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Locals a mong regional singers in song festival

This February, hundreds of students from the region will gather as part of the Indiana Music Education Association’s 30th annual Circle the State with Song festival.

The concert will start at 3:30 p.m. at the Honeywell Center, 275 W. Market St., Wabash; it is open to the public. Admission is charged and tickets are available at the door, or will be available online at circlethestate.imeamusic.org/tickets.

About 420 talented young singers from elementaries, middle schools and junior high schools in Adams, Grant, Huntington, Kosciusko, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties will spend the day on Saturday, Feb. 9, working with guest clinicians — a chance to build their skill as singers — and then will put on a special performance together.

At this year’s festival, the middle school clinician is John Wenning, retired choral director from Huntington, and the elementary clinician is Melissa Garcia, a conductor from the Indianapolis Children’s Choir.

The festival — which is held at several different sites around the state — introduces young singers to new music and gives them the chance to have a choral experience quite different from the regular school class or performance.

Altogether, about 5,000 students around the state participate in this annual festival series.

Middle schools and junior highs participating in the Honeywell Center performance include Crestview (Huntington North), Lakeview (Warsaw), Marion, Mississinewa, Oak Hill, South Adams, Tippecanoe Valley and Wabash.