Band Director Cody Jackson began his tenure at Heights Middle School in Farmington, New Mexico, in the fall of 2020, when the pandemic was at its height and all classes were virtual. He inherited a program of approximately 84 students, all of whom he met via computer screen. Just two years after the pandemic, the band has over 200 students. “To commemorate this remarkable growth, we commissioned a work by Kirk Vogel, a composer from Northern Colorado,” Jackson says.
The song, “Soring to New Heights,” was written specially for his students. “This opportunity provided a unique and unforgettable experience for the students,” he says with pride. “They were part of a world-premiere work written expressly for them, and they were able to engage directly with the composer, who visited in person to collaborate with them. The applause and collective energy on stage following the performance was electrifying!”
To facilitate growth within his ensembles, Jackson reorganized the bands, which were categorized by grade levels — beginning band was for 6th graders, concert band for 7th graders and symphonic band for 8th grade students. Over the next few years, the ensembles became multi-grade and ability-based. Jackson also took this opportunity to connect older and younger students. For each concert, he asked older students to perform alongside younger musicians if they chose to do so. “This initiative led to students collaborating in my after-school program called B.A.S.H. (Band After School Help), where older students have the chance to mentor younger students with musical skills and deepen their understanding of their craft,” he explains.
Jackson and his students also reach out to the elementary feeder schools. Each spring, the middle school band, choir and orchestra have an “informance,” and elementary students for each feeder school can observe and hear firsthand what the music electives at Heights Middle School entail.
To show students that music-making extends beyond the confines of the classroom, Jackson actively seeks opportunities for unique performances where students can engage with the community. Last year, he invited the San Juan College Symphonic Band, a local community ensemble, to collaborate with his students in a side-by-side performance. “My students performed alongside adult musicians, some as old as 84 years, and established meaningful musical connections,” Jackson says.
This year, Heights Middle School’s symphonic band will travel to Albuquerque in May, where they will partner with James Monroe Middle School to perform the national anthem at an Albuquerque Isotopes baseball game.
Fundraising is a part of every music educator’s life, and Jackson has secured about $10,000 in grants and donations. Several local businesses have provided equipment like a sound system and percussion equipment. Others have provided funds to commission music and to expand the band’s music library.
A unique event for the Heights’ band program is the annual mattress fundraiser. An Albuquerque-based company brings several mattresses to the school and sets up a showroom in the gym. “My band students have so much fun each year selling mattresses for the band,” Jackson explains with a smile. “Just ask the students who get to dress up as mattresses and wave signs — it’s a middle school boy’s dream!“
