ROBERTSDALE, Ala. -- The Robertsdale High School Marching Band is all new this year, with a new show, new band director and a new assistant band director, heading into the beginning of a new fall season later this month.

“I’m really looking forward to a great season,” said M. David Jordan, who was confirmed as the new RHS band director at the end of July, replacing Robin Isherwood, who retired earlier this year because of health concerns. “We have a great group of student-leaders, great group leaders and a great administration who has supported us with everything we’ve asked of them.”

Jordan, a native of Mobile, 2004 graduate of Satsuma High School and 2011 graduate of the University of Mobile, came to RHS straight from college where he has served as assistant band director for the last two seasons.

“This truly is a dream job with an amazing group of people to work with,” he said.

RHS is still awaiting confirmation from the board of education to hire Mark Meadows of Valley as the assistant band director.

Like Jordan, Meadows comes to Robertsdale straight from the University of Mobile, where he received his degree in music education in May. Meadows transferred to UM after a year at Auburn University, where he majored in pre-pharmacy before transferring after his freshman year.

Having just completed his second week working with the 130-member marching band, Meadows said he is impressed with the work ethic and discipline of the students.

“I’ve worked with other bands at other band camps and the level of discipline that these kids have is just something I haven’t seen at any other school,” he said. “It’s been pretty amazing.”

Preparations for this year’s fall season got underway July 29 with the first week concentrating on basic fundamentals, Jordan said, and the past week spent implementing the routine for the upcoming season.

“We’re right in the middle of our third song,” Jordan said on Friday. “It’s just incredible what these kids have been able to accomplish in a short time, considering that the weather hasn’t been exactly cooperating with us. But that goes back to the discipline of these students. Nothing stops them. They just push right through and do the work that’s required of them.”

That work ethic has paid off, especially considering that for the most part, the songs they are learning are unfamiliar to them.

The theme for this year’s show is “Pirates,” featuring mostly original music by composer Gary Pete Gilroy. The show will also feature two songs from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, “Hoist the Colors,” which is the opening theme from the third film, and an original composition by RHS student Pierson Gilreath, the band’s lone tenor player and leader of the percussion section. The song gives homage to the love ballad from the first film, Jordan said.

“(Gilreath) is one of many of our incredible student leaders,” Jordan said. “He’s an amazing talent and it’s been a privilege for us to be a part of making his dream happen.”

The band will host a parent preview beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15 at J.D. Sellars Stadium before performing their first halftime show on Aug. 23 on the road at Satsuma High School.

The band’s first home performance will be Aug. 30 when the Golden Bear football team takes on the Mary G. Montgomery Vikings in the official season opener for both teams.

The band will host its annual Play-A-Thon on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the stadium.

“We invite everyone to come out and see the show,” Jordan said. “This will be very different from any show we’ve done in the past and will push the boundaries of what this band is capable of, but in the long run, it will make for a better program.”

Following the fall season, the band will perform at Christmas festivities in Robertsdale, Silverhill and Loxley before beginning a busy spring season.

On April 9 they will perform at the Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C.

“This is a huge, huge honor for us,” Jordan said. “For some of these kids it will be their only opportunity to explore the sites our nation’s Capital and I know they are really looking forward to it.”

The week before, the band will once again participate in the Winter Guard International Worlds Competition April 2-6 in Dayton, Ohio and the percussion session will also compete in the Mid-South Championships in Bowling Green, Ky.

“We’re open to participate in any event and help any school wherever we can,” Jordan said. “We have large ensembles, small ensembles and a jazz band and we’re looking forward to having a great year in 2013 and 2014.”