West Michigan Concert WINDS
The West Michigan Concert WINDS, formerly the Muskegon Symphonic Band, was founded in the fall of 1979 as a volunteer group of music educators and local residents dedicated to performing outstanding instrumental music in the community.
In 1986, the band formed a mutually advantageous affiliation with Muskegon Community College. The WINDS receives an influx of talented college musicians who take the class for credit each year, while the college benefits from the exposure in the community while enhancing its class offerings. The WINDS is an open volunteer auditioned ensemble, drawing members from much of the West Michigan area.
The WINDS love to travel, from several cities within the state, to international festivals in England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, sharing their love of music while enhancing the cultural life of other communities. The ensemble has also participated since 1997 in the Red Cedar Festival of Community Bands in Okemos, MI. Three nationally recognized clinicians critically evaluate each band's performance and follow up with a thirty-minute session with one of the clinicians. This learning tool has improved their musicianship and performance techniques.
In April of 2005, the WINDS was one of six bands nationally chosen to perform at the Association of Community Bands' national convention in Quincy, IL. The following year, the group was awarded the John Phillip Sousa Foundation's Sudler Silver Scroll, recognizing the WINDS as demonstrating high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years and a significant and leading role in the cultural and musical environment in the community. This honor has inspired the group to reach for new heights by performing even the more challenging band music of today.
