Northwestern to Play Host to Guitar Festival
April 5, 2018
Northwestern Oklahoma State University will play host to the NWOSU Guitar Festival April 7 between 8 and 11 a.m. in the Fine Arts building.
The Guitar Festival is in its second year with a purpose to provide young guitarists an outlet to perform and receive constructive feedback.
“The guitar festival is a new idea that started because the guitar is an instrument not allowed to perform at the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association band district solo ensemble contest,” Dr. Marc Decker, assistant professor of fine arts, director of instrumental music and music education, said. “There is certainly a need in the area to have a solo ensemble contest for guitar.”
The festival has 80 entries with 35 participants so far. The students participating are mainly from the northwestern region.
The contest is for middle schoolers and high schoolers only. The youngest allowed to perform is 6th graders and the oldest allowed to perform is high school seniors.
The contest will begin at 8:30 a.m., however it is not open to the public because they are performing solo acts and not with other performers.
There will be an awards ceremony after the Festival at 10:30 a.m. in the Fine Arts Building, room 200, after the contest that will be open to the public. The judge will pick the top three performers of the day, and they will perform again for everyone.
“I’m delighted to host the second annual NWOSU guitar festival,” Decker said. “I look forward to hearing many great guitar players.”
In the future, Northwestern may put together a piano contest where students may compete and perform. The piano is another instrument that the OSSAA band district does not allow to perform at the solo ensemble contest.
Contact Decker for more information at (580) 327-8191 or mddecker@nwosu.edu.
-NW-
CONTACT FOR RELEASE:
Erin Davis, University Relations Specialist
eedavis@nwosu.edu, 580-327-8480