With the school year approaching, the Blue Jay Marching Band and Jayettes spent the final week of summer preparing for fall at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. Buses departing from Carrollton and Banks carried new and returning members to campus, where they balanced rigorous rehearsal, team-building activities, and lively performances.

Under the leadership of incoming drum major, senior Andrew Frey, the band devoted its mornings to refining the football halftime show, “Interstellar,” which features music by Coldplay and Earth, Wind & Fire, and to practicing the Alma Mater. In the afternoons, the band held joint field rehearsals with the Jayettes—led by senior captain Claire Deroche, coached by Erin Castille and Madison Chiapetta, and moderated by Susan de Boisblanc—during which both groups synchronized music, drill formations, and dance routines.

Beyond the halftime program, the ensemble mapped out its annual schedule under the direction of Joe Caluda ’79 and assistant band director Jason Giaccone. This year’s calendar will feature two seasonal concerts; multiple marches during carnival season and Disney parades; competition in the LMEA District VI Marching Festival; and support for the Philelectic Society in its spring musical. In summer 2026, 140 members of the band family will travel to Ireland, Paris, and Germany to mark the 27th anniversary of the band’s musical and cultural exchange with the Clavius Gymnasium in Bamberg, Germany.