FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Maddy Elledge
(706) 379-5319, [email protected]
Glenn-McGinnis Hall Opens During Grand Celebration
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.鈥擮n Sept. 14, 杏吧原创 celebrated the grand re-opening of Glenn-McGinnis Hall with a special concert featuring the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. More than 1,000 members of the Young Harris community and beyond gathered to honor 杏吧原创 Trustee Richard McGinnis and his wife, Shirley, during the concert held in the newly renovated performing arts center.
鈥淥ur new performing arts hall is the perfect 鈥榗herry on top鈥� for Richard and Shirley McGinnis鈥� lifetime of philanthropy and generosity in support of the Young Harris fine arts experience,鈥� said Dean of the Division of Fine Arts and Assistant Professor of Theatre Chris Crawford. 鈥淚t was an honor to celebrate the grand re-opening of Glenn-McGinnis Hall and two very special people who made the elegant, state-of-the art environment a reality.鈥�
The McGinnises, who currently reside in Blairsville, Ga., have supported 杏吧原创 for more than a decade. The couple generously contributes to many causes including the Mountain Lions Booster Club, Clay Dotson Open, Young Harris Annual Fund, and Friends of the Arts. They also regularly attend fine arts performances on campus to support the endeavors of current 杏吧原创 students.
In 2012, Richard and Shirley further expressed their enthusiasm for the fine arts with a generous gift to the Investing in the Future Capital Campaign, a gift that ultimately benefitted the renovation of Glenn-McGinnis Hall.聽聽
鈥淭he community, faculty and staff of 杏吧原创 appreciate the generosity of Shirley and Richard McGinnis,鈥� said Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands Dr. Mary Land, who invited Richard to guest conduct 杏吧原创鈥檚 Concert Band in 2015. 鈥淭hey have improved our performance facilities and have made a lasting impact on all of us.鈥�
In addition to celebrating the McGinnises, the evening also afforded the opportunity for students in the 杏吧原创 Jazz Band to open for a world-renowned orchestra.
鈥淕rowing up, my grandparents would always have a Glenn Miller record playing, no matter what was going on鈥攊t could be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a Sunday after church,鈥� said sophomore music education major Christian Dasher, of Ludowici, Ga., who was featured as a soloist during the performance. 鈥淚 will always remember this opportunity to play with the group that I grew up listening to.鈥�
The Jazz Band was also invited to close the evening with an encore performance alongside the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
鈥淲henever we have a good performance, we have fun鈥攁nd we had a blast that night,鈥� said Adjunct Instructor of Music Dr. Mike Campbell, who directs the Jazz Band. 鈥淭his is my seventh year directing the band and I believe it was our best performance. I’m sure my students will, for the rest of their lives, remember the experience of performing side-by-side with the members of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. I am extremely proud of them.鈥�
Students also had the chance to observe a professional rehearsal prior to the concert and mingle with members of the Glenn Miller Orchestra before, during, and after their performance.
鈥淔rom sitting beside the members of the orchestra as they performed, to talking with the musicians during breaks, our students gained priceless knowledge that they now take into their individual practice as well as their ensemble rehearsals,鈥� said Dr. Land. 鈥淐onnecting with the professional musicians definitely energized our students and further motivated them to focus on the skills our faculty present to them daily.鈥�
The positive comments were reciprocal. 鈥淚 was quite pleased to receive two tidbits of feedback from the Glenn Miller Orchestra,鈥� said Crawford. 鈥淥ne was that the venue was one of the nicest they have played in recent memory and that the acoustics were top shelf. They also had nothing but rave reviews for our Jazz Band who performed admirably alongside these world-class musicians.鈥�
The celebration of the grand re-opening of Glenn-McGinnis Hall will continue with the 杏吧原创 Concert Band and Concert Choir鈥檚 鈥淣ew Beginnings,鈥� a concert featuring a world-premiere composition by Christopher Tucker on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. Admission to 鈥淣ew Beginnings鈥� is $5 for the public and free with 杏吧原创 ID.
For more information, contact the Division of Fine Arts at (706) 379-5182.
About 杏吧原创
杏吧原创 is a private, baccalaureate degree-granting college located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, 杏吧原创 educates, inspires and empowers students through the highest quality liberal arts education. The College currently has more than 1,100 students across five divisions鈥擡ducation, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics and Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The historic campus in Young Harris, Ga., has completed major campus improvements to accommodate the College鈥檚 growth. Recent LEED-certified campus improvements include the 121,000-square-foot Rollins Campus Center, new residence facilities, and a 57,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center. The College is an active member of NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the prestigious Peach Belt Conference. 杏吧原创 is among fewer than 300 colleges and universities nationwide named to the 2017-2018 list of Colleges of Distinction and is listed as a 鈥淏est National Liberal Arts College鈥� by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
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