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September 21, 2009
For Immediate Release
For more information: Nancy Cannon (801) 863-8844
University Marketing & Communications: Erin Spurgeon, (801) 863-6807
Written by: Alex Strickland (801) 863-6351
The Utah Valley University Envision Winter Guard club will host popular Utah musician Jon Schmidt in a concert at UVU’s Ragan Theater at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28. The concert is a fundraiser for the UVU Envision winter guard to help fund the group’s trip to the national championships in Dayton, Ohio in April.
"Jon Schmidt has been so amazing with coming in and doing these benefit concerts with us," said Envision director Nancy Cannon. "We’re so grateful that he’s willing to do this."
Schmidt’s musical style is hard to pin down, but his "New Age" mix of classical, rock and roll and pop music has earned him legions of fans in his native Utah and around the country. Schmidt has produced seven albums as well as volumes of piano scores.
The opportunity to go to the national winter guard championships proved valuable for last year’s Envision squad, exposing them to a wide variety of other teams and styles.
"It was very diverse last year," said 18-year-old club president Lexi Billings, a sophomore in exercise science. "There were people from as far away as Japan so we got to see a lot of different styles."
Winter guard is similar to the outdoor colorguard squads often associated with football games and marching bands. Instead of being outdoors, though, winter guard takes place exclusively inside and has more of a performing arts emphasis than its outdoor cousin, according to Cannon.
"The equipment work is different compared to outdoor performances because we have a more controlled environment," she said. "We can do more intricate types of moves."
Not only does the club practice around six hours per week, Cannon said many of the members spend time in local high schools helping coach colorguard programs there. UVU’s team is involved at schools in Provo, Orem and Pleasant Grove, among others.
"Not only are we able to provide a competitive organization," Cannon said, "we also have a service learning piece to our puzzle."
Tickets for the Jon Schmidt show are $10 for general admission or $8 for UVU faculty and staff and any student with an identification card, UVU or otherwise. Tickets may be purchased at UVU Campus Connection in the Sorensen Student Center or by calling (801) 863-8797.
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