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 11!

Concert time is TBD.

Visit SCIBA’s website for additional information.

If your student is participating in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade trip to Dublin, the FINAL trip payment is due today.

If you have trip-related questions, please reach out to our Bob Rogers Travel consultant Mike Wallace at (800) 373-1423 ext. 256 or email him at mwallace@bobrogerstravel.com.

Waukee NW Band Fundraising Night

Every 3rd Wednesday of each month, Papa John’s will be giving back 5% of sales to the Waukee Northwest High School Band!!

Waukee Location ONLY

No school!

No school!

The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on January 21 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!

Jazz Bands will perform at the Simpson Jazz Festival.

Northwest Jazz Lab will perform TBD

Northwest Jazz Orchestra will perform TBD

Find the schedule here.

There is NO admission fee for family and friends. However, they will be accepting donations that go towards supporting Jazz Events (including the festival) at Simpson. Any contribution is welcome, but not expected.

You can find additional information on Simpson College Jazz Fest’s website.

The Jazz Orchestra will have the opportunity to work with a clinician.

More information to come.

This is an in-house solo contest. This event will give students an opportunity to receive feedback on their solos and ensembles before Perry while at the same time giving other students a chance to perform in a lower-stakes environment.

All band students are encouraged to consider participating in Perry. Students can either consult with their private teacher, Mr. Friesleben, or Mr. Strohmaier about selecting an appropriate solo.

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.

Students do not need to wear anything in particular for this event, and are only required to be present for their performance time.

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 9:30am-3:30pm

• Clinics from 3:30pm-4:30pm

• Concert with Drake Jazz I at 7:00pm in the Performing Arts Hall of the Harmon Fine Arts Center.

Find additional information here.

More information to come.

The All-Iowa Concert Band festival is held on Monday, February 17 at Johnston High School. Both bands will perform.

The Concert Band will perform at TBD.

The Wind Symphony at TBD.

Because of the performance schedule, the Concert Band and Wind Symphony will be traveling separately.

Find the event 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.

Concert Dress

We want to look as good as we sound, so please adhere to the following guidelines:

Preferred concert attire

• Black suit with a white shirt and a tie and black dress shoes

• Black dress that extends beyond your knees when seated and covers your shoulders

Acceptable concert attire

• Black slacks with a black long sleeve collared dress shirt

Unacceptable concert attire

• White shirts without a jacket *** This is a change from past years

• White shoes

• White socks

• Short sleeved shirts 

• Jeans or leggings

• Torn or distressed clothing

• Sneakers or athletic shoes

• Short skirt that expose your knees when you sit

• Blouses or shirts that expose your shoulders

Please note that in order to improve the uniformity of the ensemble, white shirts are no longer allowed without a jacket.

The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on February 18 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!

Waukee NW Band Fundraising Night

Every 3rd Wednesday of each month, Papa John’s will be giving back 5% of sales to the Waukee Northwest High School Band!!

Waukee Location ONLY

Jazz Lab and Jazz Orchestra will be traveling to UNI on Friday, February 21 to perform in the Tallcorn Jazz Festival.

Jazz Lab will perform at TBD.
Jazz Orchestra will perform at TBD.

Find the event itinerary here.

You can find additional information here.

Purchase tickets here.

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.

No school!

The annual Winter Band concert will feature both the Concert and Symphony Bands. The doors to the auditorium will open for audience members at 6:40 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public!

Students should plan to be at the school by 6:00 p.m. Wind Symphony will meet in the north band room, while the Concert Band will meet on stage.

Concert Dress

We want to look as good as we sound, so please adhere to the following guidelines:

Preferred concert attire

• Black suit with a white shirt and a tie and black dress shoes

• Black dress that extends beyond your knees when seated and covers your shoulders

Acceptable concert attire

• Black slacks with a black long sleeve collared dress shirt

Unacceptable concert attire

• White shirts without a jacket *** This is a change from past years

• White shoes

• White socks

• Short sleeved shirts 

• Jeans or leggings

• Torn or distressed clothing

• Sneakers or athletic shoes

• Short skirt that expose your knees when you sit

• Blouses or shirts that expose your shoulders

Please note that in order to improve the uniformity of the ensemble, white shirts are no longer allowed without a jacket.

The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on March 4 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!

This is the second annual Northwest Blue Note Jazz Festival!

Set-Up will take most of the afternoon and evening.

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!

This is the third annual Northwest Blue Note Jazz Festival! 44 bands will be performing in three centers around the NWHS building.

Doors open at 7:30 am

Performance times:

TBD am Prairieview 8th Grade Jazz Band - Black Box
TBD Prairieview 9th Grade Jazz Band - Band Room
TBD Jazz Lab - Auditorium
TBD pm Jazz Orchestra - Auditorium

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!

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.

Waukee NW Band Fundraising Night

Every 3rd Wednesday of each month, Papa John’s will be giving back 5% of sales to the Waukee Northwest High School Band!!

Waukee Location ONLY

Come out and listen to the Jazz Orchestra at Des Moines’ coolest jazz venue!

Tickets can be purchased at https://www.nocedsm.com/. Tickets are available at the door, but please consider purchasing your tickets early, as these nights do have a tendency to sell out. 

This is the 2025 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.

I&E (solos and duets) early-afternoon
Full performances mid-afternoon & evening

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!

Spectator tickets are $20. Students and seniors $15. Find the event schedule here.

Visit IIMA’s website for additional information and tickets here.

The Iowa Jazz Championships 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. Find the full schedule here.

There are three ways for you to purchase tickets for the Iowa Jazz Championships. 

1. Visit Iowa Jazz Championships Tickets prior to March 25 and enter code EARLYBIRD to purchase tickets for $12.

2. Visit Iowa Jazz Championships Tickets between March 26 and March 31 and enter code ADVANCE to purchase tickets for $15.

3. Purchase tickets at the door for $20 with CASH ONLY.

All tickets will get you a wristband that allows entry in all four performance locations. Children under 5 who sit on a lap are free. NO REFUNDS will be given for any reason. If you're not sure you can attend, tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event at regular price. Checks and credit cards will not be accepted at the door. 

Find additional information on Iowa Jazz Championship’s website here.

The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on April 15 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!

Waukee NW Band Fundraising Night

Every 3rd Wednesday of each month, Papa John’s will be giving back 5% of sales to the Waukee Northwest High School Band!!

Waukee Location ONLY

Both the Concert Band and the Wind Symphony will perform.

The festival will feature 20 bands adjudicated by some of the finest professional wind conductors and teachers in the United States including Dr. Timothy Mahr (Director of Bands Emeritus, St. Olaf College), Dr. Robert Besler (Director of Bands Emeritus, University of Wyoming), and Dr. Andrew Boysen (University of New Hampshire). 

The concerts are free and open to the public. We hope you can all come out to support the bands!

Itinerary: More information to come.

More information to come.

The annual Spring Band concert will feature both the Concert and Symphony Bands. The doors to the auditorium will open for audience members at 6:40 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public!

Students should plan to be at the school by 6:15 p.m. Wind Symphony will meet in the north band room, while the Concert Band will meet on stage.

Concert Dress

We want to look as good as we sound, so please adhere to the following guidelines:

Preferred concert attire

• Black suit with a white shirt and a tie and black dress shoes

• Black dress that extends beyond your knees when seated and covers your shoulders

Acceptable concert attire

• Black slacks with a black long sleeve collared dress shirt

Unacceptable concert attire

• White shirts without a jacket *** This is a change from past years

• White shoes

• White socks

• Short sleeved shirts 

• Jeans or leggings

• Torn or distressed clothing

• Sneakers or athletic shoes

• Short skirt that expose your knees when you sit

• Blouses or shirts that expose your shoulders

Please note that in order to improve the uniformity of the ensemble, white shirts are no longer allowed without a jacket.

Come out and listen to Northwest’s Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Lab bands. The concert is free and open to the public!

This jazz extravaganza will feature both jazz bands 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!

The Concert Band will perform Iowa High School Music Association’s Large Group Festival.

The Northwest Concert Band will perform at TBED in the DCG auditorium.

Spectators should park in the main lot south of the main entrance (South Side) of the building. Admission is $10.00 for adults, $7.00 for Seniors (65+), and $5.00 for students (K-12 only). Pre-school and younger will be admitted for free.

Visit the event website here.

The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on May 13 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!

Sophomores and Juniors will play as the Seniors enter and exit graduation. (Bus transportation to and from Wells Fargo Arena will be provided.)

Schedule: More information to come.

Concert Dress

We want to look as good as we sound, so please adhere to the following guidelines:

Preferred concert attire

• Black suit with a white shirt and a tie and black dress shoes

• Black dress that extends beyond your knees when seated and covers your shoulders

Acceptable concert attire

• Black slacks with a black long sleeve collared dress shirt

Unacceptable concert attire

• White shirts without a jacket *** This is a change from past years

• White shoes

• White socks

• Short sleeved shirts 

• Jeans or leggings

• Torn or distressed clothing

• Sneakers or athletic shoes

• Short skirt that expose your knees when you sit

• Blouses or shirts that expose your shoulders

Please note that in order to improve the uniformity of the ensemble, white shirts are no longer allowed without a jacket.

Please join us for this exciting new event highlighting the remarkable talents of our graduating senior musicians!

The recital will showcase several of our seniors performing solos and ensembles, reflecting their musical growth and accomplishments.

We invite you to attend and celebrate with us as our seniors embark on the next exciting chapter of their lives.

Students and parents are cordially invited to join us in celebrating the achievements of the Northwest High School bands for the 2024-25 academic year. This special event will include the presentation of band awards, an end-of-year slideshow, and special recognition for the Class of 2025 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 concert band? Wonderful! Pictures from Perry or a jazz band trip? Fantastic!

Please email pictures (or a link to the pictures) 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!

End of the Year Video Help!

We are looking for someone who would be willing to put together an end of the year video slideshow to play at our awards night on May 20. The video has typically been between 15 and 25 minutes long and includes band pictures from throughout the year. If this is something that you would be interested in doing, please email Mr. Strohmaier for more information.

Waukee NW Band Fundraising Night

Every 3rd Wednesday of each month, Papa John’s will be giving back 5% of sales to the Waukee Northwest High School Band!!

Waukee Location ONLY

No school!

Training for the 25-26 Royal Brigade Leadership Team including: Drum Majors, Section Captains and other mentors.

Northwest Seminar Room

The Northwest Band Parents Board will meet on June 17 at 6:00 PM in the NWHS Seminar Room. All band parents are invited to join us!