Jazz Band

The Academy’s Jazz Band is the senior Big Band within the Academy and has like the Showband achieved a national reputation of being one of the best single school jazz band of its type. which is under the guidance of Musical Director Mr Dougie Bill, who was a pupil of the School and has enjoyed a very long association with music at the School. He succeeds Mr Simon Platford the former Musical Director. The Band comprises some 35 pupils who again attend the Academy.

The Jazz Band play a wide variety of music by a diverse and specialist range of composers and again are rated as one of the best jazz band of its type within the country – having won many prestigious prizes in recent years.

Achievements

Music for Youth
National Festival - Royal Festival Hall, London	Outstanding Performance Award - 2002 and 2003.
	Highly Commended - 2000
	Finalists - 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007
Regional Participants	2008 and 2009
Music for Youth - Jazz on the South Bank Concert	Participants - 2001
Schools Prom - Royal Albert Hall, London	Performance - 2002

National Concert Band Festival Regional Festival	Gold Award - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 Silver Award - 2006 and 2008
National Festival	Gold Award - 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Silver Award - 2001 and 2006 Bronze Award - 2008 Jazz Band although invited to participate at the National Festival in 2007 did not attend due to the Showband's participation at the New York Wind Band Festival. Consistent Outstanding Achievement Award - 2004