Six Finalists Announced for Second SchoolJam Texas Battle of the Bands Competition

 NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, and the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) have announced the six finalists in the second SchoolJam Texas Battle of the Bands, featuring the best school bands in Texas. The groups will compete in this one-of-a-kind contest, which is designed to support the teen musicians’ local music education programs.

The six finalists are:

·       Blankberry of Nederland, Texas (to benefit Nederland High School)

·       Carson Brock Group of Austin, Texas (to benefit Lake Travis High School and Bowie High School)

·       Edison Chair of Austin, Texas (to benefit Dripping Springs High School and James Bowie High School)

·       El Mariachi Tejano de Sam Houston of Grand Prairie, Texas (to benefit Sam Houston High School)

·       The Standing of Vidor, Texas (to benefit Vidor High School)

·       While the World Sleeps of Plano, Texas (to benefit Shepton High School and Plano West Senior High School)

The bands have been invited to compete in a live SchoolJam Texas Battle of the Bands event held at The Parish on 6th Street in downtown Austin, Texas, on Saturday, February 28, 2009. The event is open to the public; doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the battle starts at 2 p.m. There is no cover charge and there will be free non-alcoholic beverages and door prizes. There will also be a special guest performance by the group White Denim.

Bands will compete to win money towards musical instruments and gear from their local NAMM Member music retail stores. Each band and the respective schools they represent will win a cash prize to use toward instruments and accessories and to help support the schools’ music education programs.

The winning band will receive $750 toward new musical equipment and will be invited to perform at the SchoolJam Germany live finals in Frankfurt, Germany, at the MusikMesse trade fair. The group will have the opportunity to interact and play with the finalists in the SchoolJam Germany Battle of the Bands competition. The winning band’s school music programs will receive $3,000 toward new musical equipment at their local NAMM Member music product retailer of choice.

Each of the remaining bands and their schools will win cash prizes good for musical equipment at their local NAMM Member music product retailer of choice.

There will also be “Best Of” categories during the finals, where the individual musical talents of the teens will be recognized. Prizes for these categories will be provided by Proel USA Inc. and Jennings Publishing, as well as other companies.

“The event was so successful in 2007 that we had to continue motivating teens to channel their constructive energy toward playing music—a hobby that is proven to benefit people in many ways throughout their lifetime,” said Morgan Ringwald, director of market development, NAMM. “NAMM also celebrates the many musical paths that teenagers can use to explore and express their individual creativity.”

The competition, started in the summer of 2007 as a pilot program modeled after the original SchoolJam teen competition in Germany, aims at engaging students in playing music while supporting their local high school music education programs. The contest is also designed to:

·       Invite teen bands to participate in active music making and to engage in all styles of music

·       Create a connection between nontraditional music education students and music educators

·       Offer students an environment to interact with and learn from peer musicians

·       Highlight the best and most talented teens in Texas, while supporting school music education programs in Texas

·       Provide local and international visibility to the winning students’ schools and communities.

The top 15 bands, ranging in style from punk to jazz, were chosen by NAMM and TMEA last November and moved on to the national online semi-finals, where people casted more than 41,000 votes for their favorite band up until Jan. 31, 2008. 

About TMEA

Begun in 1920 as the Texas Band Teachers Association, the Texas Music Educators Association is an organization of over 10,000 school music educators dedicated to promoting excellence in music education. TMEA is committed fostering public support for music in schools, offering quality musical experiences for students, and providing professional growth opportunities for members.