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

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

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!

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. 

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

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

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!

More information to come.

More information to come.

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

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!

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!

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

The Adventureland Concert Band festival is coming up on Saturday morning, April 25. All students will meet at Northwest in concert uniforms at 8:30 on that Saturday. The Concert Band will perform at 10:30 am, while the Wind Symphony will perform at 10:55 am. Trailridge is also performing, though we will not be there in time to watch them perform at 8:50 am. We will return to Northwest around 12:30 p.m.

A complete itinerary for the day is attached here.

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

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!

The 2026 Colorguard and Percussion sections will have their first meeting next Thursday at 7:00, immediately following the Season Kick-off. All students who plan to participate in the 2026 colorguard or percussion sections should plan to attend. The meeting will detail additional expectations and responsibilities for these students, including the spring camp schedule.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Join us for an incredible night of live music!

On Tuesday, March 24, 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. The Des Moines Big Band, of which Mr. Page and I are both members, performs every Tuesday night from 7-9 p.m. Each week, a different area high school is invited to come down and perform during the set break of the big band. So if you find yourself free that Tuesday, please consider coming down.

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

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.

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.

Schedule / Performance times:

Here's the schedule for Northwest bands:

• Northwest Jazz Experience and Jazz Lab - 1:25

• Northwest Jazz Orchestra - 8:00

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!

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!