Role(s):
Specialties:
Affiliations:
Ira Jenkins (Atlanta, Georgia) Ira Jenkins is a high school band director based in the Atlanta area. His marching bands have placed first in class in most of their competitions. They have also made finals and placed among the top at local competitions as well as Bands of America (BOA) Championships and Music for All Affiliate Marching Band Events. Additionally, many of his students are members of their District Honor Band each year. Wind Ensembles under his direction have been selected as a featured guest band at Troy University’s Southeastern United States Clinic and Honor Band event and the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival. When he was an assistant high school band director, his students were featured performers at the Georgia Music Educators Association’s (GMEA) In-Service Conference, the University of Georgia’s JanFest Honor Band Clinic, Carnegie Hall’s Festival of Gold, and a host of other special performances. The Indoor Percussion ensembles in his band program have been Georgia Indoor Percussion Association Scholastic A champions and Winter Guard International (WGI) regional champions. His winter guards have been repeat Southern Association for Performance Arts (SAPA) championship medalists, WGI regional champions, and WGI World Championships finalists.
Jenkins taught elementary, middle, and high school bands in the city of Atlanta, Cobb County, Fulton County, Westchester County (New York), and Bergen County (New Jersey). His bands consistently earned superior ratings at performance evaluations.
Jenkins has also served as band chair and the district chair for GMEA’s District 5, as well as vice president of SAPA. His professional affiliations include marching band and winter guard adjudication with WGI, BOA, Drum Corps International, and various circuits around the country. He holds memberships with GMEA, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association. Jenkins attended Florida A&M University, Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, and the University of Georgia for undergraduate and graduate studies. He is currently an ABD doctoral candidate at Georgia State University, as he is finishing his dissertation on student leadership in high school bands.