OAKLEAF — When Band Director Michael Summers steps into the band room at Oakleaf Junior High, he can always smell the sweet scent of progress.
He remembers when the walls were empty before being covered with first-place awards and special recognition. He remembers when only a handful of students held instruments in their hands before the hundreds lined a long waitlist. And when life as a ‘band kid’ was a new concept.
The Oakleaf Junior High Jazz Band, along with the school itself, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary next October. The school was the first to be built in Oakleaf.
Summers was at Green Cove Junior High at the time. But, because of his seasoned music experience, incoming principal Larry Davis asked if he would help craft the new school’s band program.
Summers helped design the interior of the band room from the ground up. When it was time for the K-8 school to open in 2006, Davis asked Summers to join and create the ‘best band program in the district.’
New students filtered into the school from Orange Park and Wilkinson junior highs.
“I said, ‘Hey this is great. You guys get to help me start a brand-new school band.”
Only 35 beginner students made up the original jazz ensemble. It was the first performing group in the Oakleaf community, making their name known at local concerts and grand openings.
On March 31, Summers said they will reunite for an unforgettable evening of music.
The annual Oakleaf Jazz Knight in the Oakleaf High cafeteria will feature showstopping performances by both the junior high and Oakleaf High’s current jazz bands, and the night will conclude with a special performance by the alumni.
Summers said his children will also perform together for the very first time that night.
Earlier this year, Summers said he sent out a call to all 360 of the school’s past jazz band members, from the ones who donned the fresh uniforms in 2006 to those who just graduated in May. At least 20 will return.
There will be sounds of alto saxophones, trumpets, trombones, drums, vibraphones and pianos beaming through the air. And he’s working on recruiting the band’s first guitarist, who currently lives in Oregon.
Summers said rehearsals will start early next year, and he’s already picked out some of his favorite tunes from over the years.
Some haven’t picked up an instrument in years, while others have gone on to become professionals in the music industry. All the same, Summers said it will be a sight to see. And he’s sure their passion for music will reign the same.
“They’re going to be rusty, we’ve got to oil them a little bit,” he said.
The free event will begin at 6 p.m.