STARKVILLE, Miss.--More than 300 high school musicians from five states are at Mississippi State Thursday through Saturday [Jan. 28-30] for the university's 58th Honor Band Clinic.
Among the oldest and largest of its kind in the Southeast, the clinic was begun in 1953 by former music department head Thomas West. Participants are selected from competitive auditions held across Mississippi in November and December.
The event's three public performances include:
--Thursday [the 28th], 6:30 p.m., MSU Jazz Ensemble concert, McComas Hall main theater, Cliff Taylor directing;
--Friday [the 29th], 8 p.m., MSU Wind Ensemble concert, Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall, Elva Kaye Lance directing;
--Saturday [the 30th], 1 p.m., Honor Band Final concert, Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall.
"The visiting students will take part in rehearsals and activities designed to give them some of the best experiences a university-level honor band clinic can provide, said Lance, MSU director of bands. "This is among our largest recruiting events of the year."
Internationally known composer and conductor Mark Camphouse will be the guest clinician for the Honor Wind Symphony. He currently leads the Wind Symphony at George Mason University.
Jazz Ensemble director Cliff Taylor is associate director of bands. Music department assistant professor Jason Baker will direct the Percussion Ensemble.
