Update 1/25/2023

The Winds of Montana concert that was scheduled for this Sunday has been cancelled.  The organizers called it off, citing the forecasted weather for the weekend and not wanting to risk anything happening to the members who would have to travel here to Great Falls.

A rescheduled date has not been announced.

Original article

The Winds of Montana, a concert band made up of musicians from across the state, is putting on a free concert Sunday, January 29th at the C. M. Russell High School auditorium.

This concert will be the first since the passing of the group's founder, Bill Larson, last year.  Prior to Larson's passing, the group performed a concert in tribute to him, complete with a piece of music written in his honor.

The story about the band's founding, as told by Larson himself, goes that when Larson moved from teaching high school band to the position of Music and Fine Arts Supervisor for Great Falls Public Schools, he discovered he still wanted to conduct a band.  So, he started the Winds of Montana, inviting adult & high school musicians from around the state to be a part of it.

When Larson retired from GFPS, he invited his successor as Music and Fine Arts Supervisor, Dennis Granlie, to join him as a co-conductor for the group.  When current Music and Fine Arts Supervisor Dusty Molyneaux took over the post, he was also invited to become a co-conductor, and he accepted.

The concert is Sunday, January 29th at 2p, under the direction of Granlie and Molyneaux.  While the concert is free, there is a free-will donation.

I hope to see you there!

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