VSU Hosts South Georgia Region Honor Bands April 11-13

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University will welcome about 300 middle school and high school band students to campus Thursday, April 11, for the 2013 South Georgia Region Honor Band event.

“This is the only region band event in Georgia and is always held on our campus,” said Joe H. Brashier, director of bands and professor of music at the university. “It is great exposure for VSU and our band program.”

Representing 66 schools from Macon to the Georgia-Florida border, the students will spend three days perfecting music for a free, public performance at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, in Whitehead Auditorium. They will rehearse a minimum of 10 hours as a group with a guest conductor.

Dr. Paul Popeil, director of bands at the University of Kansas, will lead the region honor band for students in grades 11 through 12. Thomas Singletary, band director at Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Fla., will lead the honor band for students in grades nine through 10. His wife, Laura Singletary, who teaches at Johnson Middle School in Melbourne and is the daughter of former VSU President Hugh C. Bailey, will lead the middle school honor band.

Brashier noted that the students were selected to participate in the South Georgia Region Honor Bands based on their first- and second-round All-State auditions.

“It is highly competitive,” he added.  

Contact Joe H. Brashier at (229) 333-5809 or jhbrashi@valdosta.edu to learn more.