Donoho Band Director Promotes Community Healing through Music

Dave Swinney, Donoho Band Director and current president of our local band association, announced yesterday that the 2021 Calhoun County Honor Band students will have two pieces commissioned from composer, Robert W. Smith, honoring the history of our community.

This year, the local band association decided to commission a piece from an accomplished composer. This year, Mr. Swinney suggested that the piece be in honor of the Freedom Riders. (Freedom Riders were groups of civil rights activists who participated in Freedom Rides, bus trips through the American South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals). His suggestion sparked such enthusiasm that the association decided to commission two pieces, a grade 2 composition for the 2021 Calhoun County Middle School Honor Band and a grade 4.5 for the Calhoun County High School Honor Band.

Swinney shared his excitement with his Donoho family and said, “I cannot wait to see this come to fruition. I think the commission will be a healing thing in our community, and I believe it will be good to see these works played all over the world with our county director’s association listed on the piece to show the world that we are making progress!”

If you would like to learn more about the Freedom Riders, please click on the link in the story.