Tennessee Valley Winds and Contest of Champions creator and former MTSU Band of Blue Director Joseph T. Smith
In honor of Mr. Joseph T. Smith, founding director of both the Tennessee Valley Winds and the Contest of Champions held annually on the MTSU campus, the Tennessee Valley Winds, now under the direction of Erich Zimmerman and Greg Lawson, will perform some of Mr. Smith’s favorites including Elsa’s “Procession,” “Esprit De Corps” and “Beguine for Band.” At the end of the “concert proper,” held Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre, alumni will be invited on stage to help pay tribute to Mr. Smith.
Rehearsals for those wishing to perform in the concert will be on Tuesdays from 7–9 p.m. The location of rehearsals vary from Siegel Middle School to Christiana Middle School so check out tnvalleywinds.org for the location of the rehearsals you can attend.
The festivities continue on Friday evening when the Band of Blue Alumni Club hosts a dinner in Mr. Smith’s honor. Others who have made contributions to the contest and the band will also be recognized. The cost of the dinner is $50 per person. Pre-dinner entertainment will be from select ensembles within the Tennessee Valley Winds. For more information about Friday, Oct. 21, visit mtsubandalumni.org.
On Saturday, Oct. 22, the festivities will conclude with the 50th annual Contest of Champions, which will take place on the campus of MTSU.
For more information about the Contest of Champions, visit frank.mtsu.edu/~coc/.
Current TVW director Erich Zimmerman
The Tennessee Valley Winds is a non-profit, all volunteer, self-supporting community band that has been providing quality musical performances since 1984. The community band experience is unlike school or professional groups. Rarely do amateurs and professionals, young and old, get to work together. The opportunity to learn and grow is unique. The director is more of a guide than an authority figure, and does not assign parts or solos. It is expected that all will help each other by offering suggestions and sharing. Friendships are born of shared work and musical enjoyment.
For more information about the Tennessee Valley Winds Community Band, visit tnvalleywinds.org.
