NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State University Wind Symphony will host regional high school concert bands in the Inaugural Invitational Band Festival on April 19-20. The event will feature Emmy-Award-winning composer Julie Giroux.
Northwestern State Director of Bands Anthony Pursell said the festival is a pilot project that will be a high-quality recruiting tool for students wishing to continue participation in music beyond their high school years. Each invited band will perform a concert in the acoustically treated Magale Recital Hall followed by a 20-minute clinic by Giroux and a short clinic by a visiting music educator.
“The format will be used to assist band programs prior to going to state assessment,” said Pursell. “While we are piloting this program in April and most bands in the region have already attended their assessment, the idea is to evaluate how to best serve these high school band directors and their program in the immediate future.”
High school students will also be treated to open rehearsals with the NSU Wind Symphony, dining on campus and a masterclass by woodwind, brass and percussion faculty and students.
The festival will also employ current NSU music education majors to serve as adjudicators for each band.
“Giving our students the opportunity to evaluate a band’s performance begins to formulate priorities in their mind of the things they will eventually need to assess when they are in front of their own ensemble,” said Pursell. “No matter if it is pre-assessment evaluations or simply getting ready for an end-of-year pops concert for their community, our NSU music education majors will benefit through active listening and assessing that performance in real-time.”
NSU students will also enjoy an open Q&A session with Giroux. Composition students will receive a lesson with Giroux.
Visiting ensembles include Benton High School, West Monroe High School, and Parkway High School. Benton will perform on April 19 at 9:30 a.m. followed by West Monroe at 10:30 a.m. Parkway will perform on April 20 at 10 a.m. All performances will be in Magale Recital Hall.
The NSU Wind Symphony will conclude the festival with a performance on April 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall featuring Giroux with guest music educator Dustin Seifert, director of bands at Eastern New Mexico State University, conducting the ensemble.
“Giving our NSU students an opportunity to experience music by being led by the composer and a visiting master educator will greatly enhance their performance experience,” said Pursell. “When I was 18 years old, my college band director brought in a composer to be our guest conductor. I remember thinking to myself ‘That is the person whose name is on top of this piece.’ It is an experience that I still value today, even after 27 years of leading bands of my own.”
The NSU Wind Symphony concert will be on Thursday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. In Magale Recital Hall followed by the Fredericks Concert Band. Selections will include “Festive Overture” by Shostakovich and two works by Giroux, “Before the Sun” and “Symphony #5.” Professor of Violin Dr. Andrej Kurti will be featured on “Before the Sun.”
Concerts will be livestreamed at capa.nsula.edu/livestream.
