4/17/06 Contact: David M. Granger, 334/844-9999 (grangdm@auburn.edu)
Deedie Dowdle, 334/844-9999 (ddowdle@auburn.edu)

AU TO HOST ALABAMA ALL-STATE BAND FESTIVAL APRIL 20-22

AUBURN - The top 650 high school and junior high band students in Alabama will come together at Auburn University for the 2006 All-State Band Festival the weekend of April 20-22.

The Festival, sponsored by the Alabama Bandmasters Association and hosted by the AU Department of Music and the AU Bands, involves students from over 350 high school, junior high, and middle school bands throughout the state. Participants were selected for the festival through competitive auditions held at eight district sites.

Upon arrival in Auburn, the young musicians will audition again for chair placement in the Junior High Band and the three High School Bands, designated as Red, White and Blue. Conductors of the three high school bands will be:

* Red Band: Jerry Junkin, director of bands at the University of Texas and conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony;

* White Band: Richard Saucedo, director of bands at Carmel (Ind.) High School; and

* Blue Band: Ken Bodiford, director of bands at Jacksonville State University.

The All-State Junior High Band will be conducted by Patricia Garren, a retired junior high band director from South Carolina.

The four bands will rehearse under these conductors on Thursday evening, Friday, and Saturday morning and will present free concerts on Saturday at 11 a.m. (Jr. High and Blue Bands) and 2 p.m. (White and Red Bands) in the Student Activities Building on the Auburn campus.

“We are delighted to be hosting the All-State Band Festival again this year,” said Johnnie Vinson, AU’s director of bands. “The Festival affords us a wonderful opportunity to get to know these talented students and their directors and to show them what Auburn has to offer in our music and band programs.”

A highlight of the festival will be a special free “Host Night” concert for the participants by the Auburn University Symphonic Band on Friday, April 21, at 8 p.m. in the Opelika Performing Arts Center. That concert is also open to the public.

Auburn University is a preeminent land-grant and comprehensive research institution with more than 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama’s largest educational institution, offering more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.

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