Rock Band & Jazz Combo
The ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúCC Rock Bands were first formed in Fall 2008 by Paul Heindl and Shane Sprayberry. The program was a direct result of a music technology collaboration between ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúand Bridgwater College in Somerset, England. Since 2008 the Rock Band program has grown from 2 bands to 7 – with groups having 3-10 members each. Bands include: Room101, the college’s top rock group, Imago Dei, the Christian band, and the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúJazz Combo, among many others. While each instructor handles rehearsals differently, students will experience a wide variety of musical styles: R&B, Pop, Rock, Soul, Rap, Jazz, Alternative Rock, Indie, Hip-Hop, and Reggae. In some cases, bands arrange popular songs and compose and perform originals.
Each band performs a minimum of one concert per semester at a selected venue while some bands are chosen and called to do gigs in the Jackson metro area. Room101 was selected to perform in collaboration with the Bridgwater Show Choir (England) at Universal Studios Resort in Orlando, Florida. Imago Dei performs at local churches year round and the Jazz Combo is constantly booked for special events.
Membership in the rock bands is based on an audition held at the beginning of each semester. Interested musicians should contact Fritz Martin, music industry coordinator, for more information. The rock band satisfies the ensemble credit requirement for the Associate of Arts degree in Music Industry at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú.