Schools come together to sing

Choir students from five area high schools will gather today to listen to one another's music, not to compete.

"It's just a showcase," said Boyd Grimshaw, the music teacher at Dayton High School. "You go. You sing. You celebrate the fact that you can sing. You have fun."

Carson City, Dayton, Douglas, Virginia City and South Lake Tahoe high school choirs will participate in Western Nevada Community College's first Invitational High School Choral Festival.

The choral festival is open to the public and is part of the college's Festival of Arts 2000.

Anne Hansen, director of marketing and information at the college, said families are encouraged to attend and she expects the community will enjoy the performance.

"It will be an opportunity to sit back and relax," Hansen said. "How often do you get the chance to sit back and listen to music?"

Hansen said the college wanted to include the high schools in the art festival as well as promote the college.

"We were looking for more opportunity to partner with the high schools in the area and enable them to have an enriching educational experience," she said. "This seemed like a win-win situation."

Bill Zabelsky, Douglas High School music teacher, said it will be a chance for his choir to hear other choirs in the area.

"It's a nice thing to do," he said. "It will be nice to hear the other choirs that are participating."

It will also give the students more experience performing.

"My kids need as much exposure as possible," Grimshaw said. "Out here in Dayton, they don't get much."

"It's proven that music increases academics," he said. "It trains the mind. There's logical patterns to music.

"It's a discipline that, unfortunately, more children will lack if music continues to be cut in our area."

Hansen said the festival will be an opportunity to show the community the importance of music.

"There's not enough music in the world," she said. "This is a good opportunity to showcase our youth at their best."

The college hopes to continue the festival in future years, Hansen said.

If you go

What: Invitational High School Choral Festival

Where: Western Nevada Community College Aspen Building

When: 6 p.m. today

Cost: Free and open to the public.