ALAMOSA — The Adams State University Music Department celebrated a truly unique event, its 80th Annual Top of The Nation High School Honor Band Festival workshop and concert. 

The performance, held on Sunday in Richardson Hall, was the culmination of three days of workshops with students from many Colorado high schools. Under the guidance of guest clinicians Mike Mozingo and Shannon Kitelinger, and ASU clinicians James Lind, Melinda Leoce, and Brooke Miller, the students honed their skills and prepared for this special performance. 

Lind thanked all the directors who worked with the musicians, “Thank you, it has been a pleasure to witness their [students] growth over the last few days, music is alive and well because of this." 

Expressing his gratitude to the parents of the musicians, Lind added, "Thank you for taking your kids to band rehearsals, contests, and all of those things. Thank you, parents, for supporting music throughout Colorado; this is impossible without you." 

In a statement to the Valley Courier, Lind wrote, “The 80th Annual Top of the Nation Honor Band Festival proved to be an amazing weekend of music-making, learning, artistry, and fellowship.  About 70 students from 12 different schools across Colorado arrived at Adams State University on Friday, Feb. 28, to start group rehearsals in two different ensembles – Symphonic Winds, by audition, and Concert Winds, a director-recommended group. 

“The students worked with world-class clinicians and performed a concert on Sunday, March 2.  Clinicians included Dr. Shannon Kitelinger, Director of Bands at San Diego State University and Mr. Mike Mozingo, retired educator from the Lewis-Palmer School District.  Students participated in ensemble rehearsals, sectional rehearsals with Adams State instrumental faculty, and a performance with the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra.  During the Glenn Miller performance on Saturday, March 1, some student participants got to perform with the Glenn Miller Orchestra on In the Mood.” 

The concert began with Mike Mozingo directing Roland Barrett's "Structures," a piece of music in which Mozingo said was "inspired to write this piece by enormous stones standing on the islands west of Scotland." 

The concert included other wind concert pieces, including Tyler Grant's "Shimmering Joy." The work was commissioned by the Mount View Middle School in Maryland. Grant has commissioned many other works, including "Command the Waves" by the U.S. Naval Academy.  

The concert included a second half of symphonic winds compositions under the direction of Shannon Kitelinger, including Satoshi Yagisawa's "Symphonic Episode," and Katahj Copeley's, "Riptides." 

The ASU Music Department has an exciting lineup of concerts this month. On March 10, the ASU Wind Symphony, the Centauri Jr./Sr. High bands and the SLV Community Band will be in concert at Richardson Hall at 7 p.m. On March 13, guest artists Alasdair Fraser, on fiddle, and Natalie Hass, cellist, will be at Leon Memorial Hall at 7 p.m. And don't miss the unique experience of the "ASU Cabaret. A Night of Song and Stories" on March 29 at the Friar's Fork Sanctuary on 4th Street in Alamosa at 8 p.m. For tickets, visit the ALMA website at www. alamosaonline.org.