Bands sought for Jan. event JACKSON - It's not too early to start getting ready for the 2008 Battle of the Bands. The Jackson Educational Foundation in conjunction with the Jam Room Music Complex of Howell will be sponsoring the second annual Battle of the Bands on Jan. 19 from 7-11 p.m. at Jackson Memorial High School, Don Connor Boulevard. Bands are now being sought to perform. "We are looking for multi-genre groups from the Jackson community and surrounding areas who want to strut their stuff and compete with other groups for some great prizes," said Rosanne Tarnofsky, who chairs the Battle of the Bands committee. Any band that is interested in participating in the Battle of the Bands must submit a nonreturnable compact disc or audio tape so the committee may determine if the band is appropriate for the event. "I know there is a great deal of musical talent in our area and this would provide a great venue for our kids to show what they can do," Tarnofsky said. "We have professional musicians, music critics and others from the music world who will be working on this evening as well." The Jackson Educational Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works with the Jackson Board of Education and is dedicated to enriching and expanding the educational lives of Jackson's school children through the purchase of equipment that might otherwise not be available through the regular school budget. The foundation also provides scholarships for graduates and encourages innovative educational programs through a program of mini-grants to teachers. "We are the group that teachers come to when they need something extra which has not been accounted for in the Board of Education budget," said Martin Spielman, who is the foundation's president. "I guess we could be considered the icing on the cake." Anyone interested in participating in the Battle of the Bands should begin by calling Rosanne Tarnofsky at (732) 833-1938 for additional information or by e-mailing Mike Kafton at mayorkaf@aol.com. Band members should be between 14 and 20 years of age. All demo CDs should be submitted by Nov. 16.