Tri-state festival fills Enid with music

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt Jason Bishop
  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Team Vance children showcased their musical talent as Enid played host to the 72nd annual Tri-State Music Festival April 28 through Saturday.
The four-day festival started out as Phillips Band Day in 1932, attracting bands from Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
It is a large music competition in which schools perform as bands, ensembles and individuals for sweepstakes trophy points.
Among the schools competing were the Enid schools that many of Team Vance's youngest attend, and in some cases, make up at least half of the school's participants in the festival.
The children worked hard to prepare for the event.
"(The children) had been preparing for about two months," said Terry Brett, vocal music teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School. "They all did very well. I was very proud."
Mrs. Brett's students, who were made up of fourth, fifth and sixth graders, received a rating of 2, which is the second highest rating, she said. Eisenhower Elementary also had several pianists, instrumentalists and a violinist compete in the festival, all of whom earned "outstandings."
Nathan Marshall, a sixth grader at Emanuel Christian and son of Lt Col David and Julie Marshall, 71st Flying Training Wing inspector general, had also been working hard since February practicing twice a week with the Emanuel Christian school band and nearly every day at home, Colonel Marshall said.
"He knew he had to memorize the song for the marching portion," Colonel Marshall said. "So he was motivated to practice."
Vance Air Force Base participated in the event by providing more than its talented youngsters. The base also set up the stage for the Multi-Million Dollar Parade by providing a flatbed trailer used as the judges' reviewing stand, something Vance AFB has done for many years, said Bob Farrell, 71st FTW Public Affairs chief of community relations. Vance AFB also provided 27 United States flags used throughout the official events.
Overall the festival was a success, said C.W. Simmons, managing festival director.