Upcoming Events
Perry Band Olympics
The Perry Band Olympics solo and ensemble contests.
More information will be sent out to participating students and their families through a separate ParentSquare group.
This is an all day event.
Winter Band Concert (NW & TR)
Our winter band concert is coming up on Monday, February 23 at 7:00 with the 9th grade band from Trailridge. The auditorium will be a little more full than normal, so please plan accordingly. Also, please help us make the Trailridge families feel welcome. We are excited to have them all at the high school with us next year!
NWBPO Restaurant Night @ Pizza Hut
The Northwest Band Organization is hosting a Restaurant Night at Pizza Hut in Waukee, and we need your help to make it a success. 20% of your purchase will be donated back to support our Northwest band students.
It’s an easy (and delicious) way to support our students. Grab dinner for your family and let Pizza Hut give back to our amazing musicians!
NWBPO Meeting
The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on March 3 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!
Northwest “Blue Note” Jazz Festival Set-Up
We are hosting our annual Northwest Blue Note Jazz Festival on Saturday, March 7th.
It's going to be an exciting day with 48 bands performing in three centers around the building. This festival will be an opportunity for us to support jazz music, bring in some great clinicians, and raise money for the band parent organization - which will benefit all of our band students.
Please visit the Blue Note Jazz Festival page for detailed information.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
We have lots of volunteer opportunities available! (Jazz students will have specific jobs assigned to them, so these students should not sign up.)
If you would like to sign up to help, click the link below:
Northwest Blue Note Jazz Festival Volunteer Sign-up
Non-band students can also sign up and earn Silver Cord hours.
Thank you for your help!
Northwest “Blue Note” Jazz Festival
This is the fourth annual Northwest Blue Note Jazz Festival! Our festival has grown substantially this year and will feature 48 bands performing throughout the day for ten clinicians in five competitive classes.
Not only will this be a great event, but it will also be a strong fundraiser for our program.
Doors open at TBD
Schedule / Performance times:
TBD - Jazz Lab - Auditorium
TBD -Jazz Orchestra - Auditorium
Full Schedule here.
Ticket Information:
Click here to purchase event tickets.
Volunteers are needed to help make this a successful event.
Sign up here.
Non-band students can also sign up and earn Silver Cord hours.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Northwest Jazz Showcase
The Northwest Jazz Showcase will highlight the musical talents of all NWHS Jazz bands, ranging from 7th grade and up. Join us for a spectacular evening celebrating the incredible journey of budding jazz musicians contributing to the vibrant musical community at Northwest High School.
This concert is open to the public and free of charge. Doors will open at 6:45 pm, so come early and enjoy an unforgettable night of jazz performances.
Jazz Orchestra Performance at Noce Jazz Cabaret
Come out and listen to the Jazz Orchestra at Des Moines’ coolest jazz venue!
The Northwest Jazz Orchestra will once again perform at Noce Jazz Club. Located at 1326 Walnut downtown, Noce is one of the finest jazz venues in the Midwest.
Concert with Northwest Singers
Join the Wind Symphony and Northwest Singers as we present a joint concert, highlighting differences in colors and affect as both groups perform different versions of the same melodies. It is sure to be a fun concert, and a great opportunity to see both sides of our music department performing side by side. The concert is on Friday, March 27 at 7:00 in the auditorium. Call time for the Wind Symphony is 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!
IIMA Waukee Indoor Marching
This is the 2026 IIMA State Championships!
This event features Indoor Drumlines and Colorguards from around central Iowa. It is being held at Waukee High School as a joint effort between the Waukee and Northwest Band programs.
Event Schedule
I&E (solos and duets) early-afternoon
Full performances mid-afternoon & evening
Location
Waukee High School
555 SE University Ave.
Waukee, IA 50263
Spectator Tickets
$20 - General Admission
$15 - Students/ Ages 65+
Children 5 and Under - FREE
Volunteer
We need your help to make to make this event happen! If you are available to volunteer to help this event happen, please click on the following link to sign up. Waukee Winter Showcase Volunteer Sign-Up
Visit IIMA’s website for additional information and tickets here.
Iowa Jazz Championships
The Iowa Jazz Championships, held on Tuesday, April 7 at Stephens Auditorium on the Iowa State campus, features the best fifteen 4A bands from across Iowa. The Northwest Jazz Orchestra will perform at TBD. We would love to have your support in Ames on that Tuesday afternoon. A full schedule for the day can be found at the Iowa Jazz Championships website.
Find additional information on Iowa Jazz Championship’s website here.
Percussion / Color Guard Spring Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
2026 Royal Brigade Season Kick-Off
2026 Royal Brigade Season Kick-Off
Leadership Team Reveal
Show Announcement
Parent Information Meeting
JOIN US THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 6:00 PM
NORTHWEST COMMONS
Fall Percussion / Color Guard Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 and Tuesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
NWBPO Meeting
The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on April 21 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!
Fall Percussion / Color Guard Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 and Tuesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
Fall Percussion / Color Guard Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 and Tuesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
Jazz @ Northwest
Friday, May 1 is the Northwest Jazz Show!
Held at 7:00 p.m. in the Northwest Auditorium, this jazz extravaganza will feature both Jazz Lab and Jazz Orchestra along with a variety of student led small ensembles.
It is a great night and a fantastic way to wrap up the year.
We hope to see you there!
Spring Band Concert (NW & TR)
Our end of the year band concert will be held on Monday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. with the 9th grade band from Trailridge. The auditorium will be a little more full than normal, so please plan accordingly. Also, please help us make the Trailridge families feel welcome. We are excited to have them all at the high school with us next year!
Fall Percussion / Color Guard Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 and Tuesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
NWBPO Meeting
The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on May 12 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!
All State Jazz Band
Sponsored by the Jazz Educators of Iowa. Visit their website here.
Practice and performance locations include Johnston High School and Downtown Marriott.
Fall Percussion / Color Guard Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 and Tuesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
NWHS Graduation
Graduation (Sophomores and Juniors Only)
Commencement is coming up this Sunday! The entire sophomore and junior band class will be performing before and after the ceremony. All sophomores and juniors should meet in the band room at TBD dressed in nice looking formal clothes - not our traditional tuxes and gowns. We will bus down to Wells Fargo together and then return to Northwest sometime around TBD p.m. The full schedule for the afternoon is as follows:
TBD
Senior Class Recital
On Tuesday evening, May 19, we will be honoring the musical accomplishments of our senior band students by hosting a Senior Class Recital. The recital, which should last approximately 30 minutes, will begin at 5:00 pm and will feature several of our seniors performing solos and ensembles that showcase their musician growth and achievements. Please plan to attend this great event as our seniors prepare for the next phase of their lives.
Band Awards Night
Students and parents are cordially invited to join us in celebrating the achievements of the Northwest High School bands for the 2025-26 academic year. This special event will include the presentation of band awards, an end-of-year slideshow, and special recognition for the Class of 2026 seniors. You won't want to miss it!
Oh the places you’ve been!
One of the highlights of our Awards Night is the end of the year slideshow - and we need your band pictures from the year to make it happen. Pictures from band camp? Great! Pictures from Ireland? Wonderful! Pictures from Perry or a jazz band trip? Fantastic!
Send them to nwbandphotos@gmail.com. Make sure to go through your pictures first before submitting your favorites. If we get too many from each person, we can not include them all - and it would make the video really long if we did. So pick your best and send them in. Think quality over quantity!ntity!
Fall Percussion / Color Guard Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 and Tuesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
Fall Percussion / Color Guard Rehearsals
Percussion and Color Guard rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from April 16 to May 21 and Tuesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Percussion will rehearse in Northwest Band Room
Color Guard will rehearse in the Northwest Multi-Purpose Room
NWBPO Meeting
The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on February 17 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!
All-Iowa Concert Band Festival
The All-Iowa Concert Band festival is held on Monday, February 16 at Johnston High School. Both bands will perform along with the Trailridge band.
The Concert Band will perform at 2:50 PM.
The Wind Symphony at 4:30 PM.
Find the band itinerary here.
Admission is free for this event if you would like to make the drive out to Johnston to support the bands! Find the event website here.
Jazz Bands in the Chicago
Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Lab, and Jazz Experience will be performing at the Evanston Township Jazz Festival in Evanston, Illinois on February 14.
For more information on the festival, please visit the Evanston Township Jazz Festival Website.
Evanescence: Jazz Orchestra Theme Concert
Since the end of December, Jazz Orchestra has been digging into the music of Maria Schneider, studying their 1994 album Evanescence. At 7:00 on Thursday, February 12, we will do our second jazz theme concert, performing music from that album. This has been a really fun process to go through and I hope you will all come out and support the band and listen to our music.
NWBPO Restaurant Night @ Z'Mariks
The Northwest Band Organization is hosting a Restaurant Night at Z’Mariks in Clive, and we need your help to make it a success.
50% of your order will be donated back to support our Northwest Band Parent Organization.
Dine In
Takeout/Phone
Online Orders**
**Please type “NW Band” in special instructions field.
It’s an easy (and delicious) way to support our students. Grab dinner for your family and let Z’Mariks give back to our amazing musicians!
Simpson Jazz Festival
The Simpson Jazz Festival has been rescheduled for next Friday (February 6).
Jazz Experience - 8:35 a.m.
Trailridge - 9:10
Jazz Lab - 9:45
Jazz Orchestra - 10:55
There is NO admission fee for family and friends.
You can find additional information on Simpson College Jazz Fest’s website.
Drake University Honor Jazz Band Festival
Students are placed in ensembles according to their grades 9-12.
The event is held in Performing Arts Hall in the Harmon Fine Arts Center on the Drake campus.
Schedule:
Rehearsal from TBD
Clinics from TBD
Concert with Drake Jazz I at 7:00 pm in the Performing Arts Hall of the Harmon Fine Arts Center.
Find additional information here.
Perry Band Prep Night
Perry Prep Night is our in-house test run in preparation for Perry.
This year’s event will be held after school on Monday, February 2.
Each student who is participating in the Perry Band Olympics will be assigned a 10 minute time slot where they will come in and perform their solo or ensemble for a hired clinician.
For those of you who went through the All-State Mock Auditions, this process will be very similar. Students will perform and then receive feedback to help them prepare for Perry.
Students do not need to wear anything in particular for this event, and are only required to be here for their performance time. Students will not perform with their accompanist for this event.
Simpson Jazz Festival
Jazz Bands will perform at the Simpson Jazz Festival.
Jazz Experience will perform at 8:30 a.m.
Trailridge will perform at 9:00 a.m.
Jazz Lab will perform at 10:00 a.m.
Jazz Orchestra will perform at 1:30 p.m.
Full performance schedules
Thursday Schedule
Friday Schedule
There is NO admission fee for family and friends.
You can find additional information on Simpson College Jazz Fest’s website.
NWBPO Meeting
The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on January 20 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!
SCIBA Honor Band
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to perform in the SCIBA Honor Band!
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to perform in the SCIBA Honor Band on January 10!
Visit SCIBA’s website for additional information.
Jazz Experience Rehearsal
Jazz Experience will rehearse weekly on Fridays starting October 31, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Jazz Orchestra & Jazz Lab Rehearsal
Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Lab will rehearse weekly on Thursdays starting October 23, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Tagged: Jazz Bands
Jazz Orchestra & Jazz Lab Rehearsal
Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Lab will rehearse weekly on Thursdays starting October 23, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Tagged: Jazz Bands
Jazz Experience Rehearsal
Jazz Experience will rehearse weekly on Wednesdays starting October 29, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Jazz Orchestra Rehearsal
Jazz Orchestra will rehearse weekly on Tuesdays starting October 21, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Holiday Band Concert
Join us for an evening of music at the Holiday High School Band Concert, featuring performances by the talented musicians of Northwest High School.
The doors to the auditorium will open at 6:40 p.m. Call time for the students is at 6:15.
• When: Monday, December 15, at 7:00 PM
• Where: Northwest Auditorium
Admission is free, and all are welcome! Mark your calendar and join us for a night of music and cheer!
Concert Dress
Concert formal wear is provided by the schoo and the guidlines are as follows:
Tux - including:
Black jacket and pants
White shirt
Black plastic studs
Black bowtie
Black shoes and black socks (student provided)
Dress
Long black dress
Black shoes (student provided)
Students are responsible for wearing their concert uniform to all concert band performances during the 2025-26 school year. Each student will keep their uniform hung up at home until the end of the school year.
Jazz Orchestra & Jazz Lab Rehearsal
Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Lab will rehearse weekly on Mondays starting October 27, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Tagged: Jazz Bands
Waukee Winter Guard Experience Event
It’s time!! Winter guard is a phenomenal opportunity for ANYONE in grades 9-12 to expand their skillset and learn something new. The Waukee Combines Winter Guard prides themselves on being a magnificent community, team, and environment to be a part of. Experience Events are a great way to see if color guard is right for you! We hope to see you there!
Where: Waukee High School Multipurpose Room
When:
December 2nd, 6-9 p.m.
December 9th, 6-9 p.m.
December 14th, 2-5 pm.
Contact Hannah Emmert at hemmert@waukeeschool.org with any questions.
SCIBA HS Jazz Band Festival
The Northwest HS Jazz Bands will perform at the SCIBA Jazz Festival.
Performance times:
Northwest Jazz Lab will perform at 9:44 AM in the Waukee High School Auditorium
Northwest Jazz Orchestra will perform at 3:36 PM in the Waukee High School Auditorium
Trailridge will perform at 8:00 a.m. in the gym.
NOTE: Jazz Experience will not perform at SCIBA, and will instead perform for the first time at the Simpson Jazz Festival in January.
Admission: (CASH ONLY!)
$5 for adults
$3 for students
We hope you will all consider coming out to support our jazz bands.
SCIBA Schedule 2025
Visit SCIBA’s webpage for additional information.
Jazz Experience Rehearsal
Jazz Experience will rehearse weekly on Fridays starting October 31, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Jazz Orchestra & Jazz Lab Rehearsal
Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Lab will rehearse weekly on Thursdays starting October 23, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Tagged: Jazz Bands
Jazz Experience Rehearsal
Jazz Experience will rehearse weekly on Wednesdays starting October 29, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Waukee Winter Guard Experience Event (Copy)
It’s time!! Winter guard is a phenomenal opportunity for ANYONE in grades 9-12 to expand their skillset and learn something new. The Waukee Combines Winter Guard prides themselves on being a magnificent community, team, and environment to be a part of. Experience Events are a great way to see if color guard is right for you! We hope to see you there!
Where: Waukee High School Multipurpose Room
When:
December 2nd, 6-9 p.m.
December 9th, 6-9 p.m.
December 14th, 2-5 pm.
Contact Hannah Emmert at hemmert@waukeeschool.org with any questions.
Jazz Orchestra Rehearsal
Jazz Orchestra will rehearse weekly on Tuesdays starting October 21, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Jazz Orchestra & Jazz Lab Rehearsal
Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Lab will rehearse weekly on Mondays starting October 27, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!
Tagged: Jazz Bands
Jazz Experience Rehearsal
Jazz Experience will rehearse weekly on Fridays starting October 31, from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m.
Make sure you’re here at least 10-15 minutes early so that you’re ready for that 7am start time!