Boyd band will perform at MU's honor band weekend

Feb. 5—ASHLAND — The Boyd County band will "share" a concert with the Marshall University Wind Symphony. The concert will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 21 at Smith Recital Hall on the MU campus.

"Dr. Phillip Vallejo, director of bands at Marshall, Invited us to come and share the concert with the MU wind symphony," John Johnson, director of bands at Boyd County schools, said. "We will not be performing with them. It is a shared concert, so we will play 20 or 30 minutes, then their band will play 20 or 30 minutes. This concert is the opening of their honor band weekend."

The Marshall University High School Honor Band Festival, from Feb. 21 to 23, aims to recognize the achievements of exceptional high school musicians while providing an opportunity to work with guest conductors from around the country and getting to know the MU faculty. The weekend will include workshops and master classes with world-renowned musicians, performances by the Marshall Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, and demonstrations by student ensembles.

Clinicians include Jason Caslor, Arizona State University Director of Bands; Garrett Griffin, Coastal Carolina University Director of Band and Dr. Myra Rhoden, Fayette County High School director of bands.

Johnson said the audience will consist mostly of band students and directors from around the region attending the honor band event. Vallejo has seen the Boyd County band perform.

"We had a wonderful student teacher from MU last semester and he was in the band hall to observe her several times," Johnson said. "It's an honor to receive such an invitation."

The Boyd band will perform "Lion Fanfare, " "Rippling Watercolors," "Bugler's Holiday" and "Deus ex Machina."

"Too often in our business, we focus heavily on competition," Johnson said. "The Boyd County band program loves to focus on collaboration, especially with our companion arts organizations."