Over the weekend, Jackson Academy hosted its annual Jackson Academy Show Choir Invitational (JASI) competition. The competition featured elite show choirs from various states vying for the title of Grand Champion. Twenty-seven groups with 1,100 total performers participated in the two-day event held at the Performing Arts Center. JA’s show choirs were exhibition-only, providing entertainment during breaks in competition.
While hundreds of performers took the stage, around 150 crew members, parents, faculty, and staff kept all other aspects of a show choir competition running. Parent volunteers, led by JASI Co-Chairs Lee Ann Thigpen and Lorraine Boykin, helped this competition run smoothly under Upper School and Middle School show choir directors Garrett Lindsey and Emily Greene and performing arts and PAC staff. JA utilized five campus buildings to facilitate the event. Maintenance, grounds, and security staff worked hard to keep the facilities in excellent condition and the flow of traffic operating smoothly so that performing groups could enjoy their time in the venue. Jim Wilkirson and senior Bryan Eubank served as emcees to keep audiences informed, and the Raider Network staff provided videography of performances for groups to purchase.
Additionally, JA offered a limited edition of commemorative JASI buttons named after JA’s cafeteria’s most popular food item – JASI Tendies. More than 100 pounds of chicken tenders were prepared for the event, said Director of Performing Arts Kerri Sanders. The JASI weekend was a huge success, evidenced by the enthusiastic posts from the participating schools, such as “Jackson Academy Show Choir Invitational was a BLAST!”
