Jets Band, Percussion plan concerts

MADISON – Anyone who enjoys live, instrumental music can look forward to two sure-to-deliver events, one in April and one in May, at James Clemens High School.

James Clemens Band Spring Concert will be presented on April 25 at 7 p.m. in James Clemens Auditorium.

“Both the Wind Ensemble and the Concert Bands will be performing a variety of pieces that cover various styles of wind band literature,” Jets Band Director Keith Anderson said. Stuart Tankesley is assistant band director at James Clemens.

“For the spring band concert, the audience will love ‘Ride’ by Samuel Hazo and ‘Swamp Rabbit Stomp,’” Anderson said. He also expects the guests to appreciate David Holsinger’s “American Faces.”

“The concert is sure to be lots of fun,” Anderson said.

The Jets Percussion Ensemble will perform in concert on May 18 at 7 p.m. in the James Clemens Auditorium.

At the percussion concert, Anderson said the orchestration and “just the variety of styles and instruments being played is always a treat to see and hear. Where else can you go and hear Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria,’ ‘Dust in the Wind’ by Kansas and other songs called ‘Alarm’ and ‘Scuttlebutt,’ all in one concert?”

The percussion ensemble will play selections from a wide range of genres, including charts from classical transcriptions like “Dance of the Tumblers” by Rimsky-Korsakov to “Quarter Master” by Snarky Puppy.

“Our state solo competition participants will be featured on the percussion ensemble concert: Isabelle Spence on flute, Jonathan Hartfield on trumpet, Jacob Martin on French horn and Emma Foust on alto clarinet,” Anderson said.

Anderson was a percussionist during high school and college. He organized the first indoor drumline in Madison around 2001 when he worked as assistant band director at Bob Jones High School.