ATU to Host Music for All Festival This Week

There are 11 Music for All affiliate regional music festivals scheduled across the United States in 2017, including events in metropolitan areas as large as Atlanta, Chicago and Indianapolis.

None of the other 10 festivals attracted a larger number of registered participants than the one that Arkansas Tech University will host at the Center for the Arts at Russellville High School from Thursday, March 30, through Saturday, April 1.

More than 2,000 students representing more than 40 high school, junior high and middle school bands from around Arkansas will perform in the 2017 ATU Southern Regional Concert Band Festival, an affiliate of Music for All National Festival presented by Yamaha.

Performances will begin at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, 11:45 a.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. Saturday. The Arkansas Tech Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform at 9 p.m. Thursday, 8:45 p.m. Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Dr. Nicolas del Grazia, associate professor of music, will join the ATU Symphonic Wind Ensemble as a clarinet soloist on performances of Michael Daugherty’s “Brooklyn Bridge.”

More information is available at www.atu.edu/bands/festival.php. Admission will be free and open to the public.

Students in attendance will work with and learn from a panel of five nationally-renowned clinicians: Gary Green, director of bands emeritus, University of Miami; Allan McMurray, retired director of bands, University of Colorado; Cody Birdwell, director of bands, University of Kentucky; Robert Ambrose, director of bands, Georgia State University; Sarah McKoin, director of bands, Texas Tech University.

“Our festival is focused on education,” said Dr. Daniel A. Belongia, director of bands and associate professor of music at Arkansas Tech. “Our clinicians will provide recorded and written feedback for each band, and each band will also work with one of the clinicians following their performance.”

Among the K-12 schools that will be represented at the festival by one or more bands are Abundant Life High School, Bentonville High School, Bethel Middle School (Bryant), Bryant High School, Cabot Freshman Academy, Cabot High School, Clarksville High School, Clarksville Junior High School, Cotter High School, Dardanelle High School, Dover High School, Fayetteville High School, Flippin High School, Fort Smith Southside High School, Greenwood High School, Hamburg High School, Harrison High School, Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School, Lake Hamilton High School, Magazine High School, Malvern High School, Mountain Home High School, Pottsville Junior High School, Pottsville High School, St. Joseph High School, Sheridan Junior High School, Sheridan High School, Springdale High School, Stuttgart Junior High School, Van Buren High School and White Hall High School.

Visit www.atu.edu/music and www.atu.edu/bands to learn more about the Arkansas Tech Department of Music and its instrumental music program.