The Jackson All-Stars!

On July 19, 2021, Lanier High School received 10 musical instruments from the Mississippi Community Symphonic band (MCSB). The instruments - trumpets and trombones - will support the expansion of the school's band program. The distribution to Lanier was made possible through the MCSB’s award-winning Musical Instrument Drive. The MCSB collects used but playable (or minor repair) band instruments of all types: trumpets, trombones, clarinets, flutes, saxophones and more!  Donated instruments are cleaned, serviced and distributed to school band programs to be loaned to families who could not afford to rent or purchase a musical instrument for their child. Since the start of this program in August 2015, the MCSB has donated over 200 instruments to 23 schools representing eight school districts throughout Mississippi.

Fifteen other JPS schools have also benefitted from MCSB's Musical Instrument Drive over the past six years. They include Power APAC (2015), Bailey APAC Middle School (2015), Rowan Middle School (2015), Brinkley Middle School (2015), Blackburn Laboratory Middle School (2016), Hardy Academy of Career Exploration (2016), Whitten Preparatory Middle School (2016),Chastain Middle School (2016 / 2017), Siwell Academy of Leadership (2017), Northwest Jackson Middle School (2017), Kirksey Middle School (2018), Powell Academy of Military Science (2018), Cardozo Middle School (2018), Peeples Middle School (2018), Obama Magnet (2017-2021)

Since the inception of the Musical Instrument Drive,  the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education (MAPE) has awarded the Mississippi Community Symphonic Band and Jackson Public Schools 2 Governor’s Awards and a Partnership Excellence Award for the outstanding community partnership effort.

Antonio Bratton is the band director at Lanier High School. Obama Magnet gifted teacher David Schommer serves on the MCSB board of directors, coordinates of the Musical Instrument Drive, and conducts the MCSB's Mississippi Swing! Big Band.

Due to the pandemic, only one school received musical instruments in 2020 - Obama Magnet School. Obama received violins to support the strings program at the school. 

In 2019, 41 musical instruments have already been distributed

1. NR. Burger (Hattiesburg, MS) 10 instruments, February.
2. Central Cleveland Middle School (Cleveland, MS)  10 instruments, May
3.  Morgantown Middle 5 instruments,  August
4.  Olde Town Middle 7 instruments,  August
5.  Vicksburg Intermediate 7 instruments, August
6. Obama Magnet 2 instruments, October

Since August 2015, over 190 instruments have been distributed to over 20 schools.

The MCSB / Mississippi Swing! Instrument Drive recently won the 2018 Governor's Award!  Since 2015, 118 musical instruments have been distributed to 15 local schools! In 2017 alone, over 40 musical instruments were donated to Siwell Middle School, Northwest Jackson IB School, Chastain Middle School, Davis Magnet School (Jackson Public Schools), and Pelahatchie High School (Rankin County Schools).  This is the 5th state award for the instrument drive! A special thanks goes to Ardenland Entertainment, the Barksdale Foundation, Christ Untied Methodist Church, Mississippi Music and all the schools, musicians, and community members who participated in this worthwhile project!