Published: March 12, 2008 01:14 am            

Musical tradition

If you live in Howard County, and appreciate tradition and music, head over to Taylor High School tonight for the Howard County Music Festival.

More than 400 musicians from Eastern, Northwestern, Taylor and Western high schools will continue a 51-year tradition. Band and choral students will perform at 7:30 p.m.

The festival is believed to be the longest-running annual performance of its kind in the country. There used to be many similar festivals across Indiana. Most, now, are either all band or all choral.

This year, as in those previous, students began learning the music separately. But in the last couple of days, the music groups of all four high schools have rehearsed with the festival’s guest conductors. They are Scott Buchanan, director of choral activities at Indiana State University; Angel Velez, director of bands at Marian University; and Mark Wooldridge, director of percussion activities at Indiana Wesleyan University.

We’ve attended former performances, and they’re something special.

Jeremy Snyder, band director at Northwestern, put the festival in perspective for us in an interview last year: “Too often, I think, the kids worry about competing and not what bands are supposed to do. We fight each other all winter at basketball games, and they come here to work together on one goal.”

Turn off the TV and attend the annual Howard County Music Festival tonight. You’ll be glad you did – and you’ll be impressed by our children’s musicianship.



If you go:

WHAT: Howard County Music Festival

WHERE: Taylor High School auditorium

WHEN: Doors open at 7 p.m. today, concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

COST: $5 for adults, $3 for children

        

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