A Musical Tribute

We drove to Edina High School yesterday to attend a musical concert honoring William A. Webb. This man has been a large figure in the Minnesota band scene and Nolan found out this year that he has been very ill. A combination of Levaquin (a fluoroquinolone) and Prednisone put him in a wheelchair and he has no promises of recovery. His mind is still clear, however, and his arms and hands still function.

The concert was very touching. The Edina High School Concert Band began with a tribute to the Pops concerts Bill established during his decades of teaching there. I was very impressed the band could play so many numbers so early in their school year. There were a number of well-known band composers and conductors including Daniel Kallman and Timothy Mahr.

A fanfare written for Bill was premiered and a music education scholarship for Edina High School was established in his name. I don't even know the man and I had a difficult time not crying! It's incredible how one person can influence so many. The theater was full to capacity with people who felt such gratitude for Bill and the lifelong love of music he instilled in them. Nolan met Bill from a tour that he played in as part of the Minnesota Ambassadors of Music. This tour was extraordinarily meaningful for Nolan and he feels grateful that he had the opportunity to meet Bill Webb. I was happy too because the performance was very good and extremely moving.