. All camp activities are in the JA Performing Arts Center.

Note: if you have already sent payment for the full camp fee, that check will be returned to you. If your student would like to attend the two-day camp, please send a check for $25, payable to Jackson Academy.