Music For All Brings America's Outstanding Student Musicians To Indianapolis March 15-17

Last updated on Thursday, March 15, 2018

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indianapolis-based Music for All will host more than 70 high school and middle school ensembles from across the country in Indianapolis for the 27th Annual Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha. Students will participate in music education workshops and perform at top venues throughout Indianapolis.

Since 1975, Music for All, through its Music for All, Bands of America, Orchestra America, and choir programs, has been a destination and set the standard for scholastic music ensemble performance and music education advocacy. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, Music for All's mission is to create, provide, and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all.

The Music for All National Festival's purpose is to offer a non-competitive atmosphere that provides a place for growth amongst young musicians. Another purpose is to raise awareness and advocate for the importance of music education in schools nationwide.

Students, parents, teachers, and anyone who is interested in the arts are welcome to attend any venue.

Many of the events are free to attend.

400 student voices will join for the premiere National Festival Choir concert at Hilbert Circle Theatre on March 17. They will premiere "We Believe," a new piece written in honor of the National Choir Festival by Henry Leck, founder of the Indianapolis Children's Choir and Festival Artistic Director.

Three of four 2018 Bands of America Hall of Fame Inductees are greater Indianapolis music educators: Randy Greenwell, recently retired after more than two decades as Band Director of Lawrence Central High School; Matt James, Director of Performing Arts, Director of Bands, Lawrence Central H.S.; Dean Westman, Avon High School Orchestras and Black and Gold Marching Band. They will be inducted on Saturday, March 17.

The largest meal (more than 2,500 guests) the J.W. Marriott in Indianapolis has ever served will take place Saturday, March 17 at the 2018 Bands of America Hall of Fame induction and Gala Awards Banquet.

The festival will feature Choir Festival Evaluator Joseph Flummerfelt, DePauw University alumnus (Class of 1958). Flummerfelt collaborated with famed composer Leonard Bernstein (who would have turned 100 in 2018) and was described by Bernstein as "the greatest choral conductor in the world."

Hall of Fame Inductee Kevin Ford (of Tarpon Springs H.S. in Florida) will be joined by his daughter at the induction ceremony. His daughter is dating a graduate of Tarpon Springs who is also in Indianapolis as a musician with the touring company of Les Miserables, playing the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre through Sunday, March 18.

The Festival will premiere the new work "MLK / RFK" by famed composer Mohammed Fairouz, as part of the Honor Band of America performance. The piece has ties to Indianapolis as Robert F. Kennedy is known to have broken the news of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination during a speech in Indianapolis.

Festival: March 15-17

Honor Orchestra of America and Jazz Band of America: 8 p.m. Friday, March 16 - Clowes Memorial Hall
Tickets for the Jazz Band of America and Honor Orchestra of America concert are $15 and can be ordered in advance at cloweshall.org, musicforall.org, or Ticketmaster.com.

Honor Orchestra of America: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17 - Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts, Butler University
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, senior citizens, and groups of 10 or more. They can be ordered in advance at cloweshall.org, musicforall.org, Ticketmaster.com, or purchased at the Clowes Hall ticket office.

Honor Band of America: 8 p.m., Saturday, March 17 - Clowes Memorial Hall, Butler University
Tickets range from $22 to $35 for the Honor Band of America Concert at Clowes Memorial Hall, and are available at cloweshall.org, musicforall.org, and Ticketmaster.com.

Music for All Chamber Music Concert: 8p.m. Saturday, March 17 - Christel De Haan Fine Arts Center, University of Indianapolis. The concert will feature the classical winners Ryan Toher, clarinet, and Julian Velasco, saxophone, from the Vandoren Emerging Artists Competition and the Yamaha Performing Artist, Rex Richardson. The winners have the opportunity to perform at the National Festival and travel to Paris to meet representatives from Vandoren. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased directly at uindyarts.universitytickets.com.

National Concert Band Festival:
6 p.m. Thursday, March 15
8:30 a.m. Friday, March 16
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts, Butler University
Free Admission.

Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival:
4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15
8:30 a.m. Friday, March 16
Warren Performing Arts Center
Free Admission.

National Choir Festival: 8:00 a.m. Friday, March 16 - St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
This year marks the premiere of the National Choir Festival as part of the Music for All National Festival. With this addition, Music for All now encompasses all the major pillars of a traditional school music program. Twelve choirs from across the nation invited by blind audition will debut choral performance. Free Admission.

Chamber Music National Festival: 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 16 - Indiana Historical Society - Free Admission.

Orchestra America National Festival: 5 p.m. Thursday, March 15; 8 a.m. Saturday, March 17.
Tickets for the individual orchestra performances of the Orchestra America National Festival at Hilbert Circle Theatre, Thursday evening, March 15 and Saturday morning, March 17 are $15 for both sessions, and can be ordered in advanced or purchased at the ticket office or on their website www.indianapolissymphony.org.

Middle School National Music Festival: 8:00 a.m. Saturday, March 17 - Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts, Butler University - Free Admission.

Music for All Mass Choir Concert: 2 p.m. Saturday, March 17 - Hilbert Circle Theatre. Featuring 400 students from across the United States, as part of the premiere Music for All National Choir Festival - Free Admission.

A full schedule of Festival ensemble concerts, times and locations is available at www.musicforall.org/festival, or for more information call 800-848-BAND (2263).

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