Midway Middle School

Mr. Jordan is very proud of all his students at Midway Middle School, especially the independent work they put into learning to play an instrument! Students begin learning to play six major scales and a chromatic scale in the sixth grade, by the time students reach the eighth grade they've learned the prerequisites for auditioning for the All-District Band and can choose to begin learning a challenging state issued solo specific to their instrument. Although it is typical to see mostly eighth grade students prepare all the audition requirements for All-District we actually have several seventh grade students who prepare and audition! Some of the audition requirements go above and beyond what is typically taught in a middle school band curriculum, and Mr. Jordan offers weekly help sessions where students auditioning can choose to stay after school and receive additional instruction - Sometimes Mr. Tew and Mr. Shelton (Midway High School's band directors) are able to come over to hear and help provide student instruction as well! It is a big accomplishment to prepare all the audition requirements just to be able to audition, and an even bigger accomplishment to make the All-District Band! Roughly 400-500 students will audition for the all-district band each year, but only 188 students will be accepted into the southeastern district's two middle school ensembles. Mr. Jordan and Midway Middle School are very proud to have had sixteen students be part of the accepted 188! Three of our students placed high enough to be eligible to audition for the North Carolina All-State Honors Band in March!"