Happy New (and busy) Year!

One might think that all of the music programs and presentations locally would have our musicians worn out! However, the schools are back in session, and band directors and students are preparing for Ohio Music Education District 11 Honors Band at Troy High School on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 1 p.m. (Students selected will be listed in this column in the future.)

All of the high school music teachers, students (and their accompanists) are busy preparing for the OMEA District 11 Solo and Ensemble Adjudicated Events to be held on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Milton-Union High School. You may recall that those performances were called “contests” in past years. (Those students and their ratings are to be reported in this column after the event.)

Congratulations and thanks to all of our local music students, church choirs and others who provided the wonderful and inspirational music over the holidays. I know that everyone appreciated each of the experiences. Much as I might have wished, I was unable to attend most of them, but did enjoy the Triad High School special choir presentation for the Champaign County Retired Teachers, and the performance of the First Presbyterian Church Choir, soloists and piano/organist Jane Martin at the Carol and Candle Service. (English teachers, please ignore my run-on sentence! I do know better!)

Speaking of church choirs, I recently learned that the Urbana United Methodist Church Choir, directed by Jacque Howell, will be performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City in November. Obviously, there will be more news on that later this year.

And there is that old saw of a joke: (Visitor to New York calls out to a person on the sidewalk) “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The reply comes back: “Practice, practice, practice.”