The Rock Prairie Concert Band performed its Fall concert on Wed., Oct 12. Leading the 52-member band with science fiction hits like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings was none other than Darth Vader. He really won the crowd over, and he encouraged the band to play one of its finest "pops" performances ever. If you missed it, you can catch it on cable’s JATV.

The Rock Prairie Big Band performed already this season at a fundraiser for Spotlight on Kids at KANDU Industries on September 30th. There were approximately 80 in attendance throughout the evening, and all seemed to have fun dancing to the music. You can catch the Big Band again on Wed. Dec 14th for its next concert at UW Rock County. Stay tuned!

Dr. Suarez visited over 1,000 area students to introduce them to The Rock Prairie Youth Orchestra and encourage them to join. A total of about 60 students auditioned to make this orchestra the largest to date. Be prepared for a magnificent concert on Dec 15th.

Hey, what are you doing Thanksgiving weekend besides eating a lot and watching football? You’re going to see The Nutcracker Ballet at UW Rock County! Rock Prairie Festival Orchestra rehearsals will begin soon for this 2nd annual seasonal favorite: Nov. 7, 14, 19, and 21. Performances will be on November 25 (7:30 PM), 26 (7:30 PM), and 27 (2:00 PM) Tickets are sure to sell out!

The Rock Prairie Youth Orchestra is hosting its first solo instrumentalist competition for area youth. The deadline for application is November 1st. There will be 3 prizes awarded: 1st place, $250; second place, $100; third place, $50. Applications will be placed at area schools. The competition will be held on November 12th and will be adjudicated by musicians outside the RPPA family. Good luck to all auditioning!

Have you seen our newsletter yet? Well, if not, then you are probably not on our mailing list. Call Jeff Suarez with your mailing address, and we’ll get you up to date with our hard copy.