Ode to Thee

By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Sean Hannon & Contributed

Under the direction of Mountain Brook Schools Director of Bands James Rogers, Associate Director Sarah Niedzwiecki and Assistant Director Dr. Michelle Smith, the Mountain Brook Junior High Band performed in the Animado Events Invitational, otherwise known as the New York Invitational Festival, at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, March 19. According to animadoevents.com, the word, “animado,” is Spanish for vivacious, exciting and fun, which all describe students’ experiences in the invitational.

Mountain Brook Junior High put its namesake city on a national scale as it was not only the only middle school band invited to perform, but it was also the only band from Alabama to perform as well. To pay tribute to the Yellowhammer State, James, Sarah and Michelle chose all original music created by Alabama composers.

James says his students were chosen because of their musical ability, but this was an achievement four years in the making. On March 13, 2020, James had his ensemble students record several arrangements, in order to submit the band’s application to the Animado Events selection committee.

He explained it would take some time before the results would be announced, meaning those in the video would not get to perform at Carnegie Hall. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students years from the initial taped audition reaped the benefits.

“They wanted to do that because they knew the impact it would have not just for our band program, but, in some cases, for their siblings and the younger members of the band,” James says.

Out of the 120-member band, 107 students and 74 parents and chaperones went on this trip. The 2023-24 President of the Mountain Brook Junior High Band Leadership Council Emma Durr says the trip was an opportunity of a lifetime.

“I think it’s so fun that we’re able to go somewhere like Carnegie Hall,” she says. “The title itself holds so much weight. The fact that my friends helped me get here is kind of bizarre to believe.”

Emma, who is now in 10th grade at Mountain Brook High School, plays alto saxophone and says her time in band has helped her develop not just as a musician, but also as a leader.

“I’ve grown tremendously musically,” she says. “I had to figure out how to help my section through some of the harder pieces like how to count and guide them through harder portions. It was just a fun time, and I hope I will be able to remember this forever.”

Avery Faircloth, who served as the vice president of leadership for the Mountain Brook Junior High Band Leadership Council, has been involved with the band since she was in sixth grade. As a trumpetist, she says she chose her instrument for its resonating sound.

“When learning music, you have to think about it in such a different way,” she says. “When it comes to studying, it’s kind of helped me think in new ways to help me learn information like how to learn the music.”

Elliott Gechijian, who plays the tenor saxophone and is now in ninth grade at Mountain Brook Junior High, agrees, saying all of the band directors emphasize the importance music has in a student’s academic career.

“Music lets me focus,” he says. “I was able to get into the same mindset when studying. So if I have to write an essay, I can do that all at once in the same way that I can read through my music and practice it for an hour and a half or two hours.”

James says he, Sarah and Michelle challenged their students, picking several selections that were more difficult to play. In addition to the countless hours of practice, the band hosted “Carnegie Camp Day,” where students came in one weekend to get in several extra hours of performance practice. They also held after-hours band rehearsals every two weeks leading up to the event.

“We are so proud of the work that they’ve been doing,” Sarah says. “It really has just been amazing to see them meet our expectations that we set so high for them.”

The first arrangement the band performed was “Sky Bound” by Jon Bubbett, who lives in Helena with his family and taught at Thompson High School for 26 years out of his 38-year-long career. Sarah conducted this opening piece as well as “Ghosts of the Lost Ship” by Tyler S. Grant–a Pelham native whose many accolades include winning the Dallas Wind Symphony’s 2014 “Call for Fanfares” Competition.

Michelle took to the stage next to conduct “Too Beautiful for Words,” which was originally written by Rob Grice. Rob’s compositions have been performed globally at the Midwest Clinic, Society of Winds in Germany; the Texas Music Educators Conference; Bands of America Regional Championship; as well as venues in Europe, Japan and Australia.

Afterwards, James conducted “The Great Locomotive Chase,” which was composed by Robert W. Smith, who James says was one of the biggest champions for music education until his passing in September 2023. Robert was both an alumnus of and a professor at Troy University, and following his teaching career, he worked with Warner Bros., traveling all over the world as a guest conductor for band ensembles.

Sarah closed out the performance, conducting “The Singing River” by Johnnie Vinson. Johnnie’s portfolio includes more than 500 arrangements and compositions, some of which he created as the Director of Bands for Auburn University, where he taught for many years.

James, who was both a student and is now a teacher in Mountain Brook Schools, says the school system has the best students, parents, faculty and staff, who all have played a part in the program’s success.

“Being an alum, being someone that is in year eight at Mountain Brook and year 12 overall teaching, I have to say we’re incredibly blessed,” he says. “We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without the support of our administration and the support of the school system. We’ve worked with the students to make sure that they’ll be set up for success in that way.”

A student’s blessings are abundant when his community supports the arts, and more importantly, the doors that music will open in his life. In Mountain Brook, students remain the community’s top priority, and what a wonderful world that is to grow up in.

Putting Alabama on The Map

The Mountain Brook Junior High Band honored five Alabama composers, performing their compositions during the 2024 Animado Events Invitational at Carnegie Hall in New York City:

To learn more about the band’s performance or find more information on the invitational, visit animadoevents.com.