From Ray Charles and Gladys Knight to Charlie Daniels and OutKast, some unmistakably Georgia sounds are coming to the field this fall as the Jeff Davis High School Pride of the Pinelands presents its 2026 marching production, “Tales of the Peach State.” The production is built entirely around songs that tell a story — or “tale” — connected to Georgia, giving the Pride of the Pinelands a show rooted in the music and culture of the Peach State.
The show opens appropriately with Georgia’s official state song, “Georgia on My Mind,” made famous by Ray Charles, before transitioning into the jazz standard “Sweet Georgia Brown.” The second movement continues the journey through Georgia-inspired music with “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & The Pips, followed by “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” recorded by Reba McEntire.
Then comes a song almost tailor-made for a Georgia-themed marching show. The third movement features Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The selection will put the spotlight on the Pride of the Pinelands percussion and auxiliary sections and will also feature student soloists on guitar and fiddle. For its final movement, the band turns to Atlanta with “Hey Ya!” by OutKast, before bringing the production full circle with a reprise of “Georgia on My Mind.”
And that’s not all! The Pride of the Pinelands is scheduled to take its 2026 production to three marching competitions this fall. The band will compete Sept. 26 at the Tiger Pride Small School Invitational, hosted by Metter High School; Oct. 3 at the Sound of Silver Marching Invitational, hosted by Pierce County High School in Blackshear; and Oct. 24 at the Sound of Gold Marching Band Competition, hosted by Ware County High School in Waycross.
But marching season represents only part of the work ahead for Jeff Davis band students.
From the football field to the concert stage: On Nov. 19, the JDHS Symphonic Band is planning a Fall Concert as students begin preparing for the concert portion of their year. That will be followed Dec. 10 by the annual Christmas concert, which will also feature the JDES Beginning Band.
During the spring semester, both the JDHS Symphonic Band and JDMS Concert Band will turn their attention toward one of the major evaluations of the school year — the Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluation, or LGPE. Each band will prepare three selections: a military-style march and two pieces selected from the GMEA LGPE repertoire list. They will then perform at Wayne County High School in Jesup before a panel of judges. Judges provide detailed feedback and assign ratings of Fair, Good, Excellent or Superior, with Superior being the highest rating.
And preparing three pieces of music is only part of the challenge. Students must also complete a sight-reading evaluation, receiving a piece of music they have never seen before. They are given just six minutes to study and prepare the selection — without playing a single note on their instruments — before performing it for the judges.
The year will eventually conclude with a spring concert and band awards night recognizing the students’ work and accomplishments throughout the season.
The Team Behind the Pride
Leading the Jeff Davis band program are Dany Artiga, Director of Bands at JDHS; Shelby Carelock, Director of Bands at JDMS and Assistant Director at JDHS; Shane Schroeder, Director of Bands at JDES and Assistant Director at JDHS; William Shaw, music teacher at JDPS and percussion director at JDHS and JDMS; and Casie Jones, auxiliary director at JDHS.
From Friday nights in the Pinelands to marching competitions and concert evaluations, Jeff Davis band students have a busy year ahead.
And this fall, when the Pride of the Pinelands takes the field, they’ll be telling a story that should sound familiar to everyone watching from the stands — the story of Georgia, told through music.
